Grape growers and wine producers, now is your chance to potentially up your game. Registration is now open for Michigan’s Grape and Wine Conference, Dirt to Glass 2024, which offers a distinguished lineup of speakers from around the globe — sharing insights on sustainability, soil health, vineyard management, winemaking practices and more.

The conference offers cutting-edge, practical information and tools aimed at advancing expertise and keeping attendees abreast of industry trends.

Also included is a guided wine tasting, providing participants with a highly technical experience to deepen their understanding of the sensory aspects of wine influenced by environmental and cultivation factors.

Led by a panel of expert tasters with extensive market experience, attendees will learn to identify the effect of soil, climate and vineyard practices on wine — and gain insights into winemaking decisions driven by grape conditions at harvest.

"By connecting our local growers with international standards, we hope to take Michigan's viticulture and winemaking to new heights,” says Paolo Sabbatini, co-founder of Dirt to Glass and professor of viticulture at Michigan State University.

While it’s targeted at Michigan growers and winemakers, the conference is open to anyone interested. Registration is now open.

The third annual event, brought together by MSU AgBioResearch, in partnership with MSU Extension and Intentional Agriculture, is set for Aug. 22-23 in Traverse City, Mich.

The two-day event is assembled by a planning committee consisting of industry leaders, academics and Extension specialists. It is designed for grape growers and wine producers throughout Michigan and neighboring states.

“We hope to inspire growers and producers by exposing the quality potential of Michigan and resulting income to ensure economic sustainability for Michigan grape growers of any size,” says Amanda Danielson, advanced sommelier, and co-founder of Dirt to Glass.

For more information and to register, visit canr.msu.edu/dirttoglass.