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24 WINES&VINES March 2017 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS their annual conference held in early February. The name replaces the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers in a change that follows a year of consultations with stakeholders, as pledged at the 2016 convention. "It reflects our future-forward organization with a nod to our heritage," asso- ciation chair Todd Newhouse said. CENTRAL Michigan shipping law subject of lawsuit A new state law in Michigan that bans wine shipments from out-of- state retailers to state residents is the focus of a federal lawsuit filed in late January. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of a group of Michigan residents and an Indiana wine re- tailer, contends the new law pres- ents an unconstitutional restriction on interstate commerce. The Na- tional Association of Wine Retailers describes the new lawsuit as very similar to a 2008 lawsuit that the state of Michigan lost. Arizona winery expands Carlson Creek Vineyard in Willcox, Ariz., opened a second tasting room in Scottsdale, Ariz., and is expanding its Willcox vineyard with the purchase of an adjacent 120-acre property. The winery now owns 280 total acres at 4,200 feet in elevation. The new property will be used to increase the existing production of Rhône variety grapes and plant new varieties. Carlson Creek sold grapes to 10 other Ari- zona wineries in 2016. EAST Brock adds cider and perry course Brock University's Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute in St. Catharines, Ontario, is offer- ing a week-long course April 24-28 from the Cider Institute of North America. The cider and perry (cider made from pears) course at Brock will cover all aspects of cider production including ingredient sourcing, quality control and the economics of cider making. The hands-on program uses lectures, lab work, workshops and tastings. Registration for the intensive five- day course will cost $1,500. The class is limited to 25 participants, and registration closes April 13. Naples Wine Festival raises $15 million The 2017 Naples Winter Wine Fes- tival's live auction in Naples, Fla., raised $15 million, and an online auction raised $183,396 for chil- dren in need. Since its inception in 2001, the auction has raised a total of $161 million for the Naples Chil- dren & Education Foundation. The top single bid in the 2017 auction was $480,000 for a 2017 McLaren 570 GT sports car. An auction lot featuring a private performance by country music artist Darius Rucker and a private dinner prepared by Silver Oak chef Dominic Orsini went for $450,000. Roisen joins Three Brothers Three Brothers Wineries and Es- tates, located in the Finger Lakes region of New York, announced Aaron Roisen is the newest mem- ber of the company's winemaking team. Roisen received a degree in winemaking and viticulture from the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology before becom- ing the assistant winemaker at Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellar on Seneca Lake. Most recently, Roisen was the head winemaker at Hosmer Winery on Cayuga Lake (see related story on page 66). SUPPLIER Mel Knox retiring Longtime barrel broker Mel Knox announced he's in the process of retiring as only he could. "Many of you have been asking me when I would retire," Knox wrote in a re- cent newsletter. "Others have sug- gested that this is an impossibility,