Thunder Bay Winery x Alpena – The Names Behind the Bottle

Posted on November 11th, 2022

If you’ve been to Thunder Bay Winery in downtown Alpena or the downtown Petoskey location, you’ve probably noticed their bottles of wine named “Starlite Beach”, “Devils River”, or “Long Lake” and wondered what inspires these names. Alpena…

Thunder Bay Winery Weighs in on Vineyard Sustainability and Sheep

Posted on September 17th, 2020

What do wine and sheep have in common? No, this is not a pun, it’s sustainable harvesting practices of course! We caught up with Thunder Bay Winery owner/operators Jeremy and Janis Sahr to find out more about these gentle, wooly creatures and how they help around the vineyard. There’s always m…

Be Mine, Alpena: 5 Ideas to Make Your Valentine’s Day Special

Posted on February 11th, 2020

For some of you, Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love and happiness while eating a romantic dinner and bestowing special gifts upon your significant other. For others, it is just another commercialized holiday that spins the wheels of a society controlled by consumerism. Which one sou…

Winter Forest Bathing. Photo by Paul Gerow.

10 Ideas For Winter Adventure in Alpena

Posted on January 31st, 2020

The hustle and bustle of the holidays are long over. This is the time when the full effects of a true northern Michigan winter start to wash over us, bringing feelings of cabin fever, seasonal depression, and anxiousness for spring. Try out these ideas to kick those feelings to the curb and make your…

A variety of Alpena apparel at The Local Basket Case.

Alpena’s Holiday Shopping Guide

Posted on December 6th, 2018

Looking for that special, unusual Christmas gift or stocking stuffer? Do you have a someone in your life that seems to already have everything? Don’t get lost in online conglomerates and big box stores! Here’s a list of Alpena’s hidden treasures full of unique items for everyone on your list. The Or…

Wine Down in Alpena for National Wine Day

Posted on May 25th, 2017

Another year has passed and it’s national wine day again! Our Sanctuary of the Great Lakes offers two beautiful wineries serving authentic Michigan wine right here in Alpena. Whether you prefer red, white, dry, or sweet, enjoy your glass (or bottle…we are not judging) at one of these s…

National Bootleggers Day and Alpena’s History

Posted on January 17th, 2017

January 17 has been proclaimed as National Bootleggers Day. This date marks the birthdays of Templeton Rye Whiskey, bootlegger Al Capone, and the son of another bootlegger, Meryl Kerkhoff. The term bootlegger began in the Midwest in the 1880s when one would shove flasks of liquor in their boot tops…