In this premier episode featuring home winemakers and grape growers, we meet Mike and Craig, two friends who are making remarkable wines off the radar. With grapes grown in clay, gravel, and rock, and varietals ranging from Tannat to Riesling, they’re building something special. We tasted their Super Tuscan 2022, Meritage 2017, and Tannat 2020 while exploring their process and philosophy. These wines aren’t available commercially. You have to know them to taste them. If you have questions, contact your host at steve.salisbury@mail.com. © Steve Salisbury. Produced by Steve Salisbury. All rights reserved.

In Episode 110, we take you through a decanting journey using a Hickory Creek 2021 Merlot Carmenere tasted at zero, 30, 75, 120, and 180 minutes. The evolution was striking. Each stage revealed distinct textures, aromas, and clarity. We share practical tips to help you decant with confidence and reflect on how slowing down can deepen your connection to the wine. Whether you’re pouring for friends or sipping solo, this episode offers a fresh appreciation for the ritual.

Michigan Governor’s Cup awards can be found here: https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2025/06/04/2025-taste-michigan-governors-cup-results/

Mike Laing didn’t set out to lead one of Michigan’s most iconic sparkling wine houses, but the vineyard his parents planted in Lake Leelanau in 2002 quietly set the stage. After leaving teaching in Chicago, he joined MAWBY in 2007, just as the winery was doubling down on its sparkling focus. Today, Mike and his brother Peter carry forward MAWBY’s 50-year legacy while pushing boundaries with nonalcoholic bubbly, irreverent branding, and a second label rooted in memory: bigLITTLE. From the philosophy of MAWBYness to the story behind Safe Sex, Mike shares how personal history, customer feedback, and a refusal to be stuffy shape everything they do. Sparkling wine, he insists, should be fun, and Michigan’s wine story is just getting started. Learn more at mawby.wine and biglittlewines.com Contact: info@mawby.wine

Michigan Governor’s Cup awards can be found here: https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2025/06/04/2025-taste-michigan-governors-cup-results/