Nikki Sobkowski introduced our speaker: Larry Mawby of Mawby Vineyards and Winery: making the most exquisite sparkling wines for a really long time!
Larry is a native of Suttons Bay and an MSU Spartan. When he opened his winery in the 1970s, he was one of two commercial vineyards in the area. Today we boast of 42 wineries in Leelanau. Grand Traverse, Antrim and Benzie counties.
Here are some interesting facts about our wine industry:
Wine grapes don’t use the same acreage as cherries do.
Wines are sold locally which means people with money come to visit us….. A LOT!
Climate change offers a challenge. (Really, you mean like the weather we’ve been having this winter!?)
Tender fruits like grapes and cherries benefit from the stabilizing climate effects of Lake Michigan. But even Lake Michigan isn’t completely invincible against Mother Nature.
As the atmosphere changes we get more extremes of weather (Again, like the weather we’ve been having!?!? Can you tell I’m kind of over the snow.)
Questions from the Peanut Gallery:
How rapid is climate change? We don’t plant every year (other agricultural products do plant every year.). We plant for 50 years in the future. Is what we are planting in 2020 going to do well in 2070? We don’t know. (But if anyone has a crystal ball and would like to peek into the future as to what this will be, the cherry and grape industries would be most appreciative!)
Why did you decide to create sparkling wines? Because it was the right thing to do! The variety of grapes needed for sparkling wines are very reliable and can ripen nicely regardless of the weather! Also, I used some market psychology and I was the only guy doing it at the time! (There you go, create a niche for yourself! Be the lead dog!)
Are hybrids becoming more acceptable? Yes, sparkling is a branded product. We’ve increased the plantings of hybrids in the last few years. They resist disease and are heartier. (As long as we can keep the sparkling flowing, we’re OK with hybrids!!)
Did you bring samples with you today? No. (He probably gets that question ALL the time is my guess!)
Larry’s brilliant thought for the day (quoting someone, did not get their name): “We all want progress, but we don’t want change.”
And with that, Peace Out!
