Mike Miller
Owner & Grape Grower
In the forty years that I’ve been growing grapes, I’ve learned invaluable lessons that only time can teach. The myriad of challenges we’ve faced and successes we’ve made along the way help give Airfield Estates an experienced point of view and a more unique approach to viticulture. Farming in one place has helped us learn many of the subtleties about our terroir.
Being competitive in nature, I have always strived to produce the best product I can. I’ve also taken great pride in the steps we’ve taken to reduce our chemical usage and to increase our water efficiency. Living in Eastern Washington, we consider water a scarce resource and to help ensure it is managed properly, I serve on the Board of Directors for the Rosa Irrigation District.
I am extremely devoted to my family, which includes my lovely wife Kristeen and my 2 children Marc and Lori. When I’m out in the vineyards, I’m often seen in the company of our ill-behaved, overly spoiled pot-hounds (Trip, Brix, and Chula).
Marcus Miller
Winemaker & General Manager
As a youth, I spent many summers working in the family vineyards. In those days, I never would have imagined that working with the grapes would become one of my true passions and also part of my profession.
I earned a B.A. in Business Administration from Principia College in Illinois. Then I worked for a small brokerage house in Plano, TX and completed an MBA in finance from North Texas University. Toward the end of my MBA program, I gained a newfound interest in the family business.
In early 2003, I returned to Washington and attended several meetings and conferences dealing with the wine industry. I soon realized that I stood at the threshold of a burgeoning industry. I soon enrolled in the Viticulture and Enology program at Walla Walla Community College. While there, I was exposed to hands-on programs developed by the late Stan Clarke and his staff, which allowed the students to make wines at the campus winery and also set up internships with many of the local wineries. My internship was with Canoe Ridge working with winemaker Kendall Mix. This experience was invaluable in preparing graduates, such as myself, for the industry.
Upon completing the program, I was hired as the assistant winemaker for Tsillan Cellars in Chelan. The winemaker, Katie Smith, encouraged me to work a crush in the southern hemisphere, as it would introduce new ideas, philosophies, and perspectives of a different region. I soon accepted the opportunity to work for Montana Brancott Winery in Marlborough, New Zealand, spending most of March and April there. When I returned, I was appointed head winemaker in partnership with Peter Devison.
Meanwhile, my family was in the process of starting operations of our new winery, Airfield Estates. I stayed with Tsillan Cellars through the crush of 2005 and then decided to join the family business as the head winemaker and general manager.
Lori Miller
Marketing Director
Upon receiving a B.A. in Business Administration from Principia College in Illinois, I was hired by Target Corporation and worked in retail distribution management. After a few years, I decided that the winery business sounded like more fun! So it was off to Australia to fine-tune my palate, enhance my wine appreciation, and learn about wine marketing. While there, I worked part-time for Kangarilla Road Winery in McLaren Vale, part-time for Starbucks Corporation at Glenelg Beach, and obtained a Masters in Wine Business from the University of Adelaide. I returned to Prosser, Washington in July of 2007, just in time for Airfield Estate’s grand opening celebration!