Ernesto " Ernie " Fortino
For the love of wine and family
by Mike Sanchez photos provided by Fortino family
In July of this year , Ernesto “ Ernie ” Fortino , patriarch and founder of Fortino Winery in Gilroy , died at age 86 . He passed after a short illness , surrounded by his loving family . While death is a fate we all must face , and mourning the loss of a loved one is a painful , sometimes arduous journey , our final days represent our passing , not our past . When a community of friends and family lose someone who ’ s lived a long and colorful life , we are given the opportunity to reflect on and celebrate how they lived .
Ernie Fortino was born on January 23 , 1936 in Calabria , Italy . In 1959 , at the age of 23 , he immigrated to the United States in search of a better life . Ernie did not speak English . His initial job prospects were limited to vineyards and canneries , work he gladly accepted . Ernie met his bride-to-be , Marie , in Santa Cruz , where both families lived , and put a promise ring on her finger , ensuring their future . In 1964 the two married . The rest was history … in the making .
In 1970 , Ernie and Marie purchased a vineyard on the westside of Gilroy that was reminiscent of their homeland . On the property stood a dilapidated shell of a winery that had been closed for several years . The couple worked night and day to repair and restore the winery and craft their first vintages . Their children Teri and Gino were right beside them , if not at times , underfoot .
Ernie continued to operate the winery until his retirement in 1995 . Along the way he made wise decisions regarding operations , wine making , and vineyard management as well as intelligent investments and long-term planning to provide for his family and create the platform for generational success . Ernie combined wisdom of the craft , high standards , and love and care for his family in true patriarch fashion . During this time he also created one of Fortino Winery ’ s most beloved wines , Maribella – or “ beautiful Marie ” named in honor of the love of his life .
Upon his retirement , daughter Teri and son Gino , by this time both veterans of the family business , took the helm . Gino expanded his role to include overseeing all daily operations , and Teri helped expand the winery ' s reach through marketing ideas and an ambassadorship to the community . Together , this second generation ushered in the “ next generation of fun ” --a tagline created to help introduce wine tasting to a wider audience . It proved successful .
In the years since , Fortino Winery has not only continued the legacy Ernie and Marie established , it has far exceeded the definition of success and modeled what a multi-generational family business should look like . Spouses Craig ( Teri ) and Jill ( Gino ) have worked tirelessly in all phases of the family business , as have Ernie and Marie ’ s grandchildren Nick , Kevin ( Gino and Jill ), and Austin ( Teri ).
By the mid 70 ’ s Ernie and his family were running a thriving winery business and producing wines from the original vineyard which consisted of Cabernet , Zinfandel , Carignan , and Grenache grapes . Ernie and Marie purchased additional acreage up the road in San Martin in 1979 , expanding their vineyards to 50 acres and adding Chardonnay , Riesling , Pinot Noir , and Charbono grapes .
By this time , Ernie ’ s Ruby Cabernet received Double-Gold honors at the Los Angeles County Fair , which led to a New York Times article about the winery . Ernie and Marie had also started one of the earliest wine clubs in California with a desire to offer discounts and special events to their loyal customers .
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