Mike was raised in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. He attained his undergraduate degree in Aerospace Engineering from Virginia Tech in 2003 (Go Hokies!). After waking up from his cubicle jungle haze, he decided to try a new career as a winemaker. He is completing his second year as a Plan II Graduate Student once he returns from working harvest at Soter Vineyards in the Willamette Valley in Oregon.