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Check Out Steve Salisbury’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve Salisbury.

Steve Salisbury

Hi Steve, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
In the late 1960s and 1970s, my family was among the pioneers in growing French hybrid and French Vinifera vines in Berrien County. My dad was the first to plant vinifera – Chardonnay – in southwest Michigan in 1968, just before Len Olson established the first commercial Chardonnay vineyard at Tabor Hill Winery in 1969. 

At our peak, we had over 15 acres of vineyards, but we never made wine commercially. Most of the juice grapes were sold to processors, while the wine grapes were sold to home winemakers. We held a few back to make our own wine at home. It was the early 1970s, and home winemaking was becoming a national trend. 

While still in high school in 1973, I took my first job at Tabor Hill. I began by cleaning barrels and tanks and eventually moved to the bottling line and ultimately to the tasting room, where I conducted tours and tastings. After Tabor Hill, I moved to the now defunct Banholzer Winecellars. There, I was the cellar master and assistant winemaker. In 1976, my Rose’ won first place in the Indiana wine competition. 

With the foreboding economy of the late 1970s, I decided to exit the wine industry and opt for a more secure future working in corporate America. I spent my career at Whirlpool Corporation and then business consulting. Coming into semi-retirement, I decided to go back to my roots. In 2021, I obtained the WSET Level Two award in wine and began If Vines Could Talk. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I spent years building relationships with southwestern Michigan winemakers. At first, they didn’t realize how much I knew until I started writing wine reviews, sharing relevant histories, and putting deeper dives into wine topics on my social media. It’s also a challenge building an audience for my social media and podcasts, but I’m going for quality and not quantity. It’s important to me to have quality material out there for people to really dive into. I’m not just going for “likes.”

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My social media presence is devoted to writing reviews of wines from all over the world, with a specific focus on Michigan. I also have a weekly podcast focused on Michigan. New episodes are released every Thursday. The podcast is available on all major podcast platforms. 

I have also partnered with Local Pour of Sawyer to provide private wine tastings brought to you. These can be family events, group gatherings, or events for business meetings. These private tastings are tailored to meet your needs, and I attend your event with everything needed to provide a well-curated wine-tasting experience. You can learn more about these private wine tastings at localpourmi.com or at If Vines Could Talk on Facebook or Instagram.

Everything I do is unique because I focus solely on Michigan wine, and I am the only person who provides private tastings exclusively of Michigan wine. 

Michigan makes wine that easily competes on the world stage. I hope that in some small way, I can elevate the awareness and prestige of our great wines. It’s a legacy that I attribute to great innovators like Len Olson, and my dad.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Hire me (in Michigan only and in some cases the greater Chicago area) to perform a private wine tasting for you and your small group. Listen to my podcast, “If Vines Could Talk,” available on most podcast platforms. Like, share, and comment on my social media posts “If Vines Could Talk” on both Instagram and Facebook. If you’re in the industry (Michigan wine), let’s connect to discussed shared experiences. You could be featured on social media or interviewed for the podcast. Finally, I appreciate sponsors to help defray my costs. Contact me for more information about sponsorship levels.

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