Great wine doesn’t happen by chance, it’s shaped by the people behind it. In Part 2 of our four-part series, we continue pulling back the curtain to introduce the individuals who bring our wines to life. From long harvest days to lasting inspirations, our winemakers share what drives them, what still surprises them, and what keeps their passion for wine alive year after year.
MEET WINEMAKER, MARC PIRO
What first sparked your love for wine and when did you realize it could become a career?
There was no spark for wine, it was initially a spark for flavor. Early on I learned to enjoy exotic foods, ingredients and flavors. The love of flavor led me to wine.
Harvest season: adrenaline rush or controlled chaos? (Or a bit of both?)
Harvest season is great if you are able to stay one step ahead of the chaos; a back up plan is usually required though.
What’s something about the wine industry that surprised you once you were on the inside?
I was surprised that someone actually made a decent dolcetto that was enjoyable to drink, but it turns out it was actually a nebbiolo.
If you could spend a month drinking your way through one Old World wine region, where would you go and why?
I would drink and eat in Barolo for the winter, then go to Burgundy for the summer.
Do you have a personal or “secret” wine project outside of your day-to-day winemaking?
My own brand, Piro Wine Company, is no secret. But within my brand I have a cool project going on. I procured some Mondeuse cuttings that my friend planted at his mom’s homestead in the Los Padres Forest. The vines are planted at 5,000 feet, own-rooted and head trained. 2023 was the first harvest of these grapes, the wine turned out to be exquisite.
What’s your guilty pleasure food?
Guilty pleasure food is an Old Fashion Hot Dog (dog with burger fixins) from Charlie’s in Los Alamos.
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