Michelle Edwards

Winemaker

It was while backpacking through Europe that Washington-state native Michelle Edwards got her first inkling of the role wine might play in her life. At the time, she was a premed student at the University of Washington, balancing her focus on the required core science curriculum with what she refers to as “the interesting classes beyond biology and physics” – like anthropology.

Inspired by how wine served as a nexus of nature, culture, science and art in Europe, she returned to Washington and found a job in a winery tasting room. Soon, she took the fateful step…into the cellar.

“That was it,” she says. The path to her future was clear.

“I loved discovering the endless complexity of variables involved in making wine,” says Michelle. "I loved that at any given moment it could be about the vineyard, the soil, the rocks, the birds in the sky, or the barrel and where it came from. And I loved knowing that I’d never know it all and I’d never get bored.“

“Michelle was a natural choice for us,” says proprietor Cliff Lede. “She has terrific energy and a true passion for wine. She has provided valuable insights during construction of our new state-of-the-art winery. We couldn’t be happier to have her.”

The feeling’s mutual. “Being the winemaker at Cliff Lede Vineyards is a dream job on so many levels,” Michelle says. “It’s a superb property that can be the source of truly world-class wines, and everyone here is dedicated to achieving that. But they’re also casual and relaxed in the midst of it all. There’s no pretension. Winemaking is their life, and yet…it’s not.”

Michelle fits right in.

“I’m Gen-X,” she says. “But I may not be typical. I'm very dedicated to my work. But I also like the rewards that come from it. I enjoy the balance that I find in working hard and playing hard."

When she’s not hiking, hanging out with friends, or enjoying her three dogs, she likes to fish, another realm where dedication to understanding the complexities of nature leads to fun and satisfaction.

Since graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in anthropology (not premed), Michelle has earned a bachelor of science degree in viticulture and enology at UC Davis, lived in Alaska, endured 12-hour graveyard shifts at a grape-crushing facility in southern Australia and worked harvests at Peter Michael Winery in Knights Valley and J Vineyards & Winery in the Russian River Valley.

She came to Cliff Lede Vineyards from Colgin Cellars, where she served as the assistant winemaker for three years and worked with master viticulturist David Abreu. David is now managing the vineyards at Cliff Lede, so Michelle will continue working with him to source the secrets of each vintage.

“Nature throws all kinds of variables at you,” she says. “But if I’m true to the culture of the vineyard and understand how to work with the vagaries of nature, I can embrace variability while consistently making great wine."

Michelle is a professional member of the American Society of Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) and a member of the Napa Valley Wine Technical Group.