Michael had his first glass of wine on a plane on the way to study abroad in college. It was awful.

Two decades & countless glasses later, wine has become a passion. Early in his career, Michael facilitated wine training for restaurants across the Midwest. Wine was always his drink of choice, but it also became a hobby incorporating his other loves of food and travel. After transitioning to the corporate world, Michael continued to revel in finding wines even the pickiest palate could love.

Lucky for him, those skills came in handy after meeting Maranda. She knew very little about wine and almost nothing in terms of what she liked to drink. Their wine journey led them to marriage at an Oregon vineyard in 2020 and a lifetime of travel, tastings and bringing the passion for wine to others.

Michael has over a decade of human resources leadership, including training and communication skills that he now uses to teach others about wine and wine culture, including the industry training & corporate events offered by Winestein’s. Michael holds a Master’s Degree in Comparative Religion from Miami University and a Masters of Business Administration in Human Resources. Maranda holds a Masters in Public Administration from The Ohio State University.