Libraries are vital resources to the communities in which they serve, offering thousands upon thousands of books to explore, introducing new worlds into our lives, and hosting enrichment programs, craft days, and club gatherings for members of all ages. The Bridgman Public Library is excited to introduce ‘From The Land To The Glass’, a one-hour presentation about the history of wine-making in our area.
Partnering with Nick Bogert of The Region of Three Oaks Museum, and wine expert Rick Cooper of Lambrecht’s Liquors, this informative event was the talk of the town when it debuted in 2019. “Rick and I developed this program a few years ago and presented it at Cafe Gulistan in Harbert, a building that had once served as the tasting center for the old Molly Pitcher Winery,” says Nick.
Their presentation is a beautiful blend of the hows, whys, and wheres, offering a “play-by-play of history, and color commentary about how various historic events changed the course of winemaking in Southwest Michigan”. The two will demonstrate how the SWMI wine industry stacks up against producers in other parts of the state, country, and world.
“Wine-making is a $5 billion business in Michigan, and our region is a big part of it. Local vintners struggled to keep up with a changing American palette and modern marketing strategies, and this evening will tell you all about it!”
The Region of Three Oaks Museum and the Bridgman Public Library have successfully collaborated before, and both groups are excited to again. In August of this year, TROTOM presented “The Great Bridgman Red Raid”, which discussed a federal raid of a communist convention held in Bridgman, in 1922.
This event is brought to you by The Friends of The Bridgman Library, a non-profit organization that raises funds to host activities and services for the community. ‘From The Land To The Glass’ will take place in the Library Community Room, at 4460 Lake Street, on Thursday, November 10th, beginning at 6 p.m.
“Hopefully we get a lot of local history fans to come out– it should be an interesting program,” says Amy Abele, of the Bridgman Public Library. “I think the program is entertaining,” adds Nick. “The wine industry here has been through lots of twists and turns– from bootlegging, to arson fires, to Nazi POWs,… Both wine aficionados and history buffs should get something out of our presentation.”
This presentation is open to the public, and free of charge to attend. To learn more about ‘From The Land To The Glass’, and other events offered at the Bridgman Public Library, please visit bridgmanlibrary.com.
By Jocelyne Tuszynski, MOTM Contributor
