Meet Mike McLoughlin, our General Manager

A brother to seven sisters, Mike McLoughlin was bound to seek out open spaces and a great glass of wine. After more than twenty years of working as the general manager, he certainly feels like family at Whitehall Lane. With education from Saint Ignatius College Prep of San Francisco and UC Berkeley, and a heap of experience, Mike joined Whitehall Lane Winery only days after Tom Leonardini purchased the winery.

While he can always be found in his favorite place – Dean Sylvester’s office – trying out one, or three, of the newest blends, Mike is continuously involved in production, sales and marketing with Tom Sr., Tom Jr, and Katie Leonardini. His position as general manager gives him the opportunity to work with everyone at the winery, as well as the winery’s customers and distributors. It was the wine that brought him to Whitehall Lane, but it’s the people that that keep him here.

Along with Mike’s passion for the people, he has an in-depth knowledge of the wines and has been around to watch them evolve. He started working at Whitehall Lane during the sale of the 1988 vintage reds, but it was the 1995 vintage Reserve Cabernet that really “wowed” him. Mike coins that vintage as the wine that showed him that Whitehall Lane had arrived as a great Napa Valley cabernet producer.

Before coming to work with the Leonardini family, Mike was no stranger to vineyards. His winery career started at a small winery where he worked both in the office and the cellar. With a little experience, he moved on to working in a lab of a large winery. These two very different experiences helped give Mike a well-rounded resume that comes into play every day at Whitehall Lane.

Some of Mike’s other loves include the San Francisco Giants, tattoos, great meals with his wife, and his new fall interest, the 2012 Merlot. This could not have come at a better time, as Napa Valley celebrates #MerlotMe throughout the month of October.

Even after twenty years, Mike’s passion for Whitehall Lane Winery hasn’t died. With great people making great wine, there’s always fun to be had at Whitehall Lane. Find out more about events at the winery where guests enjoy and share wine in an approachable environment.

The next time you’re at Whitehall Lane, be sure to toast to Mike and his commitment and persistence to create incredible wine.