Primary election day is exactly two weeks away, and lots of people are already voting with their absentee ballots, but there’s another election currently underway that is very important to the winemakers of our region and the wineries they represent as part of the Lake Michigan Shore AVA across Michigan’s Great Southwest — The USA Today 10Best Competition for the nation’s favorite North American Wine Regions.
Our Southwest Michigan region is one of 20 North American Wine Regions currently in the hunt for the 10Best at USA Today, and voting is now active. We are one of two Michigan wine regions in the hunt, with the other being the Old Mission Peninsula area near Traverse City.
More than half — a total of 11 — of the regions are in California, with others competing from Texas, Virginia, Washington State, New York, Arizona, Oregon and Ontario.
By clicking the link below you can cast your ballot from the pool of 20 nominees. You can vote once per day and the voting ends on Monday, August 12th at noon Eastern Time. You can read the official rules at the link as well.
Here’s where to go to cast your vote:
https://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-wine-region/
There you will be invited to vote for your favorite North American wine region, as USA Today tells you, “Someday, we’ll all be ready to pack our suitcases again and head out on our next adventures. In the meantime, we’ll keep supporting the places that inspire us. While California undoubtedly produces excellent wine, it’s got stiff competition these days. North America is home to more than 250 grape-growing regions. We asked a panel of wine industry experts to pick their favorite North American wine regions. Vote for your favorite out of this pool of 20 nominees once per day until voting ends on Monday, August 12 at noon ET.”
These are the wine regions under consideration:
- Valle de Guadalupe – Baja California
- Walla Walla Valley – Washington
- Finger Lakes – New York
- Texas Hill Country – Texas
- Temecula Valley – California
- Monticello – Virginia
- Sonoma County – California
- Old Mission Peninsula – Michigan
- Lodi – California
- Verde Valley – Arizona
- Anderson Valley – California
- Napa Valley – California
- Paso Robles – California
- Monterey County – California
- Santa Barbara County – California
- Willamette Valley – Oregon
- Lake Michigan Shore – Michigan
- Mendocino – California
- Niagara Peninsula – Ontario
- Sonoma Coast – California
