A native Texan, Michael Richmond graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1968 with a degree in special education.  He arrived in Napa Valley in 1970, following an eighteen-month cross country bicycle tour.  Michael immediately began a career in wine at Freemark Abbey, where he worked in virtually all aspects of operations and attended short courses in winemaking at UC Davis. 

In 1979, with moral support from Freemark Abbey, Michael seized the opportunity to co-found Acacia Winery in the Carneros district of Napa Valley. “Though Carneros would not become an official appellation until 1981, a few wineries were gambling on the region’s potential – including Acacia’s new neighbor, Bouchaine Vineyards, which was also 're-founded' in 1981 by its new proprietors, Gerret and Tatiana Copeland,” says Michael.  Acacia was one of the first California wineries to actually feature vineyard-designated wines. He adds, “We had all cast our lot with Pinot Noir, which at the time was a much-maligned wine variety in California. We dared to take on the doubting wine press.” A couple of vintages later, Michael helped establish The Steamboat Pinot Noir Conference, which will celebrate its thirtieth anniversary this year. The private event (no press, no rankings, no sponsors) is still all about production and camaraderie among winemakers: “Pinot Noir, more than any other variety, has fostered a sense of community, with a climate of openness and goodwill. I credit the Conference with much of the thinking that fostered the growth of Pinot Noir as the viable variety it has become in America,” he says.

When Acacia was acquired by the Chalone Group in 1986, Michael spent several years as Chalone’s vice president of sales. In 1993, he returned to winery life when Chalone assigned him to manage their struggling Carmenet Winery. “As part of ‘fixing’ Carmenet, I created Dynamite Cabernet – evoking the historical significance of the volcanic vineyard sites blasted out of the rocky terraces, and infusing an element of levity to the brand.” Five years later, Michael returned to manage Acacia for a second stint. Then, at the Steamboat Conference in the summer of 2002, he heard that the owners of Bouchaine were looking for a general manager. “At that moment, I recall, a sense of destiny swept over me,” he says.  Not only did Michael get the job, but he also got the hills! “I remember standing out in the parking lot at Acacia, looking across at two steeply terraced hillsides, envious of the viticultural possibilities they implied amid the extensive rolling plains. It was only after I had joined Bouchaine that I discovered they had recently become part of the Bouchaine Estate.”

During Michael’s first interview with Gerret and Tatiana Copeland, “I sensed a great resonance of shared vision and purpose. To that end, I introduced them to my alter-ego, Greg Gauthier, suggesting that if they hired me they were going to get Greg – who at the time knew nothing about it – to complement with sales genius what I could bring to wine production and general management. Shortly thereafter, our pact was made.”

Michael sums up, "Now, seven years later, I feel honored to be part of such a vital team dedicated to growing better grapes, making better wine, and in our everyday business life, making our world a better place."

Michael has served as vice president of the Carneros Wine Alliance. He has also chaired the community outreach committee of Napa Valley Vintners and served on the Napa Valley Chamber of Commerce executive board of directors.

Michael’s “Renaissance palate” and appetite for adventure have inspired him to, among other things, obtain his pilot’s license, earn certification as a massage therapist, grow roses and chile peppers, fly-fish, and – always – ride his bicycles. Michael and his wife Theresa, a specialist in human resources and organizational development, live in Carneros, just a vineyard away from Bouchaine. They have two grown daughters.