This week we're recapping an unforgettable Traverse City Food & Wine Festival weekend and talking about why community events are some of the best investments we can make. Great food and wine are only part of the story—the real magic is what happens when people get out, try something new and support the places they call home.

Then we're debuting a brand-new segment: Wine Court. The wine crimes are petty, the opinions are strong and the verdicts are final.

Court is officially in session.

Featured Wine: Pazo Cilleiro Albariño 2024, Distributed by Imperial Beverage, Sold at Lake District Wine Co

Additional mentions: Traverse City Tourism, Traverse City Food & Wine Festival

This week we're fast-forwarding to August 2031. What does Lake District Wine Co. look like? Where are our families? What kind of women have we become? We're putting it all out there and talking about the future we hope we're creating.

But this isn't manifestation in the woo-woo sense. It's about getting clear on what you want and asking yourself, What do I need to do today to make that future possible? What habits do I need to build? What risks do I need to take? What kind of person do I need to become?

At the same time, we're talking about striking the right balance between dreaming big and living the life happening right now. It's easy to get so focused on the next goal, the next promotion, the next chapter, that you miss the ordinary days that make up your life. We believe your future is built by today's actions, but today's moments deserve to be enjoyed, too.

Pop the cork on a bottle you've been saving and join us as we dream about the next five years, celebrate where we are today, and talk about the small decisions that turn big dreams into reality. Cheers!

Featured Wine: La Spinetta Timorasso Colli Tortonesi Derthona 2024, Imported by Skurnik Wines, distributed by Imperial Beverage and sold by Lake District Wine Co

Additional mentions: Mackinac Island

This week we're pulling back the curtain on what it really looks like to run an independent wine shop. From the outside, it might seem like we spend our days tasting wine and chatting with customers (and yes, there's plenty of that), but behind the scenes we're constantly making decisions about where to invest our time, energy, and budget.

We're talking about the balance between short-term revenue and long-term growth, why every season has a different purpose, how we plan inventory months in advance, and why saying "yes" to one opportunity often means saying "no" to another. We also get into the things that don't always show up on a profit and loss statement but are essential to building a successful business, education, customer relationships, community, and creating an experience people want to come back to.

Whether you're a business owner, thinking about starting something of your own, or just curious about what goes into stocking the shelves at your favorite local wine shop, this episode is an honest conversation about the decisions, tradeoffs, and long game of building a business. Pour yourself something good and come hang out with us.

Featured Wine: 2025 Quinta do Ermízio, Vinho Verde, Imported by Jose Pastor Selections and distributed by AHD Vintners and sold at Lake District Wine Co.

Additional Mentions:

BOS Wines

Raduno

Golden Hour Outdoors

Shady Lane Cellars

Mari Vineyards

Maria's Hot Sauce

EB2 Vintage

Cherryland Humane Society

Crooked Tree Arts Center

Vom Boden

This week we're talking about the purchases that have made our lives better because they've given us more life to live. From travel and ski passes to wine education, five-star dinners, childcare, and a few unforgettable bottles, we're sharing the things we'd happily spend the money on again.

Is it worth spending your Saturday cleaning your house if hiring someone means you spend the day making memories with your kids? Is the cheaper option really cheaper if it costs you hours of your life? There was a time when we optimized for productivity. Now, we're trying to optimize for living.

The older we get, the more we realize the best investments are the ones that get us out into the world, around a table with friends, on the ski hill, on a plane, or simply more present with the people we love. The laundry will always be there. The dishes will always be there. Your kids won't always be little, and your friends won't always be free on a random Tuesday. Life has a funny way of happening while we're busy trying to catch up.

Pour yourself something good and come hang out with us as we talk about what was worth every penny, what absolutely wasn't, and why we're spending less time chasing stuff and more time investing in experiences, connection, and buying back time. Because the best things we've ever bought weren't really things at all. They were the moments that made our lives richer.

Featured Wine: Wolf & Woman Grenache Blanc 2024, Distributed by Eagle Eye Brands, sold at Lake District Wine Co

Additional Mentions: Anavery Farm, Local's Yokels Farm

We're finally back together and catching up after a couple of weeks apart. Kristy takes us to London, Alaina recaps a family trip to Manitoulin Island, and we relive the fun, the chaos, and a few Cherry Festival roses and thorns.

Then we tackle two topics that have been on our minds: the hard seltzer craze and whether ingredient labels belong on wine bottles. As usual, we don't solve the world's problems, but we definitely have opinions.

Travel stories, hot takes, a few laughs, and a conversation we'd be having whether the microphones were on or not. Grab a glass and come hang out.

Featured Wine: Thirsty Birds English Rosé, female-owned!

Additional Mentions: The Burrow, Rove Winery

This week, we're celebrating womanhood in all its seasons. We talk about the freedom women have today to build lives that look completely different from one another, and why that's something worth celebrating.

We also have a little fun decoding whether we're Type A, B, or C... and come to the conclusion that millennial women probably invented their own personality type because we're trying to live up to the expectations of three generations at once.

