Eleanor & Ray Heald (ERH): What are the specific duties of the Promotion Specialist, which is the job title you hold in the Michigan Grape & Wine Industry Council?

Dave Creighton (DC): When I took the job in 1996, I was hired specifically to sell Michigan wines by talking to retailers, restaurateurs and sales staff. Five years ago, the Council decided that they wished me to make sure Michigan wines were part of public events, to work those promotional events and to assist the media.

Additionally, I work on organizing the annual Michigan Wine & Spirits Competition to ensure its credibility. This is crucial because the Council believes that the credibility of Michigan wines hangs, at least partly, on the competition's integrity. We've made a concerted effort to improve both the competition's organization and the experience of the judges chosen.

Five years ago, I developed the class entry system which is now used for the Michigan wine competition and it's entirely different from those used by other competitions. It allows us to serve wines to judges in the correct tasting order. Formerly, we might have, as an example, presented Vidal Ice Wine to judges followed by a [dry] Pinot Gris.

ERH: Within the realm of your duties, how do you promote each Michigan AVA, so that consumers learn the differences, well beyond addressing the wines simply as "Michigan wines?"

DC: In many ways, promoting Lake Michigan Shore AVA is most important. Consumers in southeast Michigan [metro-Detroit area] consider Michigan wine country as the Traverse City area. Until recently, the Council took the position that its job was to promote the State's wines as a whole. And it's the individual "trails" [group of wineries that organize to conduct events and promotions together] that are responsible for promotion of their specific appellation.

A Michigan "trail" is not co-extensive with an appellation or wineries in that appellation. [Yet, on its website, the Southwest Michigan Wine Trail, with the moniker “The Other West Coast!”, clearly identifies itself with the Lake Michigan Shore AVA.]

Now, when I'm conducting an event, I make sure that I have representation from all of Michigan's AVAs. It's not necessarily equal because that depends on the nature of the event and which vintners may be available to attend.

ERH: Over your tenure, how have you chosen the wines you market? Let's start with Lake Michigan Shore.

DC: The way that I aid in the promotion of all Michigan wines, including wines from specific regions, is to pick the very best quality wines to showcase the appellation. So whether it's using Wyncroft, Tabor Hill, Lemon Creek, Round Barn, Domaine Berrien or St. Julian in the Lake Michigan Shore AVA, the chosen winery has a wine that fits the circumstance or necessity of the situation and is a quality wine as determined by medals in competitions, or simply the fact that I've tasted it and consider it worthy of showcasing.

I believe that the way to make a presentation and elevate consumer impression of Michigan wines is to serve the best.

ERH: And Leelanau Peninsula?

DC: In this AVA, wineries help each other to become better because they know that each is only as good as the weakest one. Each month, the wineries get together and taste a particular varietal wine and literally beat each other up over quality. But, at the same time, they also help each other.

Having 15 wineries in the AVA now, adds to overall strength. Every time a new winery opens, the business at all the wineries increases. It's common for tasting room staff to ask a visitor if they've visited other area wineries and if they need suggestions or help with directions. The main growth on Leelanau is due to this sort of regional promotion.

Essentially for the wine tourist who wants one stop wine shopping, Leelanau is the place. Twelve wineries are members of the Leelanau Peninsula vintners trail.

ERH: Old Mission Peninsula?

DC: The wineries of Old Mission Peninsula are more individual and each winery is committed to appellation labeling of its wines. New wineries cannot open in the appellation unless they have a source for grapes from within the appellation.

Black Star Farms, which is located in the Leelanau Peninsula AVA, labels many of its wines Old Mission Peninsula because several Black Star partners own vineyards on Old Mission.

ERH: How do you view progress and consumer understanding of wines from the Fennville AVA?

DC: New plantings by Dan Nitz in the Fennville AVA are exciting and will bring this AVA nearly instant attention.

[In Spring 2006, Dan Nitz, owner of Arrowhead Vineyards in Baroda, Mich., planted 25 acres of vines. Reds varieties – Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon – were planted on south facing slopes with whites on north facing slopes, including Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer. Near the end of 2007, Nitz will begin construction of a winery in the Fennville AVA. His Michigan tourism research indicates that the Traverse City area is number one but Saugatuck and South Haven are number two and his winery will be located 10 miles from either city.]

ERH: How do you promote wines with only a Michigan appellation?

DC: We probably need another AVA in the State. Oceana County, which certainly can use a county designation, is a good growing area. It has sandy soils and it's not that much different from the Fennville area.

Keep in mind a few things about appellations and labeling. Some wineries are either small or parsimonious enough that they don't want to print new labels when the grape source changes for a given vintage. Thus, to maintain flexibility, they label with a Michigan [State] appellation.

