Conversations with Michael Moyer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Moyer. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. Bachelor’s degree from the U of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. While enrolled, I spent a semester studying French in Dijon, France. While in France, I took an introduction to wine course and had the pleasure of barrel tasting in the caves of Meursault and Gevrey-Chambertin. That is where my career in wine began. 

Michael Moyer is the Director of the Wine and Viticulture program at Lake Michigan College and the Manager of the program’s affiliated commercial winery, Lake Michigan Vintners. The 2022 harvest marked his 23rd vintage and 8th in the state of Michigan. Michael holds a Master of Science in Viticulture and Enology from the University of California, Davis. He comes to Michigan most recently from Walla Walla, Washington where he made wine for 12 years including 7 years as Enologist and Winemaking Instructor at Walla Walla Community College. Early wine industry experience was gained in Amador, Napa, and Sonoma counties in California, as well as the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Michael is currently the Secretary for the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail and chair of the Michigan Wine Collaborative’s Research and Education Committee. Along with his wife and four children, he has two dogs, two cats, five ducks, 21 chickens, and one pigeon. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One of the first obstacles was that the program was new, with no existing students. Convincing students to enroll in a winemaking program in a region not well known for its wine was a challenge! Thanks to the great work of our marketing department, we received a lot of media attention to promote both our winemaking program and the great wines that we make here in southwest Michigan. I do believe that our Wine and Viticulture program and its promotion has helped to raise awareness of and appreciation for quality Michigan wine. 

Another challenge at first was the lack of a space conducive to making wine. We initially set up shop in a room way too small for our needs, with floors that did not drain properly. We had to move everything to do anything, and it was time-consuming and difficult. Thankfully, since 2019 the Wine and Viticulture program is housed in a state-of-the-art winemaking facility, the Welch Center for Wine and Viticulture. Since our move to the new building, students work in an ergonomic environment, and they will take this experience with them to their future careers. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am passionate about growing and producing delicious, high-quality wines and helping to inspire and mentor others in doing the same. Wines true to the vineyard site and the vintage, not forced by the winemaker or the sales team. As winemakers, if we take off our marketing hats for a moment and are honest with ourselves, we often find that wines are rarely perfect. One wine could have used a bit less grip or astringency, another more fruitiness, another a touch less new oak. But sometimes all of the stars align, and we manage to make a wine is truly distinctive and outstanding. These are the beautiful wines that we never forget. 

But I also work in education. And, much more rewarding than an outstanding wine is to see where our students end up in their career. I can look to many of my former students and what they are doing now, and I have a sincere satisfaction that I had a role in their journey. 

What do you think about happiness?
Well, this is an existential question, isn’t it? It is not easy, but gratitude is key. Gratitude for loved ones, the weather, two legs that work, for wine! 

It has been said in many venues before but being able to get together with friends and family, sharing the same physical space, especially with wine (!), brings me joy more than anything else. 

Professionally, what is most rewarding is to see the success of our students. But also, at work my best days are when I get to spend time outside in the vineyard with the vines. To tend them and watch how they develop each year brings me much joy. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lakemichiganvintners.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lakemichiganvintners/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lakemichiganvintners