Armed with pens, pencils and passion, two longtime friends traveled little-known trails in Michigan, looking for stories to tell. What they found were interwoven vines producing locally grown wines that compare to vintages worldwide.

Five years ago, Sharon Kegerreis and Lorri Hathaway launched Michigan Vine, an online business devoted to promoting Michigan wine. Since then, the two have visited the state’s 51 wineries to collect stories and pictures for From the Vine: Exploring Michigan Wineries--the only book on Michigan’s wine country. Kegerreis and Hathaway recently reflected on their book and their love of Michigan.

What prompted you to launch Michigan Vine?

Sharon: Back in 2002, Lorri and I rediscovered Michigan wine country. Lorri was married at Ciccone Vineyard and Winery in Suttons Bay, and I was in her wedding party. We realized through the process of traveling through Michigan wine country that the word really isn’t out about Michigan wine.

We saw a huge opportunity to promote Michigan wine. We both have marketing backgrounds, love to write and are passionate about Michigan. So we came up with the idea for Michigan Vine to get the word out.

What kinds of services are offered through Michigan Vine?

Lorri: Essentially, we’re freelance writers with a passion for Michigan. We really like the wine industry focus. Many people who visit our site are travel buffs . . . people who have a free weekend and are looking for something to do. We come at it from a travel perspective, and provide information on getting out and seeing things that are in the wine industry and beyond . . . the cheese shops, the coffee shops, the bed and breakfasts, and the beauty of Michigan itself.  Our site also provides wine-serving tips . . . like how to combine wines with certain foods.  You can also go to the site and get recipes that use wines—Michigan wines, of course.

What inspired your interest in Michigan wine?

Sharon: Lorri and I are both from northern Michigan wine country. My family did a lot of traveling in the United States, and when I graduated college, I decided to go out west. I did a lot of traveling for the company I worked for. I really developed a passion for traveling, and went to Africa.  But when I came back I realized that Michigan has lots of beautiful places, too . . . and lots of great wines.

Lorri: I love to travel, too. I’ve been to Italy, Germany, and Amsterdam . . . but like Sharon, I realized that Michigan is a beautiful state. You grow up here, and you don’t realize it until you go away.

How is Michigan Vine supported?

Lorri: We were fortunate to be able to start it up ourselves. We both came from corporate backgrounds, and then had children. We wanted to be home with our babies, but couldn’t sit still. We really did this sort of backward. We marketed ourselves first, and then got started and wrote our book.

Sharon: We’re self-funded. And we’re getting the word out through our book. We did the hard work of marketing ourselves for three years. We’re very passionate people, and it helps to find something that we’re passionate about . . . which is Michigan, Michigan wines and the wine makers. It’s easy to be excited about it.

How would you describe Michigan’s wine industry?

Sharon: The growing conditions of this state lend themselves to wines that are unique, unlike any other. We’re on the same parallel as some of the famed wine regions in France and Germany . . . so we have some of the same qualities of these well-known regions, as well as uniqueness. The grapes are very, very strong here.

Back when Michigan wines were sweeter, there was a perception that you couldn’t grow anything else here. Yes, we do have the sweet and fruity wines, but we also have very dry wines, too. We’re producing some phenomenal brandies, vodkas, grappa and hard ciders. Michigan is pretty much leaving that old perception in the dust. Our wines are so diverse. So if you’ve thought you tried Michigan wine and can’t drink it, that might have been 10 or 15 years ago. We say, give Michigan wine another chance. You’ll find one that you love.

Why did you decide to write a book?

Sharon: Simple: There wasn’t a book! There’s no book like From the Vine. We felt that we should be the ones to write it, since we were the first business in Michigan to devote itself to promoting Michigan wines. That says something about our passion. It was very logical. We love to write. We really enjoy our time in the vineyards. We love to travel. I’ve known since high school that I was going to write a book. I just didn’t know it was going to be about Michigan wine. Lorri and I clicked when we met through business interests in Lansing. So we took off on this adventure.

What else would you like people to know about Michigan’s wine industry?

Lorri: Wine is really more than just a taste, it’s an experience. There are wine trails all over the state. The oldest are in the southwest area of Michigan, but there’s Old Mission, the Leelanau Peninsula . . . there’re wine trails in Jackson, Tecumseh, Alpena, the Upper Peninsula. It’s really very easy to get to a winery within a day’s drive or less. You could take a day trip or an overnight trip. Travel local, travel regional. It’s a great way to support Michigan’s economy, and there are lots of ways to spend your day and enjoy your time.

		Sharon Kegerreis Michigan Vine E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Phone: 734-546-2588 Lorri Hathaway Phone: 517-927-1100 e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Web: www.michiganvine.com