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].

Jayme and I are conducting a blind tasting of three Pinot Gris, or Pinot Grigio. Those three come from Pasqua in Italy, Elk Cove in Oregon and Dablon, here in Baroda, Michigan. Pop open a bottle of Michigan wine and listen in.

In episode #6 I interviewed Bill Schopf, the owner of Dablon, a beautiful winery and tasting room perched on a hill overlooking acres of vineyards. Today Rudy Shafer is my guest. Rudy is the operations manager at Dablon who oversees all vineyard and winery operations. Hear more detail about what’s happening at Dablon and find out about Rudy’s special past-time passion. Pop open a bottle of Michigan wine and listen along.

Today we close out the series about Michigan grapes. Jayme and I talk about the important place the Concord has in our history. We also discuss other juice grapes, hybrids and vinifera varieties, including Niagara, Catawba, Delaware, Baco Noir, Vidal Blanc and Chardonnay. Follow along with your favorite bottle of Michigan wine.

Lemon Creek Winery celebrates 40 years of business this year. Listen in as Kait Lemon and Jerardo Bocanegra talk about everything from nearly two centuries of history in the area, farming operations, the winery and wines, the tasting room and some of the celebrations planned for the year. In addition to social media, you can contact the winery at [email protected].

Today Jayme and I are tasting three red blends from the Lake Michigan Shore – all from the Baroda region. We have Big Chill Red from Chill Hill, Vineyard Red from Round Barn Winery and Producer’s Cut from Dablon. Pop open a bottle of Michigan wine and follow along! www.chillhill.net www.roundbarn.com www.dablon.com

Dave Miller and his wife Sandy own and operate White Pine Winery with their tasting room located in downtown St. Joseph Michigan. Dave is one of our veterans here in the Lake Michigan Shore. Join us for a deep dive into grape growing techniques and grape varieties and hear more about the great wines Dave and Sandy are serving up at their tasting room. Pop open a bottle and follow along. See their website at www.whitepinewinery.com.