The Alchemist and His Daughter at Nysa Vineyard

When Michael Mega planted Nysa Vineyard in the Dundee Hills more than 30 years ago, he knew good things would grow. His childhood spent propagating seeds and puttering with horticulture had bloomed into a determination to cultivate vines of the Burgundian varietals that captured his heart in early adulthood.

But a few years after Nysa was planted, a winsome baby girl named Leda arrived, and Michael’s heart was captured all over again. Tangled together in a childhood of tractor rides and harvest picnics, Leda and the vineyard grew up together. The place where she hunted for ladybugs and suckered vines became the place she came home to on college breaks and where she eventually held her wedding. 

Michael tended both his daughter and his vineyard as they grew together. He crafted stunning vintage after vintage, tucking away his favorite selections every year into Leda’s Reserve, always sourced from the fruit of his first plantings on the estate. As he shaped each vintage, he taught Leda the basics of winemaking and helped her cultivate her now-extraordinary palate.

Decades later, Leda was working in shipping logistics, but she couldn’t shake the pull she felt toward the red soil and the towering vines at Nysa. Year after year, she exhausted her supply of vacation days to spend more time at the winery with her dad, learning from his expertise and adding her own perspective. Finally, she took hold of the gift that had always been hers, joining her dad as his assistant winemaker and bringing her own strengths along with her. 

“I am amazingly proud,” says Michael when asked how he felt about Leda joining him at Nysa. “I wanted her to do whatever she wanted, and I hope I conveyed that to her. I was shocked and incredibly happy when she asked. But, I am proud of her no matter what, because she is an amazing person and teaches me to be a better person.”

Now, father and daughter work side by side in the winery. He brings the winemaking alchemy, and she brings the order. Together, they’re tending the vines, doing barrel blends, remembering the childhood days, and celebrating those still ahead.