NW Winery- Mike Laing
Owner/Director of MAWBYness, MAWBY
Mike was born and raised in Ann Arbor, MI. After graduating high school in 1997 he attended Miami University in Oxford, OH majoring in Mathematics Education, graduating in 2001. Mike taught high school math for 4 years in Barrington, IL and for two years at the American Community School in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. Mike moved to Traverse City, MI in 2007 to work on his family’s vineyard in Suttons Bay, MI. Shortly through the summer of 2007, Mike started working at MAWBY Winery. In 2008, he traveled to Marlborough, New Zealand to work in another winery and gain more winemaking experience. Shortly after returning from New Zealand, the Laing family decided to partner with Larry Mawby. Working closely with Larry and his family over the next decade, Mike learned to make and sell sparkling wine. In 2010 Mike and his brother Pete Laing launched bigLITTLE Wines, a still wine focused brand, from grapes grown on the Leelanau Peninsula. 2023 was Mike’s 17th harvest at MAWBY. Today, the Laing family owns MAWBY outright, and Mike and Pete run the daily operations. Mike has a wife and two boys, and enjoys time with them as much as possible. He loves to cook, read, travel and stay active including playing golf, hockey, running and swimming.
mlaing@mawby.wine
SE Winery – Bob Utter
Owner, Flying Otter Winery
Bob grew up in western Nebraska and graduated from the University of Nebraska with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. Bob had a 35+ year career in Design Engineering, Engineering Management, and Engineering Consulting that took him to Wisconsin, Texas, Michigan, and, as it turned out, too much time in France, where he fell in love with French wine and cheese. Bob followed his passion for wine and started a vineyard in 2005 near Adrian, Michigan, adding additional vines and varieties until 2016. The Flying Otter Vineyard focuses on cold hardy varieties that thrive in SE Michigan. Bob received formal training and education in viticulture and enology through VESTA, which led to the opening of The Flying Otter Winery in 2011, featuring estate grown and produced wines. Bob@FlyingOtter.com
Other Region Grower- Bob Sorenson
Owner, Pleasant Valley Vineyards
Bob’s passion for wines began like many others – a love for the diverse choices, flavors, and pairings that they offer. What started as a challenge from a relative has evolved into a family venture that includes owning a vineyard, processing various wines, and establishing a tasting room. This journey has been both rewarding and challenging, with the Sorensen family embracing the yearly hurdles posed by Mother Nature, along with the ongoing learning and hard work that accompany this endeavor. Bob found great joy in the supportive and collaborative community of grape growers and winemakers, which has enriched his experience.
Until recently, Bob was a partner at Eastbrook Homes, a residential development and building company serving the West and Central Michigan regions, from Lansing to Holland and Grand Rapids to Muskegon and Whitehall. They focused on both suburban and urban projects, contributing to the growth of our cities.
Dedicated to education, Bob has been an advocate of the charter school movement in Michigan, serving as President of the Board at Eagle Crest Charter School for several years. Currently, Bob is a proud member of the Board and Executive Committee for Grace Adventures, a nonprofit family Christian organization based in Mears, Michigan.
NW Winery – Paul Hamelin
Co-Owner & Founder, Verterra Winery
Co-Owner and Founder of Verterra Winery a family owned winery. We establish our first vineyard in 2006 and opened our first tasting room in 2011 in the Leelanau Peninsula. We philosophically believe in growing all of our own fruit in Michigan and utilizing top viticulture practices for sustainability in our farms, soils and our local environment. As many of you know, we as a family are very active in several winery trade groups supporting the wine industry across Michigan. We would like to continue that history with MWC.
paul@verterrawinery.com
SW Grower – Katelyn Ramsay
Co-owner & Winemaker, Heronmark Farms
I am co-owner and winemaker for Heronmark in Allegan. I focus on making dry wines from hybrid grapes and 2025 was our third commercial vintage. In the 2026 growing season, I’ll be establishing and managing a 7 acre vineyard in Fennville as our first phase of planting. As a lifelong Michigan resident and prior student of Lake Michigan College’s Wine and Viticulture program, I’d love to be involved with the committee from the perspective of a newcomer to the industry.
Tourism – Ed Peabody
Director, HOUR Custom Publishing, HOUR Detroit/Michigan Wine Country Magazine
Ed Peabody is director of custom publishing for Hour Media in Troy, Michigan, and has 18 years of experience working in the Michigan wine industry to produce Michigan Wine Country magazine. Ed joined Hour in 2000 to spearhead the company’s diversification into content marketing and book publishing. Before that, he was VP-Group Publisher at Campbell-Ewald, where he worked on integrated marketing initiatives for a variety of multinational clients in the automotive, financial services, and information technology industries. A lifelong Michigander, Ed has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Honors English from Wayne State University in Detroit.
EPeabody@hour-media.com
Restaurant/Retail – Drew Bentley
Owner/Sommelier, Michigan Wine & Beer Portal
Drew Bentley is the owner and sommelier of the Michigan Wine and Beer Portal in
Monroe, Michigan. At the recommendation of President Brian Lillie, he would like to
formally submit my candidacy for the Restaurant/Retailer seat on the Michigan
Wine Collaborative, which will open in February 2026. At the Michigan Wine and
Beer Portal, they are dedicated to celebrating and promoting Michigan-made
products. Their establishment proudly serves only Michigan wines, beers, and
spirits, and their retail area features a curated selection of Michigan-made wines,
locally crafted artwork, and artisan goods. Bentley’s lifelong passion is to showcase
to the world that Michigan produces truly world-class wine, a mission that drives
every aspect of the business. Located in Monroe, their venue is uniquely positioned
at the crossroads of Detroit, Toledo, and Ann Arbor, allowing them to reach and
influence a diverse audience of consumers and enthusiasts. If elected, he will work
diligently to support the goals and initiatives of the Michigan Wine Collaborative
and to contribute a valuable perspective from the Monroe market. Bentley is deeply
committed to strengthening Michigan’s position as a respected and recognized
wine-producing region.
andrew.somm@michiganwineportal.com
Supplier/Vendor- Dennis Devitt
Speciality Crop Sales Manager/Statewide Viticulturist, Wilbur Ellis
Dennis was born and raised in California Agriculture. He managed large scale farming operations focused on wine grape production for 30 years with e majority of that time with E&J Gallo.
