10 Ways to Celebrate Michigan Wine Month

Looking for an excuse to sip a little extra wine this spring?  You're in luck because April is Michigan wine month, and that means many extra opportunities to explore and adore this booming local industry.

Michigan's 80 commercial wineries produce more than 1 million gallons of wine annually and the vast majority of production is from Michigan-grown grapes.  That means an annual contribution of $300 million to our local economy...and it also makes it a very worthwhile, easy, and fun industry to support with our dollars and our actions.  Here are ten great ways to celebrate in April, and in some cases, all year round.

1. Buy a bottle, open, swirl, sniff, sip & savor.
2. Wineries are celebrating all over the state with special events that you give you an opportunity to taste wines and/or pair them with fine foods.  Visit the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council's calendar of events for opportunities to partake.
3. Order a copy of Michigan Wine Country, a free magazine that is published every April and serves as a great guide to the wineries and wine regions of the state.
4. Examine the wine list of your favorite restaurants for their selection of locally produced vintages.  If you love the variety, order something and thank them for keeping such a great Michigan selection.  If you don't love what you see, ask to speak to the manager or owner, and request that they carry a wider selection.
5. Visit your local market or wine shop too, and tell them what you think of their selection (and of course pick up a little treat for yourself or a wine lover in your life).
6. We may still be waiting for the weather to cooperate fully, but it is spring and that means people are more than ready to get out and have some fun.  Create your own celebration by inviting friends to a tasting at your home, a restaurant, or a winery.
7. Enter to win great prizes in the SUPER HUGE Michigan Wine Month Giveaway brought to you from our friends at Michigan by the Bottle.  They've gathered a cool collection of treats ranging from t-shirts to private winery tours, and they'll be giving away a prize every day in April.
8. Visit a winery.  Whether you indulge in a libation or not, it's worth the trip just to see the sights and learn how a grape becomes a drop.
9. Expand your Michigan wine horizon.  Many of us have preconceived notions of our local wine industry, or just favorites that we turn to all the time.  Make a concerted effort to try a brand or type of Michigan wine with which you are less familiar.
10. Be an ambassador.  Tweet, Facebook, boast, and brag about your favorite Michigan wineries and wines.  We can all help the industry grow when we share what we know.