Michael Havill is evidence that neither a college education—she was a 1960s college dropout— is required for becoming a successful winemaker nor is having a feminine surname. She came by the latter because, as she says, “When I was growing up in the 1940s, my mother and grandmother listened to a detective show on the radio, and the heroine was a woman named Michael. They thought it was a good, strong name for a woman because these two were very strong and very liberated for that era.” Michael fits that model.

She was a managing partner of New York Life Insurance company in Walnut Creek, California, for over two decades, during which the corporate necessity of entertaining clients frequently exposed her to fine wines. The love for the fruit of the vine that resulted and a plan to ultimately retire to the Sierra Foothills prompted her and Charlie, her husband, to purchase a 50-acre property in Plymouth in 2004. The fruit from the 20 acres planted to wine grapes on the property was the source of the first vintage for their newly-launched winery, Bella Grace Vineyards, in 2006.

The product of this vintage was a Syrah, but she rapidly expanded the winery’s offerings to include many varietals for which the Sierra Foothills area is known. Michael is now crafting a number of award-winning varietals, including Barbera, Vermentino, Grenache Blanc, Mourvedre, and Viognier to name a few. Although most of the fruit comes from the estate, she and Charlie source from vineyards throughout Northern California..