Hi everyone! Cort here, checking in to see how you all are doing. If you're like us, you've been muddling through this dumpster fire of a year with plenty of Michigan wine in hand. ;) You may have noticed that we've been a bit quiet on MichiganByTheBottle.com lately. Like everyone else, we're still struggling with how differently 2020 has gone than how we planned/hoped/expected. Treading water through the pandemic, then reopening our brick-and-mortar tasting room locations post-quarantine with a decimated staff, the political hullabaloo surrounding masks, reduced capacity, new regulations, etc., has consumed more of our energy and time than... Continue reading

A very flattering pre-event mask selfie, ha Hi everyone! As you can see from the timestamp on the last entry, it's been awhile since we've posted anything on our MBTB Tasting Room Behind the Bar blog. Over the last seven-plus years, we've been fortunate to have so many opportunities to... Continue reading

A new #MichiganWineMonthChallenge will allow people to bid on “exclusive experiences” at Michigan wineries to benefit hospitality industry employees. The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA) and Michigan Wine Collaborative announced on Friday the launch of #MichiganWineMonthChallenge. via GRMag.com A great idea for a great cause! Continue reading

Submitted by Michigan Wine Collaborative Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association and Michigan Wine Collaborative Launch Wine Month Challenge to Raise Funds for Hospitality Employees LANSING, MICH. – The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA) and Michigan Wine Collaborative announced today the launch of #MichiganWineMonthChallenge. Beginning on May 1 and continuing for the entire month, during Michigan Wine Month, the challenge will offer opportunities for individuals to bid on exclusive experiences at select Michigan wineries. All proceeds from the #MichiganWineMonthChallenge will go to The Michigan Hospitality Employee Relief Fund. The relief fund was created by the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association... Continue reading

Michigan By The Bottle is teaming up with the Michigan Wine Collaborative and Michigan Wine Country magazine for a Virtual Wine Wednesday featuring different wineries from throughout the state! It's 8-9 p.m. every Wednesday night throughout May in celebration of Michigan Wine Month. Participation is FREE, though purchasing wine from the featured wineries is strongly encouraged. Get up close and personal with the winemakers, winery owners and more as you sip and socialize from the safety and comfort of your own home. Click here to stay up to date on complete details! Continue reading

Sooooooo ... this probably will come as a surprise to no one, but we're incredibly bummed nonetheless. 😭 After many years of running our annual MichiganByTheBottle.com SUPER HUGE Michigan Wine Month Giveaway — a contest held in conjunction with wineries throughout the state to award prizes daily during the month of May — we are sad to say that there will not be a giveaway for 2020. Based on the popularity of the contest and how much we absolutely love putting it on, it was a difficult decision to make. But considering the economic hardships and challenges Michigan's wineries are... Continue reading

In recent weeks, as the Detroit metro area became a hotspot for the novel coronavirus, everyone, with the exception of essential workers, has been told to stay home — but that doesn’t mean people can’t still get a taste of their favorite Michigan wines. As tasting rooms closed their doors, many winemakers have been forced to come up with new ways to do business including offering shipping for just one cent, case discounts, and virtual tastings. via detroit.eater.com Tasting have gone virtual in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading

Wine tasting usually is a social affair, an elbow-to-elbow group of people sipping together and sharing thoughts in a tasting room bustling with human traffic. Such gatherings are strongly discouraged in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wineries are responding with curbside pickup options, online deals and even virtual tastings. via Record-Eagle.com Have you been participating? Continue reading

While many Michigan wineries are closed or open with limited hours, they’re offering rare online deals and discounts for walk-ins and curbside pickup. Wineries are not open for tastings, wine by the glass, or snacks, per the governor’s executive order mandating the closure of certain types of businesses because of concerns about the spread of the coronavirus via DetroitNews.com Wineries are getting creative when it comes to selling in the era of coronavirus. Continue reading

Michigan wineries were already ramping up sanitation and modifying group tasting policies as warnings and fears surrounding Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) intensified last week. Now, as a result of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s order closing bars and restaurants effective 3 p.m. March 16, they’re dealing with what they hope is a temporary new normal. With tasting rooms closed, their focus is primarily on retail and online sales as they try to keep income flowing to as many employees as possible. via MichiganWineCountry.com Wineries weigh in on how they're coping with coronavirus :( Continue reading

Welcome to the latest edition of This Weekend in Michigan Wine, a listing of what's happening now, what's coming up and what's ongoing in the world of Michigan wine! We regularly check dozens of wine websites and sift through tons of weekly press releases to round up what's scheduled around the state. Wineries, if you'd like your event listed, please email us with all of the pertinent information, and we'd be happy to post it. MBTB fans, we hope this serves as your weekly "go-to" guide for finding the best options for getting your Michigan wine on! Cheers! Right now...... Continue reading

Welcome to the latest edition of This Weekend in Michigan Wine, a listing of what's happening now, what's coming up and what's ongoing in the world of Michigan wine! We regularly check dozens of wine websites and sift through tons of weekly press releases to round up what's scheduled around the state. Wineries, if you'd like your event listed, please email us with all of the pertinent information, and we'd be happy to post it. MBTB fans, we hope this serves as your weekly "go-to" guide for finding the best options for getting your Michigan wine on! Cheers! Right now...... Continue reading

