Nate’s fascination with the unseen world of microbes began with a molecular microbiology undergraduate degree, studying the many and varied roles played by microbes in complex natural systems. Later in graduate school for environmental engineering, his attention turned to how we might be able to manipulate existing natural microbial systems to help us clean up some of the messes we humans make of the planet, such as contaminated groundwater aquifers or polluted stormwater. After a stint as a consulting environmental engineer, Nate decided to turn his attention towards what is possibly humanity’s oldest, and arguably best, intentional use of microbes - making wine.

Now with over 17 years of experience in winemaking, Nate is the winemaker for Troon Vineyard in the Applegate Valley of Southern Oregon. Nate helped Troon to become certified Organic and Biodynamic, as well as one of the first farms on the planet to also be certified Regenerative Organic - Gold. Philosophically, winemaking at Troon is viewed through a “natural” lens, with minimal cellar interventions and a goal of achieving real transparency of both grape and place. This requires a dogma-free approach of what a particular wine “should” be, and plenty of experimentation to learn how best to work with Troon’s indigenous yeast communities and assortment of over 20 grape varieties.

Nate is a continuous learner, and enjoys asking questions and problem-solving. He is excited with the recent progress being made to increase our understanding of the complex interactions in the microbial ecology of spontaneous wine fermentations, and feels that this research will ultimately revolutionize how we think about winemaking, and our roles as winemakers.