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Our Contributors

MichWine Contributors

Thanks to these contibutors whose writing and reviews you'll find available on MichWine:

KIM ADAMS is based in the Detroit area. She's co-founder and webmaster for the internationally-recognized Gang of Pour wine site, a chronicle of memorable tastings and interviews with wine personalities.

DAVID CREIGHTON recently retired as Promotion Specialist for the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council. He writes a wine column for the Ann Arbor News, and also contributes articles to Michigan Wine Country.

JOEL GOLDBERG edits MichWine.

SALLY GOLDBERG is a native of Johannesburg, South Africa, where she edited the trade publication South African Wine & Beverage before emigrating to the U.S.

GEORGE HERITIER is the other co-founder of Detroit's Gang of Pour wine site. Formerly a wine retail manager and buyer, he's now a prolific writer, perhaps best known for his annual hockey season tasting foray into "Red Wings and Red Rhones".

DEBRA JETT created and runs the website Wine Women Online.

Renaissance man CHRIS KASSEL was formerly the wine writer for the Detroit Free Press, and contributes wine pieces to Hour Detroit magazine. He's currently the Detroit Wine Examiner for Examiner.com

JIM LESTER owns and makes wine at Wyncroft, an acclaimed small producer of high-end wines located in Buchanan, in the Lake Michigan Shore wine region.

LARRY MAWBY was recently named one of America's top 40 vintners in The Great Wines of America. He was a wine pioneer in the Leelanau Peninsula, where he makes sparkling wine at L. Mawby Vineyards.

CLAUDIA TYAGI, M.S. is one of Michigan's three Master Sommeliers. She's run the wine program at places as diverse as The Whitney in Detroit and the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas, and is currently an independent wine-list consultant, teacher and writer.

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Joel Goldberg's Blog

New posts every Tuesday, sometimes more or less often

"NO, THANKS" TO JUDGING

New York wine writers Lenn Thompson and Evan Dawson won't judge at wine competitions, and urge other journalists to follow suit. The complaints are valid -- but their prescription doesn't work for states like Michigan.

WEATHER FLIP-FLOP, 2010

So far, Michigan's warm, early-maturing 2010 vintage looks like a winner for red wines -- while California is suffering one of its coolest summers in years.

A "WHAT-IF?" FANTASY

Two high-profile politicians who carried water for Michigan's wine wholesaler cartel lost big in the primary for Governor. So let's take a trip into fantasyland, where politicians do what's good for the state, rather than their contributors.

KNOW A GOOD BYO? PLEASE SHUT UP!

Michigan's consumer-unfriendly laws make most BYO illegal. So publicizing places that quietly allow it doesn't necessarily do them any favors.

BAD PRESS FOR WINE COMPETITIONS

Wine competitions may hate the name Robert Hodgson. He's putting numbers to longtime concerns about judging quality and consistency.

GUESS WHO CRASHED THE PARTY?

Yes, thank you, I believe I WILL try some Michigan Cabernet Franc next to that '86 Cheval Blanc

OLD MISSION'S CAPE CONNECTION

Mere coincidence that Old Mission's two South African-trained winemakers grabbed all the awards at the Cab Franc Challenge? Maybe not...

WINE WRITING'S ETHICAL THICKET

Why does wine writing tolerate murky ethics and apparent conflicts of interest that wouldn't be acceptable in other areas of journalism? The new AnnArbor.com is the latest media outlet to ignore such concerns.

HAS TERRY STINGLEY FOUND MICHIGAN'S "IDENTITY WINE"?

Terry Stingley

Kalamazoo retailer Stingley believes Cab Franc has the chops to become our state's flagship. And he's organizing a one-of-a-kind event to help make it happen.

MichWine Classics

Ode to the Leelanau Winemaking pioneer Larry Mawby pens a poem about his home

The South Will Rise! Wyncroft's Jim Lester likes his region's future