Michael has been making wine in central Virginia since 1995.  He previously worked with two highly regarded central Virginia wineries – Jefferson Vineyards, and King Family Vineyards.  He currently works as a consultant to wineries in several states and has been involved in the startup of more than ten wineries. 

He was the winner of the Virginia Governor’s Cup Wine Competition in 2004 and has been mentioned in numerous wine publications such as Saveur, Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Advocate, Washingtonian, and The Washington Post.  Michael is also a partner in Maison Shaps Winery in Meursault, France. Michael oversees all Michael Shaps Wineworks operations. He holds a BPA (Brevet Professionnel Agricole) in Enology and Viticulture from Lycée Viticole de Beaune, France.  In addition, he has a B.S. in Business Administration with a  concentration in Marketing from Skidmore College.