Pour Decisions

Brian Lesperance
  • 5.0 (11)
  • FOOD

A podcast about craft beverages from an insiders point of view. Our primary focus is on wine made in the Midwest, but topics include other craft beverages and products. Basically, anything you can pour is fair game. The podcast is hosted by Brian Lesperance, a 14 year veteran of the Michigan wine industry. Brian currently leads Fenn Valley Vineyards, a winery in Fennville, Michigan started in 1973. He also serves on several industry boards, including the Michigan Wine Collaborative and Michigan Wine Producers Association. Pour Decisions is presented by Fenn Valley Consulting Services with IT provided by Carrier Signal. Music provided by Domestic Problems.

  1. FEB 15

    Tony Jacobson - Founder, Loose Cannon Wines

    In the first episode of 2026 we interview one of the most experienced sparkling wine experts around. Tony Jacobson is the Principal Consultant at EnoCraft and Founder of Loose Cannon Wines in Traverse City, Michigan. We cover some of the challenges and opportunities available in the sparkling category, including not being afraid of acidity. We also delve into how different production techniques offer very different approaches to wine with carbonation. And we wrap with the backstory on Loose Cannon, a boutique winery committed to local fruit. The "this won't pour" segment showcased some cool wireless mic gear as well as an affordable 3D printer setup! EnocraftLoose Cannon Wine2025 Harvest Summary EpisodeDJI Mic 3Bambu A1 Mini 3D Printer Have questions you would like to submit for an upcoming Episode? Contact us today! Sponsors Fenn Valley Vineyards, IncCarrier SignalInterested in being a sponsor? Click here.Show Links https://craftpourdecisions.com/https://www.facebook.com/craftpourdecisionshttps://www.instagram.com/craftpourdecisions/Music is provided by Domestic Problems.

    1h 19m

  2. 12/21/2025

    2025 Season Wrap-Up - with Matthew Jannette and Andrew Backlin

    With the fog of harvest lifting, Matthew Jannette and Andrew Backlin reflect on the growing year. We go from bud break through harvest discussing how the slow start evolved into one of the driest seasons on record. They talked about what they are most looking forward to in terms of upcoming wines as well as some lessons learned. We also tried several wines on the episode, including a 2025 Sauvignon Blanc from Modales and a Pét-Nat from Loose Cannon, a new winery in Traverse City. We also popped a bottle of Blanc de Blanc provided by our friends at Laffort. The "this won't pour" segment gave a shout-out to a couple podcasts as well as some discussion of the downhill spiral of the Costco diapers. Needless to say, it was a wide ranging conversation! AcquiredTrader Joe's EpisodeCostco EpisodeGastropodHave questions you would like to submit for an upcoming Episode? Contact us today! Sponsors Fenn Valley Vineyards, IncCarrier SignalInterested in being a sponsor? Click here.Show Links https://craftpourdecisions.com/https://www.facebook.com/craftpourdecisionshttps://www.instagram.com/craftpourdecisions/Music is provided by Domestic Problems.

    1h 19m

  3. 10/20/2025

    2025 Harvest Update #5

    Harvest is rapidly wrapping up! During the harvest season we will provide periodic (~weekly) updates on how things are going in Fennville as the fruit comes in. In this episode we cover a brief history of Traminette, a hybrid grape developed in the 1960's and brought to market by Cornell University in 1996. Traminette has a very famous parent, Gewurtztraminer, that contributes to its spicy, floral flavors—notes of lychee, rose, and white pepper—without the parent’s susceptibility to cold and disease. During this episode we refer back to our rose episode when talking about methods of rose production. We also discussed the recent rainfall. We have a weather station on the farm you can check out at https://www.fennvalley.com/current-weather-data/. Kai Lesperance, Brian's son, also makes a guest appearance! Note: this episode is audio only. We will provide video when it adds value, but given the time craziness of harvest, we will prioritize getting content out over polished production. Have questions you would like to submit for an upcoming Episode? Contact us today! Sponsors Fenn Valley Vineyards, IncCarrier SignalInterested in being a sponsor? Click here.Show Links https://craftpourdecisions.com/https://www.facebook.com/craftpourdecisionshttps://www.instagram.com/craftpourdecisions/Music is provided by Domestic Problems.

    41 min

  4. 10/06/2025

    2025 Harvest Update #4

    Harvest continues! During the harvest season we will provide periodic (~weekly) updates on how things are going in Fennville as the fruit comes in. In this episode we cover a brief history of Sauvignon Blanc, a sometimes misunderstood grape with a very long history. We delve into how Sauvignon Blanc can present itself very differently based on ripeness and its lineage as a parent of another famous wine grape. We reference Andrew Backlin's episode a fair bit. Check it out here. Note: this episode is audio only. We will provide video when it adds value, but given the time craziness of harvest, we will prioritize getting content out over polished production. Have questions you would like to submit for an upcoming Episode? Contact us today! Sponsors Fenn Valley Vineyards, IncCarrier SignalInterested in being a sponsor? Click here.Show Links https://craftpourdecisions.com/https://www.facebook.com/craftpourdecisionshttps://www.instagram.com/craftpourdecisions/Music is provided by Domestic Problems.

