Jayme and I are sharing things we look for when we visit a tasting room. We hope this offers insight for you to consider for your next world-class experience. Pop open a bottle of Michigan wine and follow along.

Meredith George is my guest today. Meredith owns the St. Joe Wine Shoppe, located in the Market in downtown St. Joseph Michigan. Relatively new to wine, Meredith shares about her time at Dablon, her thoughts about Michigan wine, and her support of women winemakers. Listen in as we also cover a broad spectrum of other topics. www.stjoewineshoppe.com

Today's special episode is Amy Birk from Domaine Berrien Cellars returning to the podcast to share a few of her library wines. Listen in as we taste recent vintages of her Wolf’s Prairie Red, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with older versions of the same wine. Pop open a bottle of Michigan wine and listen in to this captivating discussion. www.domaineberrien.com

Kacey Wierzba and Maddie Vint are my guests today from Shady Lane Cellars located in the Leelanau Peninsula near Traverse City, Michigan. Listen in as the two remarkable winemakers talk about their passions, vineyards and wines. We’ll also hear about numerous awards, the history of the property, and two special dogs, Lola and Frankie. If you have questions for Kacey or Maddie, you can send them to [email protected], or go to the website, www.shadylanecellars.com.

Jayme and I discuss the four types of winemaking – and in particular, the fermentation process – for red, white, rose’ and orange wines. We also share some of our favorite varieties. Pop open of Michigan wine and follow along.

Maxx Eichberg of Stranger Wine Company is my guest today. Maxx and his partner Sidney purchased the vineyard from James Lester – known as the Avonlea vineyard – just 3 years ago. Listen in as we talk about the history, Maxx and Sidney’s unique ackground, regenerative practices and future plans for Stranger. www.strangerwineco.com.

Jayme and I are tasting three amazing Michigan Chardonnays. We have one each from Ciccone, Chateau Chantal and White Pine – each representing the three main Michigan AVAs. We also talk briefly about Riedel glassware and wild turkeys – the bird, not the drink. Pop open a bottle of Michigan wine and follow along.

https://cicconevineyard.com/, https://www.chateauchantal.com/, https://whitepinewinery.com/

Welcome to podcast #32. Brent Kroll is my special guest today. Brent is the Founder and Sommelier of Maxwell Park Wine Bar in Washington DC. With strong Michigan roots, Brent brings a great perspective about Michigan wine. His wine bar recently won special recognition by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, who dubbed the place “Not your typical buttoned up wine bar.” Also, a very special thanks to Miranda Franco, an east coast wine writer who introduced me to Brent. www.maxwellparkdc.com

Today Jayme and I share our opinions about four sub-AVAs of the Lake Michigan Shore, and we highlight a few other Midwest AVAs. Pop open a bottle of Michigan wine and listen in.

Charlie Edson is the founder of Bel Lago Winery in the Leelanau Peninsula AVA. He started planting vineyards in the late 1980s and opened the tasting room in the late 1990s. A special thanks to John Heekin, the new owner of Bel Lago, for introducing Charlie to Steve. Please send inquiries to: [email protected].