The name of our wine Orentano, which is the small province in Tuscany from where our roots originated, was chosen to encompass our Italian heritage and embrace the true beginnings of family. My grandparents were born and raised there, before they immigrated to California. As a child living in San Francisco with my family, I have great memories of my father and grandfather making wine together. The
y would order wine grapes and then wait for the truck to arrive with their delivery. I remember how much I enjoyed helping with the winemaking process, and how my mother and grandmother would always cook a delicious meal for us after working with the grapes. These memories inspired me to create a similar scenario for my own children and grandchildren. I really wanted to be able to leave something of substance to my family; something that would create ties between our family’s roots in Italy and our life together in California. In the year 2000, I acted on intuition. It was the right time, when Melanie and I bought seven acres of rolling hills in Russian River Valley. We named it R. Buoncristiani Vineyard, and spent that first year researching and planning what grape varieties would be best suited to our microclimate. By the following year, we had planted six of our seven acres of Pinot Noir, and today we overlook well-groomed rows of vines with great satisfaction. In the back of my mind, I always had memories of spending summers in Santa Rosa at my grandparent’s ranch and through that experience of having made wine with my father and grandfather, I decided that besides growing grapes, I also wanted to make wine. This was not as far fetched as it seemed, since I had always made wine on an amateur level since 1980. However, this time iI would be making wine on a professional scale. Buoncristiani Family
Buoncristiani Family
The name of our wine Orentano, which is the small province in Tuscany from where my roots originated, was chosen to encompass my Italian heritage and embrace the true beginnings of family. Our Pinot Noir is elegant on the palate, yet still has a rich body and great mouthfeel. It is a very food-friendly, which complements nearly every meal. Orentano’s first vintage was in 2004, the first year I started making wine from R. Buoncristiani Vineyard. Our winemaker, Chris Demetre, was working for the co-op I was involved with; it was a collaborative group of four or five other grape growers. Eventually, I asked Chris if he’d make my wine exclusively, since I greatly respected his skill and ability. We have always been a close family, but Melanie and I have found that our vineyard and winery have allowed us all to connect on an even deeper level. In fact, my grandchildren love to follow me through the vines when I am working in the vineyard. As they play, I help them learn about the grapes and what the vineyard needs from us. Orentano wine is truly about family: past, present, and future. Ron Buoncristiani
