Members (and others) choosing to attend the 2025 Montana Grape and Wine Association annual conference are in for a treat. The April annual meeting in Billings offers a full agenda and great opportunities for networking with growers, winemakers and experts from the industry. President Dan Murphy of MTGWA, in conjunction with the board of directors, has set April 3-5 for the conference to be held in conjunction with the Montana Berry Growers Association (MBGA). The event is set for the Grant Creek Inn in Missoula and will offer education, fellowship and experiences starting Thursday evening and ending Saturday. A block of rooms has tentatively been reserved for the event, with a projected rate of $144 per night.
While the exact schedule hasn’t been firmed up, Murphy said it appears that registration will begin Thursday and followed by the annual People’s Choice wine competition, being organized this year by Sam Bergman. At the same time, there will be hors d oeuvres.
Friday will follow tradition and include presentations for all members, covering grape and berry growing considerations, winemaking talks about grapes and berries and discussions on marketing.
Current planning appears to favor not having a formal banquet, but instead staging an evening of fellowship and hors d oeuvres and berry and wine tastes Friday. Patrick Mangen of the planning team, said arrangements for a banquet encountered a number of hurdles that seemed difficult to overcome, including a venue and keeping costs at an affordable price.
It will be the first conference for new MTGWA employee Nicole Erickson, the newly hired Vineyard Outreach Associate for the association. She was brought on board in late December after a wide search that drew a number of well qualified candidates. Murphy officially charged her with the task of being lead organizer for the conference. She can be reached at info.mtgwa@gmail.com.
Saturday’s schedule was open at this writing but will likely include more education and possibly tours of berry growing farms and vineyards. A conference fee has not been set yet, but planners hope to have that nailed down in the very near future. Erickson said she hopes to be able to accommodate online registration and payments for the MTGWA website.
Mangen said that in discussions with the Grant Creek Inn, they can provide some meals on site and additionally there are several restaurants and fast-food establishments close by. Conference planners are excited about the event and feel it can provide value to members of both associations. Mark, your calendars and get set for a rewarding experience.
