Vineyard Manager: Michael Neal
Michael Neal was raised in the Napa Valley, learning from a young age about wine grapes, grapevine nurseries, walnut and fruit tree production from his father and neighbors. He graduated from California State University Fresno with a degree in plant science, with an emphasis on viticulture and a minor in agricultural mechanics and business.
Michael Neal
Like Herb, after graduating college Michael returned to his roots in the Napa Valley. Michael worked for the Napa Valley Vineyard Company with a variety of viticultural responsibilities in many of the large Napa Valley vineyard properties such as Heublein, Beaulieu, Inglenook, Silverado Vineyards and Beckstoffer Vineyards. With several years of management experience under his belt, in 1986 he started his own vineyard management company, specifically to develop and manage small vineyards for winery clients. His company, Michael J. Neal Viticultural Service, now manages over 350 acres of premium wine grapes in the Napa Valley.
Michael and his crew have been involved with the development and management of the Herb Lamb Vineyards since its inception in 1988, when they laid out the vine rows, ripped and terraced, planted, staked and pulled drip irrigation and wires for the original hillside planting. The same crew has totally re-planted the entire vineyard, systematically removing blocks of the original 20 year old vines from 2005 though 2009. Many of the same employees who helped plant the vineyard are still a part of the Herb Lamb Vineyard maintenance crew today, and continue to do all the pruning, spraying, suckering, weed and pest removal, fertilizing and hand-picking at harvest. It is also through Michael's management of another small property, the Mello Vineyard in Yountville, that the Lamb's were made aware of Sauvignon Blanc fruit available in 2005, at which time they produced the first Sauvignon Blanc.
