After many years studying at the prestigious Lycee Viticole de Beaune in Burgundy, France, and working for esteemed French winemakers and vineyards, Michael Shaps made his way home to study the potential for winemaking along the East Coast. In Virginia he saw a developing wine industry with promising viticultural conditions and the opportunity to make a difference in a young industry. In 1995 he moved to Charlottesville and worked at Jefferson Vineyards for six vintages. While there he earned over a hundred medals in local and national competitions. In the June 2000 issue of The Wine Spectator he received three 87 point ratings for his Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, the highest average score of over thirty East Coast wineries. Michael Shaps continues to produce wines under his own label, Michael Shaps Wines. Shaps takes the winemaking approach of creating wines that are meant to age in the bottle and develop over time, therefore the wines are heavily extracted and oak aged. As a consultant, Shaps hopes to maximize each winery's unique strengths by highlighting the characteristics of the individual vineyard site and representing the winemaking philosophies of the individual wineries. With this approach Shaps has been able to consistently produce award-winning wines in an industry that is rapidly becoming a national player in the wine world.