Kathy Garthe, along with many serious wine lovers in Leelanau County, is on a first name basis with Becky Hemmings, the person behind Hansen’s more than 1,200 wine labels — spanning all price ranges — in the center back area of the Suttons Bay grocery store devoted to her libation choices. “Becky is a local treasure.” Kathy tells me, “We feel like she is our own personal sommelier [a certification Becky earned 12 years ago]. I tell her what I’m cooking and she comes up with great recommendations. And she has introduced us to wines we now love but wouldn’t have tried without her encouragement.”

