As a thunderstorm rolls across the prairie, Ben Banks rests a finished bottle flat and deftly hand-labels his new vintage release. Disturbing the zen of the moment, he looks up to give me a warm handshake. Banks leads the winemaking at Sovereign Estate, his family’s winery established in 2008 on the north shore of Lake […]
Evolution at the Corner of Wine and Education
A recent article by Levi Dalton provoked my interest, churning the cream within my mind. I have taught writing and literature for five years and hold an MA in Teaching. While I have cut back my appointment to pursue a career in wine, I continue to thumb the minds of students. If attuned, the young people in any classroom […]
Spare Parts Needed: Wine in the Finger Lakes
I step off the flatbed of the vineyard truck and on to the soil I have come to explore. As I brush straw from my pant leg, winemakers and viticulturists John and Mark Wagner, Cameron and Tim Hosmer, and Tom Macinski guide my group of wine writers through one of Wagner’s estate riesling vineyards. This is boutique […]