How did you get into the wine world?
On April 6, 2022, Forbes published an in-depth article about Breaking Ground, highlighting the program, how it began, and what we hope it will become. You can read the article here, which was written by Jillian Dara, but because you can only fit so few people in one article (that article featured two of our ambassadors), we wanted to share how our other farmer ambassadors responded to the questions Jillian asked our farmers. In this five-part series, you’ll find the questions that Jillian asked our farmers, and you’ll get to hear from the farmers who responded to them. You’ll also see them in both English and Spanish. We hope you’ll enjoy getting to see some of the making of Breaking Ground, and that afterward, you’ll join us in raising a glass to those who grow our grapes.
How did you get into the wine world?
Jaime Gonzalez: The desire to work and survive in this country.
Miriah Falce: Growing up in the heart of Washington wine country, I never imagined it would be an industry I would find myself a part of. Coming off a biomedical sciences degree, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my chemistry and microbiology knowledge could be cross-applied to winemaking and was instantly intrigued with the idea of working in a wine lab.
Across the board, whether it’s vineyard or winery, I’ve started to realize most people have this “Aha!” moment where the sparks fly and you just know this is what you’re meant to do. During my first harvest in 2017, I watched the sunrise as the first pick of Chardonnay came in and I was in pure awe. That’s when I knew I wanted to be a winemaker. Spring of 2020, the world had gone quiet and I was sitting on my 4wheeler in complete silence between rows, listening to the hawks above me, and that’s when I knew I wanted to be in the vineyards as well.
Bernadette Gagnier: I ended up in the wine world, by what I consider a total fluke. I spent five years in the Marine Corps, that was my “grow-up” phase. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life before the military, and I thought I would get it figured out during those five years. I still had no idea what I wanted to do, but I thought, ok if I don’t know what I want to do I should help people, so I threw myself into nursing, was a nurse assistant and only had a few more prerequisites before applying for nursing school. I was so unhappy. I realized I didn’t want to do something I didn’t love for the rest of my life and decided to make a drastic change.
I realized I didn’t want to do something I didn’t love for the rest of my life and decided to make a drastic change.—Bernadette Gagnier
I google searched “plant science degrees in Washington State” I came across the Viticulture and Enology Program at Washington State University and remembered a kid told me about it on the bus in high school, so I looked into it further and went for it. I dropped a class I was in on July 7th, toured the campus on July 13th and classes started August 16th. I picked up and moved across the state and started something completely new based on a google search and gut feeling. It was the best decision I ever made, and I have never regretted it. I knew right away I gravitated towards the vineyard side of things.
Brittany Komm: It was a curiosity that started way back in high school. Too long of a story to tell on here I will say, I have my Mom and the FFA program to thank for sparking the original interest.
Sadie Drury: For me, I’m in the vineyard world, not the wine world. Wine is the fun end-product created from farming grapes. The two worlds are definitely connected with a fair amount of overlap. I think it’s important that winegrowers understand the process of making wine and different varietals and styles in order to grow the best grapes for winemakers. Ultimately, it was my love of agriculture combined with my interest in wine that led me to pursue a career in viticulture.
Rosanna Lugo: I started volunteering at PepperBridge winery about 5-years ago and met this great, handsome man by the name of Norm McKibben. He approached me to come work for him up at Seven Hills Vineyard in 2013 and I have been here since. It has been the most rewarding job I have ever had and I am honored to work for Sadie Drury and her crew.
Jay Itote: It started with helping my father install a large grape arbor in our backyard as young boy. I grew up in a small community in Pennsylvania that was surrounded by Mennonite, Amish, and Quaker farmland. That prepared me for a life of farming. I supported my three farming enterprises by working as a well-paid civil engineer. I’m on my third farm with our current vineyard.
Ultimately, it was my love of agriculture combined with my interest in wine that led me to pursue a career in viticulture.—Sadie Drury