Well, if We're Going to Have a Wine Club...

We might as well have a place to geek out about the wines.

But full disclosure:

There are far more knowledgeable wine people out there than me. I'm not a sommelier. I'm not a wine critic. I'm just lucky enough to own Fisk Bier & Wine in Galesburg, Illinois, with my husband, Sam, since August of 2025.

Sam's the beer nerd.

I'm the cork dork.

Owning Fisk has given me the opportunity to taste many different wines, ask tons of questions, and learn things about grapes, regions, styles, families, history – what a world! My brain isn't big enough for all of it. So, this is also a bit of a brain dump and just a place for me to document this awesome adventure.

One thing you'll probably notice pretty quickly...

I have a type.

I love rich, lush California wines. Bold Cabernets. Generous Pinot Noirs. Big flavors. That's my comfort zone.

But I want to push beyond that. I'm very curious about Old World wines, brighter acidity, and wines that come alive with food.

I mean, I'm not giving up my California favorites—I don't think that's ever going to happen—but I know there's a whole world of wines that I haven't fully appreciated yet.

Maybe you'll watch me change my mind.

Or maybe you'll remind me why I fell in love with California in the first place.

Either way, I think it'll be fun to find out.

This isn't a collection of wine reviews. It's a collection of wine discoveries.

I'll share what I think, what surprised me, what I'm still trying to figure out, and sometimes I'll include reviews, scores, tasting notes, or interesting quotes from people who know far more than I do. Whenever I can, I'll point you to those sources so you can explore right alongside me.

If you ever disagree with me—or taste something completely different—I hope you'll tell me! Seriously! I want to know what YOU think to help all of us think about all of these wines!

Worst case scenario - we drink a bunch of great wine together!

XO! Kelly