    31 min

  5. 09/30/2025

    2025 Harvest Update #3

    Harvest continues! During the harvest season we will provide periodic (~weekly) updates on how things are going in Fennville as the fruit comes in. This short episode also goes over a little history and use of the Riesling grape, originally used for winemaking in the 15th century! We discuss how this famous grape is among the most versatile in the wine world, being used for everything from dry sparkling wine to true late harvests. Note: this episode is audio only. We will provide video when it adds value, but given the time craziness of harvest, we will prioritize getting content out over polished production. Have questions you would like to submit for an upcoming Episode? Contact us today! Sponsors Fenn Valley Vineyards, IncCarrier SignalInterested in being a sponsor? Click here.Show Links https://craftpourdecisions.com/https://www.facebook.com/craftpourdecisionshttps://www.instagram.com/craftpourdecisions/Music is provided by Domestic Problems.

    27 min

  6. 09/21/2025

    2025 Harvest Update #2

    Harvest continues! During the harvest season we will provide periodic (~weekly) updates on how things are going in Fennville as the fruit comes in. We also go through a little history on the Cayuga White grape, the first hybrid wine grape released by Cornell University in 1972. We wrap the episode with an overview of the different methods of harvest and the rationale behind hand versus machine picking. Note: this episode is audio only. We will provide video when it adds value, but given the time craziness of harvest, we will prioritize getting content out over polished production. Have questions you would like to submit for an upcoming Episode? Contact us today! Sponsors Fenn Valley Vineyards, IncCarrier SignalInterested in being a sponsor? Click here.Show Links https://craftpourdecisions.com/https://www.facebook.com/craftpourdecisionshttps://www.instagram.com/craftpourdecisions/Music is provided by Domestic Problems.

    33 min

  7. 09/12/2025

    Harvest 2025 - Update #1

    Harvest has started! We are going to try something new for the harvest season and provide a periodic (~weekly) update on how things are going in Fennville as the fruit comes in. We also go through a little history on the Chardonnay grape, one of the most popular varieties grown around the world. And we wrap the episode with an overview of what goes into deciding when to harvest each block. Note: this episode is audio only. We will provide video when it adds value, but given the time craziness of harvest, we will prioritize getting content out over polished production. Have questions you would like to submit for an upcoming Episode? Contact us today! Links to Topics Discussed Judgement of ParisAMA #3 - Sparkling WineSponsors Fenn Valley Vineyards, IncCarrier SignalInterested in being a sponsor? Click here.Show Links https://craftpourdecisions.com/https://www.facebook.com/craftpourdecisionshttps://www.instagram.com/craftpourdecisions/Music is provided by Domestic Problems.

    35 min

  8. 08/09/2025

    Matthew Jannette - Head of Winemaking, Fenn Valley Vineyards

    In this episode we talk to Matthew Jannette, Head of Winemaking at Fenn Valley Vineyards. Matt and Brian literally sit next to each other at work, so needless to say they dove right into a myriad of topics. Like many episodes, we start by going through Matt's journey through the craft beverage world - which included stops at some of the worlds' largest and smallest wineries. He also spent time selling wine which gives him a lot of street credibility when it comes to consumer preferences. As evidenced by the crazy number of links below, this episode was all over the place, which really highlights the breadth of Matt's passions. We fully expect Matt to be a frequent visitor as we look to explore various topics. As a 10+ year veteran of the Michigan wine industry, he is a wealth of knowledge based on real world experience. Links to Topics Covered https://www.plummarket.com/https://domainedesmathurins.com/https://www.bnektar.com/https://nordesgin.com/en/nordes-en/https://fever-tree.com/en_US/products/premium-indian-tonic-waterhttps://www.picturethisai.com/https://www.kitchenaid.com/countertop-appliances/stand-mixers/attachments/p.metal-food-grinder-attachment.KSMMGA.htmlSponsors Fenn Valley Vineyards, IncCarrier SignalInterested in being a sponsor? Click here.Show Links https://craftpourdecisions.com/https://www.facebook.com/craftpourdecisionshttps://www.instagram.com/craftpourdecisions/Please note: Transcription is done automatically and may not be accurate. Music is provided by Domestic Problems.

    1h 2m
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Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

A podcast about craft beverages from an insiders point of view. Our primary focus is on wine made in the Midwest, but topics include other craft beverages and products. Basically, anything you can pour is fair game. The podcast is hosted by Brian Lesperance, a 14 year veteran of the Michigan wine industry. Brian currently leads Fenn Valley Vineyards, a winery in Fennville, Michigan started in 1973. He also serves on several industry boards, including the Michigan Wine Collaborative and Michigan Wine Producers Association. Pour Decisions is presented by Fenn Valley Consulting Services with IT provided by Carrier Signal. Music provided by Domestic Problems.

Information

  • Creator
    Brian Lesperance
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Lesperance Holdings, LLC
  • Show Website
    Pour Decisions