You have a vision. I help you make it real. From bare ground to a bottle you’re proud to pour.
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WHERE PEOPLE START
You're probably here for one of three reasons.
Starting from Scratch
You’ve got land, grapes, or just a big dream but no idea where to start? Everyone’s learning as they go and the mistakes get expensive fast.
Lost Our Winemaker.
Harvest doesn’t wait for a hire. You need someone who can step in, hold the line on quality, and keep the wine moving while you figure out the long term.
Something isn't Landing
An established winery that needs a refresh, a new direction, a second label, a wine that finally lands.
When people come to me, they have a vision. They just don’t know how to get there. That’s the whole job: guiding you in the right direction, and watching something you created come alive.
THE APPROACH
Winemaking that is
unique to your taste.
A lot of consultants show up with one style and stamp it on everyone. I do the opposite. You’re the one who has to pour it, stand behind it, and be proud of it. The wine is made to be a reflection of you, your vineyard and your taste.
WHAT I DO
Support in every part of the build.
Most people starting out don’t realize how many pieces there are. Take the whole thing, or pull in exactly the parts you need. Here’s the full range.
Winemaking
Winery Design
Layout, equipment and workflow planned around how wine actually gets made. Mistakes here are expensive to fix once the concrete is poured.
Staff Training
I train your cellar crew on process, sanitation and the daily habits that keep quality consistent after I step back.
Packaging Design
Bottle, closure and label decisions made with the wine and your market in mind, plus printers and suppliers who deliver on time.
Sparkling Wine Production
Base wine through finished bottle. Sparkling leaves little room for error, so we plan every step before we start.
Global Network
Growers, cooperages, labs and printers I’ve worked with for years. When you need something, I know who to call.
Winemaker Dinners
I’ll pour your wine and tell its story at dinners and events, so guests hear it from the winemaker.
Grape Guidance
Choosing varieties, sites and growers, and calling harvest for the wine you’re actually trying to make.
THE WINEMAKER
Seventeen harvests and it still doesn’t feel like a job.
I’m Mike Prout, a consulting winemaker based in Weiser, Idaho. I didn’t grow up around wine. I found it overseas in the service, sharing charcuterie and a bottle with soldiers who brought their whole culture to a combat zone. Something about it clicked and I never looked back.
Associate degree in Viticulture & Enology
Trained at major Northwest wineries
WINERIES I’VE HELPED BRING TO LIFE
Amanda, Kustlijn Cellars
THE REWARD
Watching something you created come alive.
THAT’S THE WHOLE REASON I DO THIS.
FROM SOIL TO CELLAR
The Process.
Every engagement is different, but good wine follows an order. This is the arc and I’m on it with you from start to finish.
WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER
Four ways to collaborate.
There’s a lot of overlap, and we’ll find the fit that matches where you are and how much help you actually want.
The A-to-Z Winery Build
Retainer Consulting
Strategic Counsel
Winery Rescue
FRENCH OAK BARRELS
Barrels from a French cooperage. Sourced by a winemaker who uses them.
Alongside consulting, I’m the regional sales representative for Tonnellerie Millet, a French cooperage near Saint-Émilion that’s been making barrels since 1952. When you’re ready to order, you talk to someone who actually tastes on these barrels, not a catalog.
TOAST & GRAIN GUIDANCE
SIMPLE ORDERING
WINEMAKER’S EYE
REGIONAL COVERAGE
ID
WA
OR
BC
ASK ABOUT BARRELS
START A CONVERSATION
Let’s talk about your wine.
The first conversation is on me. A chance to hear where you’re headed and see if we’re a fit. Tell me a little about your project and I’ll be in touch.
MichaelProut@guardianwineconsulting.com
Serving:
I’m based in Weiser and work with wineries across Idaho’s Snake River Valley and Eagle Foothills, from Payette to Boise, and in Washington’s Columbia Valley and Walla Walla.
Idaho · Washington · Oregon · British Columbia
Let’s chat it through.
Book a no-obligation call to walk through your project and figure out the right level of help.
WINE CONSULTATION CALL