Peter Michael Winery: How a British Knight Built a California Dynasty

Paul and Emily Michael didn't plan to build one of California's most celebrated wineries. It started with a British tech billionaire, two bad bottles of Burgundy at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, and a glass of Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that stopped everything. That one accidental tasting — right around the time Montelena won the Judgment of Paris — set in motion a forty-year multigenerational project in Knights Valley that now produces sixteen wines across three estates and has claimed the number one wine in the world from Wine Spectator. Paul Michael, son of Sir Peter Michael, and his wife Emily join Matt Weiss at Fearrington House in Chapel Hill, North Carolina for a conversation about what it actually means to build something meant to outlast you. The hundred by one hundred philosophy — one hundred percent family ownership for one hundred years — isn't a marketing line. It's the operating system behind every decision made in the vineyard, the cellar, and the family. They go deep on the origin story, the naming of Au Paradis, what six winemakers across four decades were each told on day one, why the family still lives in England, and which four bottles Paul would open for someone who had never heard of Peter Michael Winery. This episode is brought to you by Fearrington House, one of only five Relais & Châteaux properties in the American South, located in Pittsboro, North Carolina. We’re grateful for the support of our episode partners: ▪️Fearrington House: https://fearrington.com/ THE PREFERRED GLASS OF THE WINE CENTRIC SHOW ▪️Glasvin: Use code WINECENTRIC for 10% off: https://tidd.ly/41vgdSQ 🔔 Subscribe for more deep dives into wine culture. 🎧 Listen now on YouTube + all podcast platforms 🔗 Full episode and show notes at winecentricshow.com Chapters 00:00 Technical Difficulties and Setup Challenges 04:21 Introduction to the Guests and Their Backgrounds 09:22 The Journey of Paul Michael into Winemaking 14:06 The Philosophy of Peter Michael Winery 18:58 Future Vision for Peter Michael Winery 21:55 Site-Specific Chardonnay Production 23:54 Tasting and Selection Process 26:53 The Role of Winemakers and Vintners 27:39 The Winery's Legacy and Team Dynamics 29:32 Living Between Two Worlds: England and California 30:36 Empowering the Team: Strategic Direction in Winemaking 31:29 Navigating Challenges in Winemaking 33:08 Exploring Alternative Closures and Innovations 34:36 The Importance of Family and Heritage in Winemaking 35:58 A Journey to the Land: First Impressions and Family History 41:21 From Holiday Retreat to Vineyard Involvement 43:08 Signature Wines of Peter Michael Winery 44:54 The Evolution of Wine and Vineyard Practices 47:18 Celebrating Milestones and Family Heritage 49:53 The Future of Peter Michael Winery and Succession Planning