In speaking to Michael Bockstahler you’d think you might be talking to a scientist. Or an artist. Truly, what he encompasses is a combination of the two.
It is shocking to discover Michael is only 31. To hear him wax poetic on the wonders of winemaking, one might assume he’d spent decades chasing this passion. To be fair, there was at least a decade of time during which Michael found himself traveling from Sonoma, to Arizona, and throughout Napa, finally landing in Oregon to discover the delicate dance between learning from those he admired, and finding his own rhythm in the process. Michael’s endeavors have gone from seeking to learning to knowing, and what he is doing now is compiling every bit of that experience, every last dollar of his savings, and every ounce of confidence to create wine, in a shed, in the backyard of his house in Oregon. A few grapes bought in Yakima Valley, and a wealth of knowledge have brought him to the beginning of a wild adventure.
What’s strange is that the nature of the 2020 pandemic sent many people into a state of fear, shock, and questioning. While none of these conditions sound particularly appealing, what they have done in Michael’s case is push him so far out of his comfort zone that he had to ask himself ‘Why not now?’. After being laid off from his most recent winery-based role due to the pandemic, Michael made a few courageous choices- some educated, some intuitive. He has spent time in mentorships with incredible winemakers such as Maggie Harrison of Antica Terra and Josh Bergstrom of Bergstrom Wines. Now Michael is beginning his quest with unique grapes and his own unique style. Michael says:
“My exposure to wine was initially through a love affair with cooking. I worked my way through many of the lesser accredited wine regions because it’s what I could afford. Restaurants became a way of access to incredibly rare and expensive wines. That hit a dead end when I was no longer excited by the prospect of blindly identifying or just simply drinking great wine. I wanted to make it.
“…I may be lacking the “normal” trajectory. My studies were intermittent in the world of agricultural sciences and winemaking. Of course, there were harvests/internships in Sonoma and Napa; a must for those plunging into the world of wine and living in California. Mostly I encountered limitations. Looking at wine in this way or that way. I followed producers I felt made delicious wines and began dissecting what I’d liked about them and leaving the rest out.”
His style is natural and classical. He seeks to “use science to achieve balance and cooperation on all parts.” His press downs are done by hand, and foot actually! Often times you can find his partner on his back as they stomp the grapes and begin quite a natural fermentation process. He is excited by what can take place through experimentation and works with layering carbonic maceration and whole cluster fermentation. He is working currently with the Tinta Cão grape, a native Portuguese varietal. He believes the grape will do quite well with the influence of Burgundian yeast strains. Michael says this grape is typically used in blending or thought of as muted, perhaps muddled. What he has seen in pushing the potential of this grape is floral, effeminate, with beautiful notes of violet and tart plum. He’s taking chances, but not without weighing the risks.
Michael has decided to take this daring new step in the world of wine, but he’s not doing it alone. The pandemic has challenged Michael on many levels, pushing for change not only in work, but also in love. An additional surprise was that of Mariel Hall, a nurse and fellow wine lover. The timing of their connection proved to be in alignment with the upheaval and rebuilding of Michael’s entire world. The two met in the beginning of a confusing, scary time. Despite all of that, they found partnership. They are tackling this endeavor together with a sense of adventure and optimism. The hope is to release their first wine in November of this year. As Michael says “If you can’t put a magnum of wine on the table for your family at Thanksgiving, then what good are you as a winemaker?” We encourage you all to keep an eye out for the courageous and exciting new wines of Hartleyrich! You can follow their adventure on Instagram at @HartleyrichWine.