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Michigan wine industry hopeful for 2017 season

A spokesperson for Michigan’s wine industry says despite some light frost damage to vineyards last week, the season is off to a good start.

Jenelle Jagmin with the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council tells Brownfield vineyards last year produced a bumper crop and wine makers are hopeful this year can follow suit.  “In 2016 we experienced a bumper crop of beautiful fruit.  The wineries were able to make really, really nice vintage.  Some of those whites and roses are already being released into the wineries.  The wineries are hoping for the same thing out of the 2017 vintage, and so far so good.”

The Michigan wine industry is celebrating wine month this May to kick start the tourism season. Jagmin says they’ve partnered with the Department of Natural Resources to promote agri-tourism and Michigan wine adventures.  “It was born out of a desire for agri-tourists to be able to plan their wine tours but also a nice hike or a campsite into their adventure.”

Four wineries were approved this month which Jagmin says makes Michigan home to 130 across the state. Michigan’s vineyard acreage has doubled in the last ten years to nearly 3,000 acres, making it the nation’s fifth largest wine grape producer.

AUDIO: Interview with Jenelle Jagmin