In 2018 he went to Washington State to be the first statewide viticulturist for the Wilbur Ellis Company where he was a member of the Washington Winegrowers and held a board seat for the Washington Winegrowers Foundation. During the 5 years Dennis was in Washington he has 2 grand children born who live in Michigan. Dennis and his wife Paula of 34 years decided to transfer with Wilbur Ellis to Michigan where he is the sales manager for 4 branches and again is the Statewide Viticulturist for Wilbur Ellis in Michigan to be close to family. “Im excited to see what Michigan has to offer the wine world. It is a unique climate and I think there are some creative visionary folks here who are going to show just that…the uniqueness of this place!”
ddevitt@wilburellis.com
Legal Seat- Mark Vanneste
Howard & Howard
Mark is a business attorney with a special focus on Wine Law and a partner with Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC, a full service business law firm. He and his partners come from an array of business backgrounds with diverse experiences and unique practice areas and take pride in assisting their clients with many legal areas impacting Michigan’s wine industry including licensing, regulatory compliance, real estate, land use, insurance, environmental concerns, and intellectual property, just to name a few.
Mark joined the Michigan Wine Collaborative in 2022, currently serves the Collaborative as the Honorary Legal Board Member and by providing general counsel services to the Collaborative. He also serves on the Membership Committee.
IT Specialist- Jeff Wheeler
Thistlevale Vineyard
Jeff Wheeler leads a global technology organization responsible for a platform supporting over $1 billion in annual revenue. With a passion for people, community, and the transformative power of AI, he is dedicated to fostering innovation, collaboration, and sustainable growth across industries.
Outside of his corporate leadership, Jeff and his wife are pioneering the first vineyard and winery in the Caledonia, Michigan area. Committed to organic and regenerative farming practices, he aims to be a responsible steward of the land while building a community-centered agricultural business.
A devoted husband, father of two, and the proud wrangler of a golden retriever, Jeff brings a holistic perspective to leadership, balancing professional excellence with personal values of sustainability, family, and community impact.
Financial Strategist- Ed Bueche
Peak Financial Services
Ed is a West Michigan native who enjoys traveling around Michigan. A graduate from Aquinas College with both a BS in Accounting and MM; also earned the CMA designation.
He has a wide variety of experiences as CFO in non-profits (domestic and international), manufacturing, services and healthcare. Spent several years as the general manager for a small private equity fund that made 90+% of their investments internationally; primarily in Africa, Central America and the Philippines. He shares his passion for “all things business” as an adjunct professor at several local colleges and universities.
In addition to his current role as a CFO, his side gig is an accounting / tax / business consulting practice assisting individuals and businesses grow and develop. Also, as an amateur winemaker, he keeps trying to get better.
Ed brings his financial background to the Michigan Wine Collaborative by serving as the Honorary Financial Strategist Board Member.
edwardbueche@gmail.com
Executive Director- Emily Dockery
Owner/Founder winemi
Contributing Writer, Michigan Uncorked
Inclusion & Expansion Committee Co-Chair
In her role, Emily leads industry-wide initiatives spanning marketing, education, advocacy, and workforce development—bringing together wineries, growers, educators, suppliers, and partners to elevate Michigan wine at both the state and national levels. Under her leadership, MWC has expanded signature programs such as Taste Michigan™, Taste Michigan Invades™, the Governor’s Cup wine competition, MICAST workforce trainings, and cross-sector partnerships that support long-term industry sustainability.
Emily has played a key role in advancing strategic initiatives including statewide marketing campaigns, grant-funded programs, industry education efforts, and policy engagement—most notably supporting Michigan wine grape growers through the Public Act 232 (PA 232) project, which aims to establish a grower-led funding mechanism for research, education, and marketing.
With a background in wine, communications, and agricultural storytelling, Emily is passionate about collaborative leadership and building meaningful connections between production, education, and market access. Her work focuses on ensuring Michigan wine businesses of all sizes have access to resources, visibility, and opportunities for growth.
Emily is an alumni of the Lake Michigan College Wine Technology program and worked for a variety of wineries and vineyards in multiple capacities from production to tasting room management. She was the wine buyer for Harding’s Markets in Southwest, MI for 7 years, and founded and owns a small consulting/marketing firm, winemi. Additionally, Emily is a contributing writer for wine publications such as Michigan Uncorked, American Wine Society Journal, and Wine Industry Advisor. You can read her pieces HERE!
winenotask@gmail.com
Chuck Jackson, Jr
Wine Consultant, House of Pure Vin
Inclusion & Expansion Committee Chair
Visiting V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena, California, started Chuck on his current path in the wine industry. After visiting V. Sattui, he came home to Michigan to start a winery tour business. The winery tour business led to an article in the Detroit News. That article led to joining the Detroit Chapter of the African American Wine Tasting Society (AAWTS). The AAWTS morphed into The Mahogany Tasters, which has led him to what he does today. After over 30 years of enjoying wine, Chuck is now a wine consultant, wine educator and wine mixologist. Stop into House of Pure Vin for the Chuck Jackson, Jr., wine experience.
chuck@vinopapi.com
WE ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING TO FILL A SW GROWER BOARD SEAT.
Interesting in joining the board or a committee? Contact us for more information.
