The owners of Sandhill Crane Vineyards in Jackson gathered in their tasting room, swirling and smelling a dry red wine Sonata made from their own winery.
"This is a retirement for my husband, his sister and I," said Alice Moffatt, co-owner of Sandhill Crane Vineyards. "We're paying the bills, but if you want to make money, you do something else."
Wineries are growing in number as popularity and quality of Michigan wine increases.
Sandhill Crane Vineyards upped its profile after appearing last year at Festival of the Sun in Lansing.
"We got quite a few customers from going there," Moffatt said, adding that they had more than 2,700 visits last summer.
David Creighton, promotional agent with the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council, said the state's wine industry is growing. He said there are 43 wineries in the state that use predominately Michigan-grown products, such as grapes, cherries, raspberries, apples, peaches and other fruits made into wines.
"Part of it is the tourism aspect," Creighton said.
Wineries can attract tourism from within and outside the state.
"They come into our winery and our tasting room," said John Burtka, owner of Cherry Creek Cellars. "I'd say 65 percent of our customers are from out of state."
Local farmers also benefit by selling wineries their fruit crops.
"Anything I do buy is bought as full fruit and processed here," said Kip Barber, owner of Lone Oak Vineyard Estate. "It's picked and brought here right out of the field."
Winery owners say the industry helps boost Michigan's economy but worry future legislation might hinder the success of the wine industry.
Currently, wineries can ship wine directly to in-state consumers but not to other states, Creighton said. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that wineries can ship to other states, but state lawmakers have the final say. Winery owners worry Michigan legislators could decide to cut off shipping to consumers altogether.
"The wineries are very, very anxious to ship everywhere," Creighton said.
Dusty's Cellar, 1839 W. Grand River Ave. in Okemos, carries about 16 brands of Michigan wines and are expecting to carry many more soon, said wine and cigar consultant Steve Okuly. He said prohibiting wineries from shipping to customers is wrong for Michigan.
"The state of Michigan has realized grapes and vineyards are a lucrative commodity," he said. "More business is better business for all of us."
Ray and Diane Kleba, visitors from Marshfield, Wis., said they enjoy visiting wineries and sampling different tastes.
"We didn't realize how many vineyards there were out there," Ray said. "If you don't enjoy tasting, you might as well not come."
