2014 Riesling

Mike Callahan lives and breathes his work – literally. With his two daughters, he lives in a small home in the middle of one of the vineyards where he works.

Mike is a laid-back kind of guy, camera shy, and very curious about Riesling, especially when trying to grow it in difficult vineyards. But, he's also genuine and earnest about his winemaking, explaining that it requires hard work, patience, grit, and of course, a bit of luck.

Mike loves the art, and science, of making wine. "I enjoy the aspect of putting in the work, and having a product at the end of it," he explains. "It’s not something you can produce by snapping your fingers. It's honest work, and that is pretty cool to me.”

Through Maidenstoen Wines, Mike concentrates on high-quality, site-specific Rieslings sourced from unique and challenging sites. He refuses to use what he refers to as "recipe" winemaking. Rather, he takes the grapes from difficult sites, plays with them and intricately works with the fruit chemistry to produce exceptional wines. His wines are a joy to drink.