Mike’s is a seasoned hospitality, wine, and beverage industry professional and a great asset to the Ray’s team. He’s spent years at many acclaimed Seattle restaurants running wine and beverage programs, handling operations, managing and more, as well as careers selling wine both in Seattle and in Napa, California.

Born in Vancouver, B.C. his family moved to Bavaria, Germany when he was 6 years old. They settled in Seattle when he was 12 and he’s been here since (except for a couple years back in Germany when he was in his early twenties). While in college pursuing a degree in commercial photography, he started in the hospitality industry. After a few fine dining gigs, he got the wine bug and didn’t look back. In the last 30 years he’s run wine shops, sold wine at the distributer level and worked as a regional sales manager for a large California winery. Eventually he found himself back in the restaurant business working as a sommelier and restaurant manager.

Mike’s favorite wines tend to be old world with favorites being Riesling for white and Pinot Noir for red. He loves a good gin martini, lemon twist no olive! And his favorite cocktails are a classic rye old fashioned and sazeracs.

When not working he enjoys skiing in the winter and living his best country club life in the other seasons playing golf and tennis. He likes to cook and makes a mean carbonara. Travel is another love of his with New Orleans being an annual destination.