Discovering the Dream
Amista Vineyards grew out of a dream. Like many dreams, it revealed itself slowly, leading us down a path of discovery that continues to engross us to this day. Our dream begins with our enjoyment of wine; Mike's training as a chemist moves it forward — he enjoys discovering and defining natural processes; and the encouragement and support of our friends nourishes its progress. From our earliest experiments as garage winemakers, through our exploratory years outside of California, and right up to last night's dinner with friends, we've found that wine, as a subject of conversation and an accompaniment to a meal, serves as a magnet drawing new and interesting people into our lives.
When we started out together, we never knew we'd end-up living in California's beautiful Dry Creek Valley surrounded by our own vineyards. We both began our careers outside of the wine business. Mike has an extensive education in chemistry. He spent 20 years of his career in teaching and corporate research. In making wine, Mike has an occupation that combines his quest for learning and eagerness to share his knowledge with a new and appreciative audience.
An education in psychology launched my exploration of successful leadership practices and a career as an executive in several large corporations. I now help CEOs and their teams build the leadership skills they need to achieve top performance. The winery has catapulted me into a leadership role that is both challenging and exhilarating. I love crafting our business strategy and managing marketing as well as supervising twice daily vineyard inspections with our shelties. Together, Mike and I continue to discover a satisfying and stimulating life, connected to the land and engaged in a business that cultivates friendship.