What brought you to the wine industry?
I was born and raised in the Napa Valley when it was still known more for the state mental hospital than it was for great wines. My great, great grandparents came to the valley in the 1870’s so I am the 5th generation in Napa. The last family members in the farming profession were both great grandfather’s on my mother’s side. My great grandfather, George Mollo, had 12 acres of Zinfandel vines that he sold to Christian Brothers. My other great grandfather, Harry Young, was the ranch manager for the Hamilton Crabb’s To Kalon Ranch. The ranch is now majority owned by Robert Mondavi Winery and Andy Beckstoffer owns an 85 acre parcel (just look in the Wine Spectator and you will see many great wines coming from Andy’s parcel). When I was young, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents, Ernie and Ina Mollo, who had a 2 acre parcel with vines, fruit trees, and assorted fruits and vegetables. I was fascinated with anything that grew. I was also amazed at how manipulation techniques, such as grafting and pruning, lead to the ultimate result at harvest. I was lucky enough to attend a high school where they still offered farm and horticulture programs. I ended up trying fire fighting, landscaping, and horticulture before I made a decision to go into viticulture. I went through the horticulture program at Solano College and the viticulture program at Napa Valley College after which I found a position with Flora Spring Wine Company and Garvey Brothers Vineyard Management in Saint Helena in 1997. I left there 2 years ago to work in San Luis Obispo county at Niner Wine Estates.
What do you like about working in the wine industry?
I love working outdoors and with mother nature. I love being able to apply different viticultural techniques in the field to achieve a product that I love so much, wine. I love the differing nuances in wine from the different growing regions of California. I love the passion of the people in the wine industry. I love the interaction between nature and humans to create a product not intended by nature, but a natural product created and enjoyed by humans.
What is Niner Wine Estates farming philosophy?
Our farming philosophy is simply to make the very best wine possible. This starts in the vineyard because great wines start with great grapes! Our goal is to take a very un-natural situation like a vineyard and integrate it into the whole ecosystem so as to work with nature instead of against it. We are always trying new techniques in the field to improve fruit quality. We strive to be on the cutting edge of winegrape viticulture. Overall we want to preserve the land for future generations to use and enjoy while leaving it in better shape than we found it.
What does it mean to be SIP Certified?
SIP Certification means a great deal to us because our winery was the first LEED certified winery on the Central Coast. We were already farming sustainably, but we wanted to take that one step further through certification. This includes not only making sure the land is taken care of, but also our employees as well. Our biggest resource is our employees – without them our business would not exist. We make sure they are compensated well and that working conditions are optimal. We want them to enjoy their work thus equating to excellence in the vineyard. We do all of this while still being able to keep the business profitable.
What are a few of your proudest accomplishments?
My biggest accomplishment is being a successful farmer. I hope that my grandparents and great grandparents are looking down on me with approval. They are my benchmark. I only wish I could sit down with them and have in depth discussions about farming past and present. Also, I consider myself a perpetual student of farming. Continuing education and experimentation is extremely important to me. The best piece of advice I ever received was from my grandfather who said, “It is a poor day that you don’t learn something. The day you think you know everything you need to know about the business you’re in is the day you need to find a different line of work”. That is my motto for both business and life.
When you are not in the vineyard, what can we find you doing?
I love making homemade beer especially a good porter ale. I have been doing it for over 20 years. My love of fermentation and my love of growing things led me to viticulture. I am also a foodie. My wife, Michele, and I love exploring the restaurants of the Central Coast. We also love gourmet cooking at home for family and friends. We are always looking for the freshest ingredients for our cooking. Between all the farmer’s markets and local businesses, the Central Coast is a treasure trove of excellence.