Ep. 56: A Winery That Supports Veterans with Mike Speakman

Welcome back to another episode of The Everyday Wine Aficionado Podcast! Today, we are joined by Michael Speakman!

Michael Speakman bought Westerly Wines five years ago and has not looked back. From crafting high-quality Pinot Noir to big Cabernets, Westerly Wines capitalizes on everything Santa Barbara offers. Let’s dive into his story!

[00:31 - 07:27] Veteran-Owned Wineries Supporting Veterans

• Michael Speakman, owner, and winemaker of Westerly Wines and 13 Stripes Winery is a veteran and retired Navy seal.
• Mike has been working in the wine industry for five years and is passionate about supporting veteran initiatives.

[07:27 - 15:36] Winemaker creates unique wines for charity

• Westerly has been around for 25 years Mike and his wife are the fourth owners.
• The difference between inferior and superior wine and a high-quality farming
• Wine can be used for many purposes, such as raising money or promoting awareness for a cause.

[15:37 - 21:22] Releasing A Patriot Wine Called 13 Stripes

• Mike started 13 Stripes Winery in 2020, In January of 2022, he received a phone call from folds of honor asking if he would donate wine to an upcoming golf event He agreed and donated two cases of wine
• In May of that year, he was contacted by folds of honor again, this time to donate wine for an event in California.
• Since then, he's donated wine to Folds of Honor events in multiple states.
• He recommends documentaries and working with a winemaker who knows verbiage about winemaking

[21:10 – 33:29] Closing Segment

• Learn everything you need to grow your wine, business, or brand with Wine Business Bootcamp where I help other wine producers master the fundamentals of digital marketing, nail their customer experience, and convert more wine tasters into wine clubs and other offers. Just send me a dm or email at [email protected] the subject: Wine Business Bootcamp
• Favorite go-to-wine
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Favorite go-to pairing
• Cheese and Sauvignon Blanc
• Hamburgers and Red Blend
• Wine Resource
• Books 
• And Documentaries

Connect with Mike Speakman

Instagram:@westerlywines

Website: westerlywines.com and 13stripeswinery.com

Let’s continue the Everyday Wine Conversations and connect with me through Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, or feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. You can also check out my website at ​www.​klevywineco.com.

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Tweetable Quotes:

“I knew that wine was fermented and put in the barrel, but. It's very intriguing. The complexity of how the wine is made and the different aspects of taking it from the field and putting it into a bottle are pretty cool. and then when it makes it to the shelf and you get positive feedback, there's nothing better than that.” - Mike Speakman