Michael Sawyer decided to complement his passion for wine by completing his first vintage in 1998 in the Riverland, as a Lab technician and Cellarhand for Deakin Estate Wines.

Embracing the industry, Michael headed overseas for a number of vintages in the U.S.A. Working in the regions within Washington State; Willamette Valley and Walla Walla.

Michael worked with exciting and innovative people within the wine industry and gained valuable experience in cellar door sales, marketing, vineyard and cellar, as well as understanding the processes involved in producing wine for the U.S market.

In 2000, Michael returned to his home state of South Australia, to embark on finding out why Mclaren Vale Shiraz was renowned for being some of the best Shiraz in the world.

Spending the next five years working with exceptional winemaking teams in three wineries; Tatachilla, Wirra Wirra and Rosemount, has helped him develop an understanding of how to produce such a Shiraz.