A Tale of Two Regions

Michigan's winemaking history spans two centuries. In the period just before the Civil War, disease destroyed America's largest wine-producing region along the Ohio River near Cincinnati. The remnants of that industry migrated to the already recognized grape-growing region along Lake Erie. This area quickly became, in its turn, the leading wine region in the country. By 1880, vineyards extended past Toledo into Southeast Michigan. In 1919, there were eight wineries near Monroe, none of which survived Prohibition.

Southwest Michigan's wine industry fared much better. Also a recognized wine region in 1880, Southwest Michigan received help from an unlikely source. Temperance advocate Dr. Thomas Welch created the first "unfermented wine," as it was originally called, for use in his church's communion service. It quickly caught on with the public. The newly formed Welch's Grape Juice Company encouraged planting of the Concord grapes from which their product was made. The largest of these plantings were in Western New York and Southwest Michigan. By 1900 Concord grapes had become the foundation grapes of the wine industry as well. The opening of a Welch's plant in Lawton, near Paw Paw, in 1919, helped the area's grape growers survive Prohibition.

• (Check Out Apple Salsa Recipe shown below)

• * Apples are Michigan’s largest and most valuable fruit crop, with a value of about $100 million annually to the apple grower.

* Value-added marketing and processing enhance the economic contribution of Michigan Apples up to $700 million of economic impact annually.

*There are over 7.5 million apple trees in commercial production, covering 37,000 acres, on 950 family-run farms throughout Michigan’s Lower Peninsula,

* Michigan harvested approximately 903 million pounds (21.5 million bushels) of apples in 2006.

Turkey Sausage Penne (Recipe from Erin M. Berryhill)

Ingredients: 

Olive Oil (1-2 tbsp)

1 onion (diced)

3 cloves garlic (diced)

1 lb. Turkey Sausage

3 cups Penne Noodles

1 cup milk

1 can low-sodium chicken broth (2 cups I think)

1 box frozen spinach (defrosted and squeezed dry)

1/3 cup shredded parmesan or romano cheese

1 jar Roasted Red Peppers or Sun-Dried Tomatoes chopped (optional)

Start Olive Oil on Med.-High heat

Add Onion and cook until transluscent (about 5 min.)

Add Turkey Sausage (cook until no longer pink - 8 min.)

Add Garlic and cook until fragrant (10 seconds)

Add milk, chicken broth and penne and bring to a boil

Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes?  (not sure - might only be 12) -- stir every so often

Turn off heat

Add spinach and cheese and red peppers or tomatoes (if using)

Stir and serve