Ideas in the Wild: What Michael Browne Learned Going from the Circus to Being a Celebrated Winemaker

5 min readNov 14, 2020

Intense, but elegant. Spirited, yet refined.

The complexities that describe Michael Browne’s wines describe his life experiences, too. With a tumultuous childhood and an adolescence filled with feelings of isolation, Michael joined the circus when he was twelve. By eighteen, he was a featured performer, fire-eater, unicyclist, high-wire walker, and trapeze artist. But it was during his work in the restaurant industry years later when Michael realized the simple beauty — and potential — of family and friends enjoying the perfect bottle of wine together.

Michael co-founded his first California winery, Kosta Browne, in 1997 with a few hundred dollars and the goal of helping people create meaningful moments with one another. In Pinot Rocks, Michael shares his journey and offers insight and inspiration for those who believe in the American dream and choose to never stop pursuing it. No matter the goals you set for yourself, this book will motivate you to follow your passions and turn your dreams into reality.

I recently caught up with Michael to learn what inspired him to write the book, his favorite idea he shares with readers, and how that idea has impacted his life and work.

What happened that made you decide to write the book? What was the exact moment when you realized these ideas needed to get out there?

I was encouraged by James Laube of The Wine Spectator to write my story a few years back. I had no idea how to do it. At that point my main ambition was to get my story in print for my family. I then met Tucker Max from Scribe Media and he also encouraged me to write the book. He helped in a very impactful way and walked me through the process. Pinot Rocks contains only a few of my stories, but they’re the ones that made sense to me for this book.

What’s your favorite specific, actionable idea in the book?

Hard work as the key to achieving the American Dream experience. I wasn’t a professional winemaker first. I didn’t receive training to make wine, or get a sommelier certification. I got into winemaking because I love the grape and what the grape made. Later, I chose to make a difficult wine because I thought I could. I don’t like to run with the main crowd.

If you open yourself up to the seemingly impossible, or the things that are difficult, it will be hard in the short term, but man, at least in my life, it was far more rewarding overall. I can’t tell you how many times I thought, “Wow, I never would have known if I hadn’t tried.”

What’s a story of how you’ve applied this lesson in your own life? What has this lesson done for you?

I think the main thing is a strong work ethic in all aspects of my life, which takes constant practice and dedication. It’s not always easy, but for this journey I’ve been on, it’s certainly been worth it. I’m always working hard, always learning, and it’s paid off for me so far.

When you have the kind of journey I’ve had to where I am today, you’re also thankful for the people who supported you along the way. I hug my wife and my kids and tell them I love them every day. I do my best to support my team in our business and work hard to be responsible for my position. I’m always moving forward, but I’m

Ideas in the Wild: What Michael Browne Learned Going from the Circus to Being a Celebrated Winemaker

Written by Mdsujoy