ERH: In your view, what are the most important elements needed for each of the appellations to grow in consumer consciousness? What marketing plans has the Michigan Grape & Wine Industry Council suggested to achieve this?

DC: First, the wineries need to be convinced of the philosophical notion of appellation significance. At a number of national meetings, there have been debates about whether appellation is the way to go in marketing. Officially, the state of Washington has gone in the direction of promoting the State appellation.

The Michigan Grape & Wine Industry Council must remain attuned to each winery's or each appellation's perception of the best marketing plan.

There's also the question of whether an appellation needs to choose one variety to hang its hat on.

An example of this would be Long Island with Merlot. I'm not suggesting that it's a smart marketing plan but it's one way. Sean O'Keefe [Chateau Grand Traverse] championed the one grape variety idea and the Council rejected it. Initially, the Council moved to promote a generic Michigan wine experience and it has now chosen to identify a distinctive experience that people have when they visit each of the appellations.

Leelanau Peninsula is the exemplary organization. Theirs is a model for the State because they're so business savvy.

Old Mission Peninsula holds two events per year. In Spring, they have Blossom Days, and Autumn into Winter they do a novel Mac 'n Cheese cook-off where each winery partners with a restaurant to prepare Mac 'n Cheese and pair it with wine – an all American sort of event.

ERH: Whether in California or Michigan, each AVA has its wine leaders. Who do you cite as AVA leaders and why?

DC: The wine trail concept started in Michigan because Don Coe [Black Star Farms] believed that the Seneca Lake Wine Trail in New York's Finger Lakes is a model for attracting wine tourists.

The Initial idea of matching seed monies for organization of the Michigan wine trails came from the Michigan Grape & Wine Industry Council.

In June 2006 [Contessa, Domaine Berrien, Fenn Valley, Free Run Cellars, Karma Vista, Lemon Creek, Round Barn, St. Julian and Warner] wineries joined together in the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Festival at Weko Beach in Bridgman, Mich. Joined by local restaurants and three bands, it was hugely successful and in its first year attracted more people than the Leelanau festival.

ERH: How has entering more Michigan wines in competitions, other than the Michigan Wine & Spirits Competition, furthered a showcasing of Michigan wines?

DC: The more times that a winery name is seen as a gold medal winner, the better. The Michigan Grape & Wine Industry Council encourages wineries to enter competitions. A list of competitions open to Michigan wineries is on the Council's website.

ERH: What competitions in particular have been the most beneficial?

DC: International Eastern Wine Competition and San Francisco International Wine Competition are the principal two where many Michigan wineries have submitted wines and consistently done well.

ERH: What have you done to encourage more Michigan restaurants to feature Michigan wines?

DC: The Council's website has published a list of restaurants that feature Michigan wines, but securing restaurant placements is an issue that wineries must pursue. It's not something that the Council can do. We are very conscious of the fact that there are some promotional elements that an individual winery is better at than we are.

Any restaurant or retail store in the U.S. that wants to carry Michigan wines can locate the resource on www.michiganwines.com, the Council's website.

ERH: Statistics now indicate that the popularity of German wines has risen to a pre-1985 level. How have you tied a renewed interest in German wines with the fine Rieslings and Gewurztraminers produced in Michigan?

DC: Whenever I'm present at a wine tasting or promotional event, I make sure that I have at least one Riesling to pour. People now identify Michigan with high-quality Riesling. You can't promote Michigan without promoting Riesling. There's no question about that.

What I do most often, however, is to pour a dry style and tie it not to Germany, necessarily, but to Alsace in France. When tasting participants are perceived as more knowledgeable, I always pour a dry Gewürztraminer from one of the producers.

I understand that the strength of wine grapes grown in Michigan's AVAs is in the intensely varietal fruit character. A consumer never wonders whether the wine is Riesling. It's always obvious what the grape is. Often, whether the Riesling origin is Leelanau Peninsula or Old Mission Peninsula, an orange or tangerine peel character is evident and I don't detect that in Riesling from any other region.

Easily identified varietal definition is the same for Cabernet Franc which screams its origins and is doing well in each of Michigan's AVAs. It has adapted well in the State.

ERH: Over the next two to three years, what do you think is needed to propel all Michigan AVAs to the forefront of U.S. wines?

DC: An easy answer to that would be more vintages like 2005! Sooner or later, global warming is going to make heroes of Michigan wines. How many years that will take is another question.

It's difficult to be at the forefront of North American viticulture with the current level of Michigan wine production. Both the Council and wineries recognize that grape supply is critical for growth. More investors in the Michigan wine industry are needed. That's how Ontario, Canada and Long Island, NY built their wine industry.

~ Eleanor and Ray Heald, Regional Correspondents - Michigan


To comment on the Healds’ writings and thoughts, contact them at heald@appellationamerica.com