The grandsons were Ernie ’ s pride and joy . While his eyes sparkled at the mention of his wines and talk of the old days , he beamed with a special kind of pride when speaking of his grandsons . For the grandsons , now grown men of good character and work ethic , the love was always mutual and always accompanied by the highest respect for their “ Nono .”
These days , grandson Nick is active in daily operations alongside his father Gino . Kevin is onsite for special events and most weekends . Austin manages the wine club , and assists in the tasting room and other tasks . Like Teri and Gino , this third generation of the Fortino family has embraced the business . All are working hard to expand Ernie ’ s legacy .
In many conversations with Ernie over the years , I relished the opportunity to get him talking about his family . The conversations started with specific points : the winery , its history and the progress under Teri and Gino , etc . Inevitably the conversations would shift as Ernie , beaming with pride , began to smile that joyful smile and repeat one single word , over and over , as he called out his family members by name , “ Beautiful !”
For Fortino Winery , the ‘’ next generation of fun ” tag line served its purpose . Now , under the “ next generation of Fortino ” the vibe I feel is “ radiance .” Ernesto Fortino did two things well : he raised a wonderful family , and made good wine . His legacy lives on . When I visit the winery today , as I have done many times over the years , I see Ernesto ’ s family , working together , and building a beautiful future . Nono is beaming with pride .
Top Left : Ernie with hands on , and in , the harvest , circa 1970 . Lower Left : Ernie on the bottling line , circa 1980 . Above : Three generations of Fortino family , December 2021 . Right : Ernie and Marie against the backdrop of the vineyards and winery they founded in 1970 with little more than passion and a dream — all that ' s needed to build a lasting legacy .
gmhtoday . com gmhTODAY Magazine FALL 2022 53