Mike Milat with family-owned Milat Vineyards (photo by Kenn Stearns)
We met the Milat family in 1984. Back then Mike had a day job and also sold grapes from the vineyards surrounding his modest home to the Napa Valley Cooperative Winery and other local wineries. Mike and his wife Carolyn started a bed and breakfast operation that their daughters helped with to save money for college. Peach trees in front of their home yielded fruit sweater than sugar. A couple years later they transitioned to vintners and opened Milat Vineyards.
Over the years we have maintained contact with the Milat family. We came to know Mike’s brother Bob and his wife Joyce. Our Texas-California connection was even documented by the CBS Evening News when Internet wine purchasing became briefly controversial. Their wine has been repeatedly recognized by The Wall Street Journal and you’ll almost always find a family member pouring in their tasting room on Highway 29, just south of St. Helena.
Mike Milat has a quick wit and an infectious smile. His down-to-earth talk about viticulture and life in Napa Valley is disarming, particularly for Monday morning oenologists. He’ll not hesitate to tell you where to go, even if it’s to a local restaurant. 
We still book a room when we can get in at the bed and breakfast. There’s always a bottle of Milat in our home.
