Baroda, Mich.—Lake Michigan College established a wine and viticulture technology associate degree program two years ago. The program provides a comprehensive, hands-on education in enology, viticulture and now the business side of the industry including sales, marketing and distribution. 

The “grand opening” of the Lake Michigan Vintners wine tasting room took place earlier this summer, but this is no ordinary tasting room: Students in the wine and viticulture program at Lake Michigan College run it. “The tasting room is an educational opportunity for our students,” said the program’s director, Michael Moyer. “We opened it somewhat by necessity: It helps to educate students but also promotes the college’s wine program and the entire southwest Michigan wine region as well.” 

Laura Morris, whose official title is brand manager, supervises the students working in the tasting room. “It’s a cool concept,” Morris said. “Students sell the wine they have made. There are nine varietals for sale, including two styles of Riesling and a hard cider, and most of the wines are on the drier side.” 

Morris said she expects the tasting room will have 800 to 1,000 cases of wine from each vintage to sell. The emphasis is not on profit but to provide students an opportunity to learn about customer service and tasting room operations. 

The Lake Michigan College wine and viticulture program is housed temporarily at the Mendel Center of the campus in Benton Harbor, just north of the tasting room in Baroda. A new Wine and Culinary Education Center is under construction, and Moyer thinks that students will be able to process wine there in 2019.