Viticulture in Michigan

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Michigan
Vineyards on the Old Mission Peninsula
Vineyards on the Old Mission Peninsula
Official name: State of Michigan
Appellation type: State
Year of establishment: 1837
Viticulture tradition since: 1933
Country: United States
Sub-regions: Fennville AVA , Lake Michigan Shore AVA , Leelanau Peninsula AVA , Old Mission Peninsula AVA
Recognized cultivation area: 253,793 km² (97,990 sq mi )
Planted acreage: 10.72 km² (2650 acres )
Number of vineyards: 76.89 km² (15,000 acres)
Grape varieties: Baco Noir , Cabernet Franc , Cabernet Sauvignon , Catawba , Cayuga , Chambourcin , Chancellor , Chardonel , Chardonnay , Concord , Gamay Noir , Gewürztraminer , Kerner , Lemberger , Léon Millot , Maréchal Foch , Merlot , Niagara , Pinot Blanc , Pinot Gris , Pinot Noir , Riesling , Sauvignon Blanc , Seyval Blanc , Syrah , Traminette , Valiant , Vidal Blanc , Vignoles
Number of wineries: 101
Wine quantity: 4.92 million liters (1.3 million gallons )

Viticulture in Michigan describes viticulture in the American state of Michigan . Under United States law, every state and county is a protected designation of origin and does not need to be recognized as such by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives .

In 2011 101 wineries cultivated the vineyards, which have four sub-regions, the so-called American Viticultural Area . A total of 4.92 million liters (1.3 million gallons ) of wine were produced.

The wine business and wine tourism in the region generated approximately $ 300 million in sales in 2011. The wineries attract around 1 million visitors annually. The majority of the quality wines are produced in the sub-regions (AVAs) Fennville AVA , Lake Michigan Shore AVA , Leelanau Peninsula AVA and Old Mission Peninsula AVA . The first two areas of origin account for 46% of the vineyards, with Fennville being much smaller than Lake Michigan Shore. The remainder is almost equally divided between the last two areas. The cultivation zone lies in a strip of max. 40 km wide along Lake Michigan . In winter, the vines benefit from a protective layer of snow resulting from the lake effect snow .

Due to the cool climate, the winemakers have been trying their hand at the production of ice wine, similar to their Canadian colleagues, since the beginning of 2000 . In addition to classic wine, Michigan is one of the most important producers of fruit wines , especially cherry wine .

Grape varieties

The majority of the harvested grapes are used to produce grape juice or jelly . Of a total of 100,000 tons of harvested material in 2005, only 4,600 tons went into wine production. The proportion of European noble grapes is constantly increasing. Of the 4600 tons, 2640 tons came from European varieties, 1660 tons from hybrid grapes and only 300 tons from American grape varieties . The European grape varieties include Cabernet Franc , Chardonnay , Gewürztraminer , Pinot Noir , Merlot , Syrah , Pinot Gris and Riesling (340 acres in 2006). In 2007 only 12% of the planted area was intended for exclusive viticulture.

history

The first commercial vineyards were set up after the end of Prohibition . Large quantities of the Concord variety were harvested in the southwest of the state as a supply for the Welch Grape Juice Company . Within a few years, four larger wineries were established in Michigan: La Salle Wine and Champagne Company in Windsor (Ontario), Bronte Champagne and Wines Company in Hartford, Michigan Wineries (now Tabor Hill Winery) in Buchanan and St. Julian Winery in Windsor.

The first wines from Michigan were sweet wines made from the American grape varieties Catawba , Concord and Niagara or from hybrid vines. These varieties have the advantage of being adapted to the climate of the growing areas and of producing sufficiently high yields and must weights . In addition, the cultivation of this variety gave winemakers the opportunity to either use the harvest for viticulture or for further processing of juice and jelly.

See also

Web links

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council (2007). Michigan Wines Fast Facts ( December 22, 2009 memento on the Internet Archive ). Last access to this page on December 25, 2012
  2. ↑ Fruit Production 2005, US Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service, Michigan Field Office, January 25, 2006. ( Memento of October 26, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Last accessed December 25, 2012