Some students at Lake Michigan College are doing more than just sitting in a classroom and doing homework. They’re becoming professional winemakers, learning the entire process from the vineyard to the bottle through a unique program. via WSBT.com A little love for Lake Michigan College's Wine and Viticulture Program! Continue reading

Welcome to the latest edition of This Weekend in Michigan Wine, a listing of what's happening now, what's coming up and what's ongoing in the world of Michigan wine! We regularly check dozens of wine websites and sift through tons of weekly press releases to round up what's scheduled around the state. Wineries, if you'd like your event listed, please email us with all of the pertinent information, and we'd be happy to post it. MBTB fans, we hope this serves as your weekly "go-to" guide for finding the best options for getting your Michigan wine on! Cheers! Right now...... Continue reading

Though a retail shop, Michigan by the Bottle Tasting Room staff members line up tasting flights curated from what may be the largest selection of state wines and cider available in one place. via WineMag.com Big thanks to Wine Enthusiast for including our brick-and-mortar tasting rooms on this list! Check out who else got a nod ... Continue reading

Geoff Frey’s palette was wowed when he sipped his first glass of Marquette, a red hybrid grape, during a wine event in St. Paul, Minnesota, nearly a decade ago. The varietal, one Frey was unfamiliar with, had been aged two years in American oak by a Minnesota winery. via MIBlueMag.com Let's hear it from the Marquette lovers! Continue reading

Michigan vineyards have a need. A need for speed. In less than six hours, Youngblood Vineyard, a new, boutique winery in Macomb County, bottled, labeled and capped more than 10,000 bottles of five different red, white and rose wines, all produced from hybrid grapes harvested on the family’s 50-acre farm. via DetroitNews.com Another story on the super cool mobile bottling line from Harbor Hill. Continue reading

Welcome to the latest edition of This Weekend in Michigan Wine, a listing of what's happening now, what's coming up and what's ongoing in the world of Michigan wine! We regularly check dozens of wine websites and sift through tons of weekly press releases to round up what's scheduled around the state. Wineries, if you'd like your event listed, please email us with all of the pertinent information, and we'd be happy to post it. MBTB fans, we hope this serves as your weekly "go-to" guide for finding the best options for getting your Michigan wine on! Cheers! Right now...... Continue reading

Welcome to the latest edition of This Weekend in Michigan Wine, a listing of what's happening now, what's coming up and what's ongoing in the world of Michigan wine! We regularly check dozens of wine websites and sift through tons of weekly press releases to round up what's scheduled around the state. Wineries, if you'd like your event listed, please email us with all of the pertinent information, and we'd be happy to post it. MBTB fans, we hope this serves as your weekly "go-to" guide for finding the best options for getting your Michigan wine on! Cheers! Right now...... Continue reading

Next time you’re looking to wow friends with a bizarre drinks-related factoid, tell them this: Michigan is the nation’s sixth-largest producer of wine. For a state more recognized for its contributions to music, the automobile industry, and for some massive lakes, it can be a bit of a head-scratcher. via TheManual.com Michigan wine gets some love in this article from TheManual.com. Are any of your favorite stops mentioned? Continue reading

In the latest edition of our podcast, we chat with Patrick Brys of Brys Estate about Old Mission Snowshoe Wine & Brew with Bowers Harbor Vineyards, Jolly Pumpkin and TC Brew Bus; last year's major patio expansion; and their upcoming 15th anniversary (with a new wine on the way!), as well as discuss upcoming events, what we're drinking and more. You can listen in by clicking here. The podcasts are available via the link above, the "MBTB Radio" button at right, on Podbean.com, or on iTunes. You also can subscribe on iTunes so they download directly to your smartphone when... Continue reading

Welcome to the latest edition of This Weekend in Michigan Wine, a listing of what's happening now, what's coming up and what's ongoing in the world of Michigan wine! We regularly check dozens of wine websites and sift through tons of weekly press releases to round up what's scheduled around the state. Wineries, if you'd like your event listed, please email us with all of the pertinent information, and we'd be happy to post it. MBTB fans, we hope this serves as your weekly "go-to" guide for finding the best options for getting your Michigan wine on! Cheers! Right now...... Continue reading

When the time is right, weeks after the fall harvest of red and white wine grapes has wrapped up, clusters of frozen grapes, still clinging to barren, gnarly vines, are hand picked and transported to an unheated warehouse or outdoor pad for immediate pressing. via DetroitNews.com Ice wine, FTW! Continue reading

In the latest edition of our podcast, we chat with Michael Moyer of Lake Michigan College/Lake Michigan Vintners about LMC's Wine & Viticulture Program and LMV's imminent move to a new tasting room, and discuss upcoming events, new additions to the MBTB Tasting Room menus and more. You can listen in by clicking here. The podcasts are available via the link above, the "MBTB Radio" button at right, on Podbean.com, or on iTunes. You also can subscribe on iTunes so they download directly to your smartphone when they go live! Check out our previous episodes here and feel free to... Continue reading

Welcome to the latest edition of This Weekend in Michigan Wine, a listing of what's happening now, what's coming up and what's ongoing in the world of Michigan wine! We regularly check dozens of wine websites and sift through tons of weekly press releases to round up what's scheduled around the state. Wineries, if you'd like your event listed, please email us with all of the pertinent information, and we'd be happy to post it. MBTB fans, we hope this serves as your weekly "go-to" guide for finding the best options for getting your Michigan wine on! Cheers! Right now...... Continue reading