Lorri Hathaway (aka Lorri Schreiber) is co-creator of Michigan Vine and co-author of From the Vine: Exploring Michigan Wineries.
Lorri has been writing for as long as she can remember - no matter where she was or what she was doing. Her inspiration for writing was boosted by her third grade teacher, Ms. Judy Biggs, who had a poetry/story box on her desk for students to submit optional work. Lorri may have been the only student that year to keep that box full. Her interest in grammar (did you know people actually had an interest in that?) was inspired by a middle school teacher, Mr. Larry Glass (who, as an excellent coach, would have probably preferred her interest in basketball!).
Her childhood on Leelanau Peninsula ignited her love for Michigan, its beautiful lakes, four seasons and outdoor-play attitude. Once graduating from Leland High School in 1987, she attended Central Michigan University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1992. She applied this degree as well as a Real Estate Broker’s License to a career in commercial real estate until 2003 when she chucked the corporate career to launch Michigan Vine, along with Sharon.
Prior to Michigan Vine, her passion for wine developed through many travels to Europe and her marriage into an Italian family (where vino is a way of life!). She quickly left behind those college years of drinking beer - although she's still known to enjoy a good beer every once in a while on a hot summer’s day.
She loves to explore Michigan as much as anywhere else. She began experiencing more and more of our Great Lakes state and came across Michigan’s fabulous wineries and vineyards, very surprised by not only the number of wineries (more than 50!), but also by the high-quality wines right here in her own back yard!
The inspiration for Michigan Vine was sparked by a shared passion for Michigan, most especially its wine, and a shared passion for writing. Along with Sharon, she decided to write the desperately-needed book about Michigan’s booming wine industry. During her visits to the wineries for research for the book, she gained a new appreciation for the hard-working winemakers and the quality of Michigan wines.
While she's been known to prefer reds such as Pinot Noir and Cabernet, some whites such as a great Gewurtztraminer or Pinot Grigio are also among her list of favorites. She enjoys visiting the wineries whenever she can to sample the new releases to find a new favorite for the upcoming season – a crisp, clean white to sit on the shore of Lake Michigan to watch the sunset in the summer, or a hearty, smooth red to cozy up to the fireplace and watch a movie in the winter.
She also enjoys cooking gourmet (a word she prefers, not necessarily the outcome!) meals on Sunday afternoons. She loves entertaining and is a hostess at heart. From intimate dinner parties to large bashes to children’s parties, she loves being the host of her own domain - and often shows up to her friends’ parties quite early and eager to help – as she feels the pre-party work is half the fun.
A travel enthusiast at heart, she still likes to visit places all over the world, but enjoys coming home to Michigan where she resides in East Lansing with her husband, John, and children Anthony, Capri, Calli and Jack.
