Michael isn’t the first to fall in love with wine while travelling but chances are he’s the only one who did it from the peloton of the Tour de France.
Michael Wilson spent a lot of years, and covered countless miles, hunched over the handlebars of a racing bicycle. He competed in the 1980 Olympics, finishing with a Top 30 placing, before turning professional and spending ten years on the European circuit.
Grazed knees and a good deal of chaffing weren’t the only things Michael acquired while competing in events like the Tour de France, his decade in Europe instilling a love of great wine that has brought him to where he is today. And that spot is back home in Tasmania, on the banks of the beautiful Tamar River and among the 40 year old vines of one of the region’s oldest vineyards.
Michael’s dedication to his vineyard is second to none, but then we should hardly be surprised that a man who spent all those years in the saddle can handle a bit of back breaking work.