If Vines Could Talk

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: info@bellogowine.com.

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 Michiga...

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 lemoncreekwinery@gmail.com .

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...

Jayme and I continue our conversation about grape varieties and today focus on those most commonly found in the Leelanau Peninsula and Old Mission Peninsula AVAs. Two points to call out. Late in the episode we discuss the vinifera variety Gewurztraminer. It is an offspring of Savagnin Blanc - not to be confused with Sauvignon Blanc. We also talk about pairing Gewurztraminer wine with pumpkin pie,...

Gunnar Olson is the owner and winemaker at Baroda Founders Winecellar. Join us as we talk about all the things going on at Baroda Founders, and as we take a trip down memory lane to talk about Gunnar’s dad, Leonard Olson, and his pioneering contributions to the Michigan Wine industry.

Today Jayme and I are tasting three Cabernet Sauvignons, one each from Domaine Berrien, Fenn Valley and Lemon Creek. https://www.domaineberrien.com/, https://www.fennvalley.com/, https://www.lemoncreekwinery.com/. To enhance your listening pleasure, we've edited out all of the long pauses between our observations, smells and sips! Enjoy.

Lauren Kniebes is one of the owners of Lazy Ballerina Winery located in beautiful downtown St. Joseph Michigan, at 321 State Street. Lauren and her partner Melanie have the distinction of being the first woman owned winery in the Lake Michigan Shore. Visit their website at www.lazyballerinawinery.com. Pop open a bottle of Michigan wine and listen in to this fun interview.

Happy Thanksgiving! This week Jayme and I discuss the grape varieties found in the Lake Michigan Shore AVA (American Viticultural Area). We discuss juice grapes, hybrids and vinifera.

Amy Birk is the operations director and co-winemaker at Domaine Berrien Cellars, arguably one of the best fine wine producers in the Baroda area. Amy and her partner Jake are purchasing Domaine Berrien from long time veterans Wally and Katie Mauer.  Amy is another prime example of how young, up-and-coming winemakers are making a huge difference in the Michigan wine scene.

Join Jayme and me as we taste three Michigan Cabernet Francs. The three wineries represented are Baroda Founders (www.founderswinecellar.com), Dablon (www.dablon.com) and Pere Marquette (www.peremarquettewinery.com). Pop open a bottle and join in the fun!

This week John Braganini is my guest. John is the Chairman of the St. Julian Wine Company in Paw Paw, Michigan - the oldest and largest winery in Michigan.

Jayme and I discuss the numerous varieties of grapes that earn a spot in Michigan's horticultural and winemaking history.

This week I am joined by Andrew Backlin, winemaker at Modales Wines in Fennville, Michigan. Andrew is doing great things showing the kinds of outstanding wines we make in Michigan. If you have a specific question for Andrew, you can contact him directly at a.backlin@modaleswines.com . Also, join Andrew and the Modales crew at their annual Nouveau Celebration on Saturday, November 18. See their web...

Join Jayme and me as we taste three Michigan Rieslings.

This week Chalet Sturgeon joins me to discuss her new venture, Local Pour, located in Sawyer, Michigan. Local Pour opened in June, 2021, and offers an all-Michigan experience featuring a wide selection of wine, beer, and spirits - all Michigan made. We also talk about many of the great wines our wineries are producing.

Jayme and I talk about the fascinating history of wine in Michigan with a focus on the Lake Michigan Shore.

This week I have a conversation with Joe Herman of Karma Vista about regenerative agriculture and how grape growers can become more environmentally responsible.

This week Jayme and I are conducting a blind tasting of three Sauvignon Blancs. They are in order from Michigan, California and France, but we don’t know that going into the tasting. In conjunction with this, starting tomorrow for three days, I will publish detailed wine reviews of each of the three wines on If Vines Could Talk social media, Facebook and Instagram, as part of my regular weekly rev...

This week I talk with Glen Greiffendorf of 12 Corners. Glen is responsible for both vineyard and winery operations, and is a veteran southwest Michigan grape grower.

Jayme and I discuss the AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) of Michigan and some of what they have to offer.