From UT Tyler to Vineyard

University Alumnus Savors Success as Winemaker, Enologist

By Michael McClendon

UT Tyler Alumnus (2009, B.S. Biology)

Galileo once said, "Wine is water held together by sunlight." That sounds pretty magical, right?  Well, I'm inclined to believe Galileo and think that magic is just as powerful today. For me, wine can be so much more than just something that you think you should only drink when you're wearing your fancy shirt. It's an intricate concerto of science started by a farmer somewhere tending to his vineyard that concludes beautifully in a glass. 

I am a winemaker and enologist. An enologist is a wine scientist. I graduated from Van High School and was a Faulconer Scholar at The University of Texas at Tyler pursuing a bachelor’s in biology. I was nearing graduation, when I received a phone call from the department chair at the time, Dr. Don Killebrew. He asked if I wanted to do some research with him, and I thought, “Cool, that sounds good, and I could use some research hours.”

When I got to see him, I was informed that it wasn't with him, but at a winery here in Tyler. I agreed, starting as an intern and over a few years worked my way up to lead the wine production team there. During my tenure, we were able to grow and have a tremendous amount of success including being named the Top Texas Winery at the 2017 Houston Livestock show and Rodeo.

In February 2017, a partner and I started Sages Vintage in Nacogdoches, Texas. The facility is what is known as a custom crush winery, where we help new and established wineries with everything from special processes to complete wine production from grape to bottle. Sage's Vintage is the first facility of its kind located in East Texas. We started with 5,000 gallons and now handle over 20,000 gallons and counting. My career has taken me to all over the world including to New Zealand, where my analytical chemistry training allowed me to work in a laboratory with Pacific Rim Oenology Services. In addition to producing world class wines at Sage's Vintage, I have been named as a “Young Turk of Texas Wine” by Dr. Russ Kane; featured in the Dallas Morning News; and most recently on the cover of Wine and Spirits Magazine as part of their national collective of “Rising Black Voices” in the wine industry. 

A large portion of my success can be traced back to the College of Arts and Sciences at The University of Texas at Tyler. The faculty I had were among the best in their respective fields and were so accessible to the students that I probably took a little bit of it for granted. Hands off instruction in labs and lecture from professors like Dr. Neil Gray and Dr. Jim Koukl have and continue to help me to this day. It's comfortable to have conversations about yeast metabolic pathways and oxidative reactions thanks to being exposed to high-level science in my undergraduate years at UT Tyler.

In addition to wine production, we are working to better serve the wine industry with education and networking opportunities at our annual Sage’s Symposium. This year, we were able to host attendees from Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, California and Illinois. During the program, we were able to bring in the Department of Chemistry’s own Dr. Jordan Beaver alongside elite consultants like Tony Johnson of STI Consulting. 

I am proud of the direction that the University is going and the initiatives to partner with the Tyler and East Texas community. I see involvement in the form of trained professionals and strategic partnerships with UT Tyler in my community service roles at The Tyler Loop, Heritage Land Bank and the Discovery Science Place. I look forward to continuing my individual growth as well as seeing other Patriots soar to new heights.

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Photo credit: Hill Country Light Photography