• Michigan has 13,500 acres of vineyards making Michigan the fourth largest grape-growing state.

• All of this acreage is devoted to juice grapes such as Concord and Niagara.

• About 1,500 acres are planted to wine grapes, making Michigan the eighth in wine grape production.

• Vineyard area has increased 24% since 1997.

• Michigan’s 45 commercial wineries produce more than 200,000 cases of wine annually, making the state 13th in wine production. The vast majority of production is from Michigan-grown grapes.

• Wineries are popular tourist destinations, attracting more than 600,000 visitors annually. Some of these wineries also have retail stores where it’s possible to purchase anything from a wine cellar kit to a wine cooler refrigerator.

• Wine production and winery tourism annually contribute $75 million to the state’s economy.

• Three types of grapes are used for wine in Michigan:

• • Vinifera varieties — these are the classic European varieties such as Chardonnay, Riesling (the most widely planted white), Pinot Noir (the most widely planted red), Pinot Grigio/Gris and Cabernet Franc; 58% of Michigan’s wine grapes are vinifera. Since 1998, 71% of the new plantings in Michigan have been vinifera varieties.

• • Hybrid varieties (sometimes called French/American hybrids) — these are botanical crosses between vinifera varieties and grapes native to North America. Common names are Vidal, Chambourcin, Marechal Foch and Vignoles; 39% of Michigan’s wine grapes are hybrids.

• • Native varieties — actually close relatives of true native varieties. Typical names are Concord and Niagara. A Mere 3% of Michigan’s wine is made from these varieties.

• The vast majority of Michigan’s quality wine grapes grow within 25 miles of Lake Michigan. Here, the “lake effect” protects the vines with snow in winter, retards bud break in spring helping avoid frost damage, and extends the growing season by up to four weeks.

• Michigan has deemed four federally approved viticultural areas (AVAs). In the northwest part of the state, near Traverse City, lie the Leelanau Peninsula and the Old Mission Peninsula. This area has a growing season averaging 145 days and an average heat accumulation of 2,350 growing degree days; 51% of Michigan’s wine grapes grow here. In the southwest part of the state are the Lake Michigan Shore and Fennville appellations, where 45% of Michigan’s wine grapes are grown. This area has a growing season of about 160 days and an average heat accumulation of 2,750 growing degree days. Each are Region 6 on the USDA plant hardiness zone map.

• Harvest begins for early hybrid varieties at the end of late August in the southwest and may extend into mid November for late-ripening vinifera varieties in the northwest.

• Michigan wines win numerous medals at prestigious competitions every year. More than 16% of the wines entered in the Michigan Wine & Spirits Competition had already won Gold Medals in regional, national and international competitions. A list of winners is available upon request.

• Michigan wineries make many styles of wine, from dry to sweet including Ice Wine, sparkling, fortified, fruit wines and eau-de-vie (fruit brandy).

• Michigan wines are usually “cool climate” – clean, crisp, balanced wines that exhibit real varietal charact.
• Michigan Wines are very popular choices in the offerings of Wine Clubs
  where you set up a monthly subscription to order wine online

Next time you’re savoring your favorite Chardonnay, check the label. It just may not have come from California!

So how do you choose a club? Are all clubs the same and are there important things you should look out for when choosing a membership. There are different things that can help you to choose the right one. Everything from cost to wine style will determine what club you choose.

The Cost Of Wine Club

While cost should not be the only thing that you think about when choosing a wine club it is important. If you are just starting to learn about wine it might be a good idea to start with an inexpensive membership. A wine tasting club that allows you to pay as little as $20 a month can still offer you some very decent wines to try.

More expensive wine clubs offers you to try varying ranges of wines and also they offer more bottles of wine each month. So settle on a price range that you are comfortable with and you are on your way to discovering great wines.

Choose Your Wine From Wine Club

There are different types of wine clubs that you can choose from and depending on your preferences you will probably go for a different club than your friends. You can join a wine club that only selects red or white wines. There are some clubs that will only showcase wines from California; others will choose wines from all over the world.

Some of clubs offers a selection of wines that are not commercially available, from small vineyards which are hard to come by otherwise. The choice is up to you and many of these memberships are extremely affordable.

Little Details For Choosing The Right Wine From Wine Club

Paying attention to little details can also help you to choose the right wine club. The long membership of customers shows that a club has excellent customer service. Be sure to check if shipping costs are included in your monthly membership fee or if it is counted as an extra. You might also have other benefits to joining a particular club so look around and find the right type of wine club for you.

The worst thing that could happen is not having enough space for your wine rack. When storing your wine, make sure it is in the correct environment. Don’t forget the big three when storing your wine: temp, light, humidity. Heat and light are wines worst enemies. Heat will cause the wine to age too fast and become ruined. Keep the wine temperature from rising and falling more than necessary. Unless you have one of the new style corks, wine should be stored on its side to keep the cork wet. If you already have your diy wine cellar constructed, then you are well on your way.

A Monthly Wine club takes all the work out of finding the best wines as you grow your collection as time goes by. Any true wine afficionado knows that good wine cannot sit under the cupboard forever. Many wine racks are designed to make the most out of the available space. They let you store many bottles of wine on each shelf. Reading of wine labels and finding different bottles is quick and easy as well. Metal wine racks and wooden wine racks make excellent choices. You can get a discount by buying wine by the crate. Look around for a wine rack design you like, and then build it yourself to limit spending.

A DIY wine rack is probably the cheapest option out there. It is not difficult to make a wood wine rack, it also impresses the wife. All that is required are some standard tools and some free wine rack plans you can find anywhere on the internet. You can build a racking system for under ten dollars if you wanted to.

Likely the cheapest option is to build your rack with wood and bricks. Just stack the bricks and planks for a simple rack that will make due until you get a proper one. You make the call how expensive your wine racks will be. Making a budget wine rack is a great cheap and easy option that is simple to do for anybody. Visit the wine cellar website to see other money saving tips.