If Vines Could Talk

Sherry Seston is back with us today for another winery immersion. Joining Jayme and me, Sherry will guide us through a tasting of four exquisite wines from her Veritas Estate winery in South Haven, Michigan. The four wines are, Wren White Blend 2023, Chardonnay 2023, Beach Day Rose’ 2023, Blaufränkisch 2023. Go back to episode 61 to hear Sherry’s Chardonnay featured in a blind tasting we performed...

Mike De Schaaf is my guest today. Mike is not only a seasoned vineyard consultant but also the farm manager at the MSU Extension Center in Benton Harbor. We dive into his journey in the Lake Michigan Shore wine industry and explore the vinifera varieties that thrive in this region. Plus, Mike has a story about my mom that you won’t want to miss.

Jayme and I discuss the USA AVA system, particularly focused on the Midwest states. There’s a lot of information here, and a few things that we’d really appreciate feedback about. If you have information that can help us, please let me know. Note that this is part 1. Be sure to tune into part 2 in a few weeks.

Claire Kliss wears two big hats. She’s the general manager at Contessa Wine Cellars in Coloma, Michigan, and she is the President of the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail, a group of about 15 wineries focused on promoting the wines of our AVA. email: contessa@cs.com websites: contessawinecellars.com & lakemichiganshorewinetrail.com

Jayme and I are blind tasting three Chardonnays from around the world. The three wines we tasted (not in order, otherwise I’d give away the surprise) were Alpasión Grand Chardonnay 2021 from the Uco Valley in Argentina, Simonnet-Febvre Chablis 2021 from France, and Chardonnay 2023 from Veritas Estate in the Lake Michigan Shore.

Jake Nivison is my guest today. Jake is the vigneron at Domaine Berrien Cellars here near Baroda, Michigan. Join us as we talk in their new barrel room about Jake’s interesting history, and his commitment to education. The website is domaineberrien.com and you can contact Jake at winery@domaineberrien.com .

Jayme and I delve into the exquisite wine regions of France, including Alsace, the Loire Valley, Burgundy, and Bordeaux. We can't help but draw parallels to our beloved Michigan wine regions. Let's uncork some knowledge and sip on some comparisons!

Geoff Hamelin and his father, Paul, are the proud owners and operators of Verterra Winery located in the picturesque Leelanau Peninsula. Verterra Winery is renowned for consistently crafting top-notch, award-winning wines. Just recently, their Merlot Rose' took home the prestigious top prize in the Michigan Governor’s Cup competition. Cheers to Verterra Winery for their well-deserved win! vert...

Today, we are thrilled to unveil our latest offering: Winery Immersion. Join Jayme and me as we chat with Jason Forbes, the Wine Club Manager at Dablon Vineyards and Winery in Baroda, Michigan. Jason has graciously invited us to sample five of Dablon's exquisite wines. Tune in as we sip, savor, and share our thoughts on these delightful libations. Cheers to a great experience! www.dablon.com C...

Meet Paula Camp and her partner, Mary, the dynamic duo behind Carriage House Ciders in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Paula's story is nothing short of extraordinary - join us as we delve into her journey of making major life changes, venturing into the world of cider production long after most people have retired, and crafting exquisite European-style ciders that will tantalize your taste buds. Get...

Welcome to Podcast #55, our first anniversary show! What better way to celebrate than with something sparkling? Jayme and I are raising a glass of bubbly as we dive into the fascinating world of sparkling wine production. Did you know there are seven different methods to make sparkling wine? So grab a bottle of Michigan bubbly, pop that cork, and join us as we explore the effervescent world of spa...

Guess who's back? Andrew Backlin, that's who! Today, we're diving into the latest buzz at Modales, his side hustle Backlin Wine Consulting, the thriving Michigan wine scene, and what the future holds. Let's uncork some juicy details and toast to what's to come! You can reach Andrew at backlinwineconsulting.com.

