Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/299589
B R O U G H T T O Y O U B Y B R O Y B Y B Y B Y U O U O Y O Y O T T H G U R O B R B R O B O B R B R B R B Y R B Y U Y O T O G O B B O U Y R raving snow storms that bat- tered much of the Midwest, intrepid wine industry pro- fessionals gathered in St. Charles, Mo., for the annual Midwest Grape & Wine Conference (MGWC), held Feb. 4-7 at the Saint Charles Con- vention Center. Although some reg- istrants were unable to make it due to the difficult weather conditions, the 2014 conference and trade show drew a total of 1,000 attend- ees and trade show exhibitors. Liz Crews, vice president and analytic lead for Nielsen, set the tone for the conference with an update on emerging trends in bev- erage alcohol. Although table wine sales increased nearly 5% last year, she told attendees, the craft beer and spirits categories showed dou- ble-digit growth. Blends remained popular last year in the wine seg- ment, she reported, while moscato sales growth slowed. A panel discussion on the state of the Midwest wine industry fea- tured input from state association leaders representing Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Indiana. "It's going to be a tough year," com- mented Donniella Winchell of Ohio Wines, referring to the brutal winter experienced by the state's grow- ers. "Everybody's very, very con- cerned about it." Other challenges cited by panelists included convinc- ing restaurants to serve local wines (see the story on page 21), and the use of the controversial 2,4-D herbi- cide near vineyards. On the positive side, funds are being raised to build a teaching win- ery at the University of Missouri, and a new culinary center in Ohio will include demonstration vine- yards and three incubator wineries. The Nebraska Winery and Grape Growers Association hired its first full-time executive director (panel- ist Jennifer Montgomery) and will launch its first statewide wine fes- tival this spring. In addition to sessions on enol- ogy, viticulture and wine marketing, the 2014 conference also featured seminars on craft brewing. Beer and spirits industry exhibitors were also included in the trade show. Along with the annual Tour de Vin wine reception, held on Feb. 4, a Tour de Brew beer reception featur- ing local craft beers was held the following night. This year's MGWC featured two new wine workshops, including a VESTA-led session on sensory eval- uation and a sommelier certification seminar on professional wine fun- damentals, presented by the Inter- national Wine Guild. For updates on the 2015 event, see www.midwestgrape.com. Midwest industry gathers for annual event in Missouri T O T Scene at: 1. 4. 7. 1 0 0 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | M a y - J u n e 2 014 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m