Doug Welch on Fenn Valley Winery
Name/Title
Doug Welch on Fenn Valley WineryEntry/Object ID
2024.41.207Scope and Content
JUNE 18, 2010 DOUG WELCH: FOUNDER/ OWNER/ OPERATOR OF FENN VALLEY VINEYARD Since 1973 As he was finishing college in the early 1970s with plans to teach high school science, Doug Welch was recruited by his father to begin an unlikely farming venture. Bob Welch, an engineer then in his 40s, owned a successful engineering company, but dreamed of owning a working vineyard. Doug agreed to help his father though his "mid-life crisis" and unwittingly became a vintner and full-time very committed resident of Fennville. All of this was done without formal farming experience. After 37 years of hard work, trial and error, sacrifice and the distinction of being the longest serving (in contiguous years) wine maker in the state of Michigan, Doug wouldn't have it any other way. This delightful and very informative video has four segments. 1. The founding of the vineyard and winery: Finding, purchasing, and clearing the land; choosing the grape plants, adding land, discovering what grapes thrive in Michigan, and the marketplace. 2. The phases of development over 37 years: what worked and what did not and why 3-4. The Fennville Welches: How they family adapted to the demands of growing grapes and creating some excellent wines in Michigan This video will appeal to all who appreciate both the taste and science of developing wine particular to this region as well as its interface with European wineries. Doug Welch presents his story with candor and just enough technical description to appreciate how good wines are made. Synopsis by John ShackCollection
1870 Fruit growing, farming, agricultureCataloged By
Winthers, SallyAcquisition
Accession
2024.41Acquisition Method
Found in CollectionCredit Line
To view this recording, scroll down to the bottom of this entry and click the blue web link. This video was created by Saugatuck-Douglas History Center volunteers or was donated to the Center in a good faith effort to preserve local history. If you feel this content should not be available to the public — or have additional information that will add context to this interview — please contact the SDHC Archives at archives@mysdhistory.org.Oral History Details
Interviewee
Welch, DougInterviewer
Shack, JohnInterview Date
Jun 18, 2010Length of Interview
46Oral History Notes
Oral History 207 46 2024.41.207 Welch, Doug Fenn Valley Winery plus slideshow John Shack digital digital 11/23 sw https://sdhc-collections.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/videos/207-WelchDoug-FennValleyWinery-1.mp4 Website info copied to CatalogIt 11/9Location
Oral History DVD/CDs
AWS/VidArch SSD/DVD originals drawer