The
Vine
Written By Bev Stenehjem
Fortino Winery's
Rich History
T
he Fortino family story is a classic American Dream
story. Ernest Fortino was just 23 when he immigrated
from Italy to the United States from Italy in 1959. Not
speaking a word of English but looking for a better way of life
in America, Ernest eagerly accepted work in the canneries and
vineyards of Santa Clara Valley. By the early 1970s, he and his
wife, Marie, had started a family and established Fortino Win-
ery in Gilroy. They worked long and hard hours to make their
winery a success, and established one of the very first wine
clubs in California.
In 1995, they retired and passed the winery down to their
children, Gino and Teri. Gino’s strategic decision to obtain
wedding and commercial kitchen permits launched their busi-
ness to a whole new level—with weddings booked solid from
spring through fall.
Today, Fortino Winery has a total of 50 planted acres
including estate Merlot, Cabernet, Carignan, Charbono,
Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Noir. Their award winning
red blend, Maribella, is named in honor of Marie, the family
matriarch.
TODAY recently caught up with Gino, the Fortino
famil y winemaker, for the following interview:
gmh
What are the pros and cons of owning a winery?
How did you get started in wine?
With my mom and dad owning a winery, I’ve never worked
anywhere else. I have always worked here. Since we were little,
my sister, Teri, and I always did whatever needed to be done. After
finishing junior college in 1987, I started working here full-time.
I became the assistant winemaker and in 1995, Teri and I took over
the winery. I guess you can say I was roped into it. Now I think
maybe I should have done something else.
Do you have a degree in winemaking?
I learned to make wine by getting my hands purple. From a young
age I received on-the-job-training from my dad and his assistant
winemakers. I learned by doing.
What do you drink when you are not drinking your own wine?
I like Jack and Coke or tequila. When I can get it, my favorite is an
almond-flavored tequila; a south-of-the-border bootleg.
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
Some people say, “You’re so lucky, you must make millions of
dollars!” Which, of course, is not true. But, one of the pros is the
gratification of taking a simple grape and turning it into a wine that
people will like to drink. And for the cons—it is all the overhead
costs and regulations that take me away from making wine.
What has surprised you about being a winemaker?
The business side of winemaking brought the biggest surprise. There
is a lot more involved than the romance of making wine. You have
to run a winery as a business—complying with all the state and
federal rules and regulations—all because alcohol is supposedly
“sinful.” The bigger your business, the more it’s hit by government
agencies wanting to audit you for compliance. For example, the
state’s health department checks our drinking water because our
water comes from a well. It’s not a bad thing; it just requires a lot of
paperwork and time.
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018
gmhtoday.com