We dive into work, motherhood, ambition, staying home, raising kids, caring for aging parents, and the invisible pressure we put on ourselves simply because we know we're capable. Is it society expecting too much from us, or have we forgotten that just because we can do it all doesn't mean we have to?

One thing we know for sure: society needs women. It needs stay-at-home moms, entrepreneurs, teachers, nurses, artists, caregivers, leaders, and every woman in between. There isn't one right path, because it takes all of us.

So here's your reminder to take a deep breath, stop keeping score, and remember that today is a gift. Build a life that feels like yours, celebrate women whose choices look different than your own, and don't wait for "someday" to start living.

Featured Wine: Marimar Estate Tempranillo 2021, Distributed by Vintage Wine Company, sold at Lake District Wine Co

If you've ever wondered what a week in the wine industry actually looks like... this is it.

This week we're recapping a rain soaked Nauticat cruise (because wine people don't cancel because of weather), a backyard BBQ at Sierra Motel with friends old and new, hanging with Bertus from Belong Wine Co., our events with VinoVi, BOS Wine, Zin & Beef Jerky with LeMieux, and all the laughs, stories, and bottles that happened in between.

The wine industry runs DEEP. Around here, one-upping is reserved for compliments, gatekeeping is for the weak, and there's nothing better than being surrounded by people who genuinely want to see each other succeed. That's the kind of industry we're proud to be part of, and Bertus? He's one of us.

Grab a glass and come relive one of our favorite weeks of the year.

Featured Wine: Chasing the Sunset Rosé by Belong Wine Co, distributed by Eagle Eye Brands and sold at Lake District Wine Co

Additional Mentions: Cartology Chenin Blanc

What makes an independent wine shop different? Is it the wine, everything that comes with it... or both?

This week we're pulling back the curtain on why small wine shops matter. We talk about how wines end up on big box store shelves versus ours, why we obsess over tasting before buying, and what "curation" actually means. We also dive into industrial winemaking and why the wines we choose are made with a very different philosophy.

But this episode is about so much more than what's in the bottle. It's about community. Wine Club, complimentary Saturday tastings, Happy Hours, classes, events, meeting winemakers, discovering something new, and creating a place where people feel comfortable asking questions and exploring wine.

Because at the end of the day, we don't just want to sell you a bottle. We want to help you find a wine you'll remember, and create an experience worth coming back for.

Grab a glass and join us for a conversation about why independent wine shops still matter.

Featured Wine: 2025 Roger Neveu Sancerre Imported by Kermit Lynch, Distributed by Veritas, sold at Lake District Wine Co

Additional Mentions: Mt Holiday, Short's Brewing, BOS Wine, Mary Taylor Imports, VinoVi&Co, LeMieux Wine Co, Burritt's Fresh Markets

What if some of the most important things for your health can't be tracked?

This week on The Inside Pour: After Hours, we're talking about the things no fitness tracker can measure: cracking up with your besties, long dinners with family, spontaneous adventures, meaningful conversations, community, connection, and the simple joy of being fully present.

We explore the idea that a healthy life is about more than steps, sleep scores, and macros. It's also about travel, culture, celebrations, slowing down, and sharing experiences with the people you love. And yes, wine finds its way into many of those moments, not as the point, but as part of the story.

A conversation about optimizing life, not just your metrics.

Featured Wine: Dingac Skaramuca 'Dingac' Plavac Mali, 2021 imported by Vinum, distributed by Eagle Eye Brands, sold at retailer Lake District Wine Co.

Additional Mentions: Riverside Inn, Rove Winery, and Farm Club

This week we're keeping it local.

We're talking about what it's really like to live, work, raise kids, and run businesses in a small town like Traverse City, Michigan. The good, the challenging, the weird, and the things that make us grateful we ended up here.

There's a Traverse City edition of This or That, a truly wild hot take from Kristy, and plenty of appreciation for the community we're lucky enough to call home.

Pour yourself a glass and join us as we sip on BOS Wine's Whole-Hearted Pinot Noir and catch up on all the fun we've been having lately, including a ladies-only fishing charter and shot ski aboard The Nauticat, a magical gnome hunt, and Camp Bluegill.

Because if there's one thing nobody could ever accuse us of, it's not living life to the fullest.

Featured Wine: BOS Wine Whole Hearted Pinot Noir, 2024, available at Lake District Wine Co or you can ship from BOS Wine Website.

Additional Mentions:

Golden Hours Outdoors

Shady Lane Cellars

Nauticat

Left Foot Charley

Historic Barns Park

FoxGlove Farm

Gichigami

Sugar2Salt

Earthen Ales

Trattoria Stella

Pepenero

The Village at Grand Traverse Commons

The Cooks' House

Maria's Hot Sauce

Sierra Motel

The Little Fleet

Crocodile Palace

Jellystone Campground in Petoskey

Mt. Holiday

The Alluvion

Father Forgive Me

Umbo

Archie's Dog Co

Harwood Gold

Traverse City Tourism

Traverse City Food & Wine Fest

The Discovery