Bottles Nation

Help us salute women in wine during International Women's Month! In our series highlighting Michigan wine, we got to the source of SW Michigan wine love, via the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail.  Comprised of 15 wineries, the trail is part of a multi-billion dollar industry in Michigan. 

Tune in and hear from Kathy Sturm, the trail's Executive Director. 

Michael had some solo time and visited another Southwest Michigan winery, Dablon Vineyards. Listen in as he uncovers the founder's connection to one of the most loved theaters in Chicago. And did you know that Dablon's wine maker is also a mushroom forager?  Tune in! 

Up in Michigan's Traverse City sits MAWBY, a winery with bottles who fun names include SEX and DETROIT. A  club of Bubbleheads and a love of making some of the best sparkling wine on the market. We talked with Michael Laing, the Director of MAWBYness. He walked us through how his involvement started with MAWBY and how his father's second career turned into a new found passion for Michael and his brother. 

What happens when you combine wine and tech geekery? You get Emetry. Emetry provides reporting and analytics to the wine industry. From how to get more consumers onsite to how to enhance direct to consumer purchases, Paula and team cover the gamut. On this episode, we go deep into what is going on with the wine industry. Paul talks about his varied career and how he's been able to combine technology trends and wine.   Some things to look for: which wines will experience a glut, what does amazon buying Whole Foods mean for the wine industry and what should small wineries be thinking about for  future growth. 

What do you get when three sisters decide to open a new and thriving brewery? Throw in a seasoned brewer and an inventive menu, and you have Three Blondes Brewing.  We spent some time with them a few weeks ago. Listen in to some deep beer making history, along with what it takes to start a brewery - from scratch. Hint hint: alot of smart planning. 

The complicated world of being a wine distributor - we learned alot! From what the 3-tiered system really means to what the potential impact the upcoming French tariffs will be. Dave Thomas has been in the business for over a decade. With over 200 selections under his company, H2Vino, he's seeing multiple trends emerge at one time. Listen in and sharpen your wine industry chops and get to know the beer Dave loves to drink - that seems to not cause a lot of bloat!