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LMC Wine Program Gets $1M Grant

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With vineyards growing all across the landscape and wineries being established all along the Lake Michigan Wine Trail, the Lake Michigan College Great Lakes Wine Institute has garnered a substantial boost to help prepare students for careers in the rapidly growing Michigan wine industry thanks to the efforts of State Representative Al Pscholka of Stevensville.

Pscholka's work has helped uncork a $1-million state grant which will help establish the new center at Lake Michigan College, thanks to the Michigan Talent and Economic Development (TED) Agency. Pscholka also worked with the college and the Michigan Liquor Control Commission to secure proper licensing for the new program.

It's a great point of pride for Pscholka who says, “This is a two-year curriculum that, when finished, will provide students with an associate degree that will translate into a job in the state’s flourishing wine industry.” He points out that, “With vineyards and wineries on the upswing as part of the agri-tourism industry, there’s a need for qualified vintners and sommeliers throughout the state. The Great Lakes Wine Institute will be instrumental in training these future professionals.”

Lake Michigan College Interim President Bob Harrison said the Wine Institute will open new opportunities for students in the viticulture field. He notes, “In recent years Michigan has become home to an increasing number of wineries and vineyards, and our enology and viticulture program will position our graduates to take a leading role in this growing industry.”

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Michael Moyer is the Director of Enology and Viticulture at the college. He says the industry is expanding beyond simple wine tasting rooms. As Moyer tells it, “The wine industry in Michigan has been on the upswing, with 13,700 acres of vineyards, making it the fourth largest grape-growing state.” He adds, “The state’s 121 commercial wineries bottle more than 2.3 million gallons annually, and they attract more than two million tourists each year. The college is really responding to industry needs and helping to grow the regional economy here in Southwest Michigan.”

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