Michael Weis, winemaker at Groth Vineyards & Winery since 1994, brings more than three decades of experience with Oakville grapes and wines to the job of nurturing the best possible expression of the vineyards. In fact it was Michael’s vast experience in Oakville that drove the decision to replant the Chardonnay Oakville vineyard to Cabernet Sauvignon.
Michael obtained his undergraduate degree from UC Santa Barbara in 1969 and a Master's degree in Microbiology from UC Berkeley in 1971. At Berkeley, Michael studied pathogenic fungi but was more fascinated with the Botany department. Weekend getaways included trips to Napa Valley where he tasted his first sip of Fumé Blanc in 1971. “It was the epiphany for me regarding what people then referred to as serious wine,” he remembers. Shortly thereafter, Michael discovered an entire department dedicated to grape growing and winemaking at UC Davis. He immediately transferred.
Looking back on that decision, Michael reflects, “after two years of research, a Master's degree and the publication of a very esoteric article in an equally obscure international medical journal, I realized that winemaking might offer a more fulfilling future." After graduate studies at Davis, he worked as an experimental enologist for Robert Mondavi and as winemaker for Vichon before joining Groth in 1994.
Michael’s winemaking philosophy is simple. Be true to varietal integrity. Minimize manipulation through gentle handling. Express the character of the vineyard location. Take full advantage of years and years of experience working with the same vineyard sites. Make the best wine that a vintage has to offer from great vineyard sources. Strive to make better wine every year. Always searching for techniques that can help show off Groth’s exceptional fruit, Michael conducts experiments every year on small batches of grapes and wine, fine-tuning wines with an already established pedigree.
There’s more to life than wine, and in Michael’s case, there’s Bocce—not just a form of recreation, but an addiction. Michael’s team, The Quatro Stupidos, is made up of winemakers, label printers, grape growers and wine equipment salesmen. He has not given up hope that Dennis and Judy Groth will someday let him install that Bocce court.