What starts as a local dispute — a wealthy couple trying to convert their home in a historic rural neighborhood into a commercial venue — turns into something far more troubling. Lies. Potential fraud. Elected officials with undisclosed conflicts of interest. And a community that refused to look away.
In this episode, Powell House Press founder Josh Powell reflects on how The Wine Wars went from a small-town story in Chatham, New York to a series with readers across the country — and what that says about the collapse of local journalism, the hunger for accountability, and why corruption in a small town hits differently than it does in Washington.
Because in a small town, you know the people running it.