Today, Jayme and I have the pleasure of sampling three exquisite Michigan sparkling wines. First up is "Bedazzled," a crisp and dry bubbly white wine from Black Star Farms. Next, we have "Cows on the Beach," a 2022 bubbly Muscat from Chateau Fontaine nestled in the picturesque Leelanau Peninsula. And last but certainly not least, we'll be sipping on "Sparkling White&qu...

Dan Nitz is my guest today. Dan owns Arrowhead Vineyards and has started the Nitz Family Vineyards wine label. Arguably the largest wine-grape grower east of the Rocky Mountains, Dan cultivates hundreds of acres of vinifera, hybrids as well as a few acres of juice grapes. nitzwines.com

Jayme and I go full-geek and talk about anthocyanins and Brettanomyces. There's no doubt the science of wine is truly fascinating. Today we share some things we've learned - and some opinions - about these two very different topics. DISCLAIMER: Be sure to do your own research on topics we discuss, particularly when we talk about perceived medical benefits. Enjoy!!

Cody Kresta Winery is making great wine thanks to owner/winemaker David Butkovich and grower/assistant winemaker Robert West. Today we’ll talk about how both of these great winemakers came into the business, discuss their fabulous wines, and some of the secrets behind them. codykrestawinery.com

Jayme and I are tasting three Lake Michigan Shore Merlot. We have one each from Dablon, Karma Vista (now Filkins Vineyards), and Lawton Ridge. We thought they were, respectively, bold, elegant and vibrant. At the end of this episode is a short segment on my experience with decanting. Pop open a bottle of Michigan wine and follow along. dablon.com, filkinsvineyards.com, lawtonridgewinery.com

Matt Goodell and Emily Goodell are the brother – sister team responsible for much of the operation at Amoritas Vineyards located in the Leelanau Peninsula. amoritasvineyards.com

Jayme and I discuss all of the reasons that Lake Michigan makes it possible for Michigan to be such a fantastic region for growing vinifera and therefore making fantastic wines. Pop open a bottle and listen along.

Nancie Oxley is my guest today. Listen in to this fantastic discussion with Michigan’s first female winemaker, and the head of winemaking at the state’s largest producer, St. Julian. If you have a question for Nancie, send it over to wines@stjulian.com . Check out the website at www.stjulian.com .

Jayme and I are tasting three white blends from the State of Michigan. Represented today are Cody Kresta and St. Julian in the Lake Michigan Shore and Rove Estate in the Leelanau Peninsula AVA. We were delighted with all three of these delicious and very different wines. https://codykrestawinery.com/ https://rovewinery.com/ https://www.stjulian.com/

Sherry Seston is my guest today. Sherry is probably the newest winemaker here in the Lake Michigan Shore. Her husband Tim and she moved to South Haven from Wisconsin a year ago. In that time they’ve opened a B&B, planted grapes, and started building a winery. Sherry also seized the opportunity to make wine last fall, and her debut vintage release happens this Saturday at the inn. www.mivintage...

Jayme and I talk about legal requirements for wine bottle labels in the United States. We also share our opinions on what we’d also like to see on labels. Pop open a bottle of Michigan wine and follow along. Here's a resource you can use for reference: https://www.wine-searcher.com/wine-label-usa#

Welcome to podcast #42. Kristy Wenz is my guest today. Kristy is a wine and wine travel writer who is no stranger to Michigan wine and the Lake Michigan Shore. She hasn’t just written about our wineries; she has actually worked at two of them. Listen in as we talk about all things Michigan and learn about our unique and special connection. You can read Kristy’s work at her website, https://kristys...

Jayme and I are tasting three Viogniers from the Lake Michigan Shore, and specifically, all from the same area east of Baroda. The Wineries? Domaine Berrien Cellars, Modales, and Stranger Wine Co. Pop open a bottle of Michigan wine and follow along as we talk about these and even suggest one for breakfast! www.domaineberrien.com www.modaleswines.com www.strangerwineco.com