Michael Shaps Wineworks
May 16, 2023. Our last winery visit on this trip was to Michael Shaps Wineworks, around thirty minutes south of Charlottesville. Wineworks is one of the most decorated wineries in the Commonwealth and is one of the only international brands in this sphere. Michael Shaps learned his wine at school in Burgundy, France and moved to Virginia in 1995 to be winemaker at Jefferson Vineyards. He managed six vintages there before going out on his own. He was soon in a partnership with a winemaker in Meursault (Burgundy) France and with King Family Vineyards. When we visited Wineworks in 2018, the tasting room was a small cramped cabin up a steep mountain road, the site of the old Montdomaine Winery. He has continued to expand operations and influence since then. He has shed his partners and since around 2014 I believe that his ventures have been sole proprietorships. In 2018, Michael purchased Shenandoah Vineyards and continues to make wines under the Shenandoah label. He