Adorato Wines
Get the Dirt from owner/winemaker Kristin Fione
“To me, the central coast is the best place in the US for winemaking. The climate is mostly mediterranean, which lends to growing many varietals. The warm days help the grapes ripen, and the cool nights ensure the growing season is long. It’s special because everyone there loves the region, is invested in the wine community, and is so friendly.”
What was your first vintage year? 2020
How many cases do you make per vintage? About 150.
Do you have a Tasting Room? Not at this time.
Who is your winemaker? I am the owner and winemaker.
What wine made you want to become a winemaker/start your own winery?
Grenache Blanc – I wanted to address people who don’t like white wine because they have only had what’s available at the grocery store, mostly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
What varietals do you work with?
I work with Grenache Blanc, Albarino, Chardonnay, Grenache, Syrah, Viognier, Sangiovese, Riesling, Cabernet. I enjoy making Albarino because it’s so versatile. But it’s also so crisp and refreshing and pairs well with Summer foods or just a warm day pool side. But as long as you monitor the numbers, you know what type of wine you are getting, which is comforting as a winemaker. Grenache Blanc is similar, and I also love making it. I call it the most unoffensive wine you can try. It’s so friendly in the glass.
What vineyards do you source from?
Riverbench, Tierra Alta, Laird, and a few private estates in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. A new vineyard – Rock Farm in LA county.
What type of oak treatment do you use?
Mostly neutral oak. I don’t like to interfere with what the wines are supposed to be. I love stainless steel for whites. 2023 was my first year making Cabernet, and I will probably give it a little new French oak treatment this year.
What do you love about your winemaking region? What makes it different special?
To me, the central coast is the best place in the US for winemaking. The climate is mostly mediterranean, which lends to growing many varietals. The warm days help the grapes ripen, and the cool nights ensure the growing season is long. It’s special because everyone there loves the region, is invested in the wine community, and is so friendly. So many winemakers have talked me through any issues or questions I have.
What’s the story behind your winery name / label?
My family is the most important thing in my life. So when if came to the name and label, I had to center it around my grandparents. My grandmom was born in Italy and raised in Luxembourg. She spoke multiple languages and was my hero. I spend summers with her watching soaps and waiting for her to open the drawer with the Hershey’s chocolate. But their love story – meeting while my grandfather was marching through Luxembourg on his way with the 4th Armored Division to Czechoslovakia, then once there, requesting the supply route, and going back to visit my grandmother who was working for the Red Cross during the war. The last time he left her, he told her he’d be back for her after the war.
The label is a line drawing my father, their son, did of their wedding photo from July 4th 1945 in Luxembourg. They then relocated to Philadelphia and those are the roots of my family.
What’s the one thing you wish someone had told you about the wine business before you started your own winery?
You should have more money and more time than you think! That it’s 90% cleaning, and after a long day processing grapes, it’s the best sleep you will ever get!
Most importantly, what's so great about being small? What can you do as a small winemaker, that wouldn't be possible for larger wineries?
I don’t have to manipulate my wines to taste a certain way. I can honestly tell people that my wines are low intervention and that they are not going to give them headaches or make them sick. Being small means I can still thank everyone who supports me individually and I can talk to my customers and get to know them.
How do you view the future in the wine industry for small-lot winemakers?
I have a lot of hope for the future of small-lot winemakers because I think there’s a market for unique and hand crafted wines. I think people are sick of over processed wines and they will start gravitating even more to small wineries.
If you could choose another wine region to work in what would it be?
Washington State. The reds coming out of there are stellar and I would love to work with that fruit given the chance.
For more information about Adorato Wines, please visit their website or follow them on Instagram.