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New this year at the Suttons Bay-based estate winery, Shady Lane Cellars, pair a glass of wine with a thrilling new read. Shady Lane Cellars Book Club debuts this month. The first selection is “Murder in the Merlot” by Michigan’s own Aaron Stander, author of the Ray Elkins mystery series and host of IPR’s Michigan Writers on the Air. The novel is paired with Shady Lane Cellars Hartwick Red, a red blend barrel-aged in French oak with expressions of dried cherry, espresso and earthy truffles. The first meeting is set for 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 30.

High school graduations typically celebrate the students. But a special ceremony held by Northwest Education Services (NES) at Creekside School in the Grand Traverse Commons on June 21 honored not just local migrant farmworker graduates but also their hardworking families. A page on the foldout printed program declared ¡Sí se pudo! “Yes they could” with a silhouette of graduates in caps and gowns tossing their tassels overlaying a scene of an apple orchard. Ellos creyeron que podían, así que lo hicieron. “They believed they could, and they did it.” “The motivation for holding a separate celebration was to celebrate the parents as well,” said NES bilingual parent liaison Beatriz Moreno. “Parents go through great struggles and sacrifices to help lead their children to graduation. Many of our parents did not get an education or had limited schooling. This is a thank you to our parents for helping get to graduation.” This was the first year the migrant graduation ceremony was held since 1997, when Moreno, herself, graduated from Leland.

Shady Lane Cellars plans to celebrate the harvest season in Suttons Bay style. This year, the estate winery will welcome crowds to a Celebrate Harvest Pig Roast on Sunday, Oct. 1, from 2-6 pm. Chef Larry Burdek of Traverse City’s Chef’s Pride Catering will prepare a succulent roasted pig and serve a full menu made to pair with Shady Lane Cellars wines. The estate winery’s 150 acres of rolling hills will serve as a backdrop to live music and the high-octane rockabilly sounds of Delilah DeWylde. 

The Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail is where stunning landscape and natural splendor meets exquisite wine making. “Experience Leelanau” is the Wine Trail’s new signature event, May 19-21—a celebration honoring ‘Michigan Wine Month’ and everything that makes our region special. Click here for information and to get your tickets.

With bars in Traverse City and Bellaire writing lengthy pleas to the public to respect their employees, to refrain from cursing, spitting and worse, it was time to check in with Leelanau County’s wineries and see how they’ve managed the COVID-19 requirements of mask-wearing, distancing, sanitizing surfaces, and more.

“The wine industry is a sea of men,” confirmed Kasey Wierzba, head winemaker at Shady Lane Cellars in Suttons Bay, as we sat down to discuss her experiences in the wine industry and the path she took to arrive where she is—in charge of production at one of the region’s most beloved wineries, winning accolades alongside her colleagues.