Gardens of Ferrari Carano
Contributed by Araceli Campos – I wasn’t introduced to wine until I immigrated to the United States. I was born and raised in Michoacán Mexico until I was 10 years old. Mexico is not known for producing much wine, though they do make it in the Baja Peninsula. Therefore, I had never seen a bottle of wine before – even though my dad worked in the vineyards of California. It wasn’t until I arrived in the US that I started seeing wine on the shelves in grocery stores, at special events, and holiday gatherings where some of my relatives drank wine.
When I was 11 my dad took us to the Ferrari Carano Winery (http://www.ferrari-carano.com/) where he worked. We visited the gardens first, and they were so beautiful, filled with colorful flowers and fountains. Then we went inside the winery to where they have the barrels and it all seemed very nice to me. I liked the smell of the barrel room.
As the years passed I would occasionally see my mom and dad drink wine. Finally the day arrived when I was old enough to taste wine. It was at a New Year’s Day family gathering in the Alexander Valley, and of course, the wine was a Ferrari Carano Chardonnay. It was delicious, and the thought of the hard work my dad put into the production of that wine made it even taste better!
I still feel that I have much more to learn about the wine industry and wines in general. I like the history behind it, the way it makes people feel important and sophisticated, the whole process of making wine , and the great amount of knowledge that is required to build a career within the wine industry. This is the beginning of my wine journey and I am looking forward to trying new wines and practicing my tasting skills so that someday I can blind test and know exactly what the grape varietals are.
Blog Master Note: Araceli is currently studying for her Bachelor of Science degree in Wine Business and Accounting at Sonoma State University.