I grew up with a split family personality and nowhere was the difference more evident than at Sunday dinner. 

My father’s family is German and stoic; dinner was quiet and reserved with my grandfather drinking his favorite beer. However, my mother’s Italian side was loud and jovial. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and kids packed into my grandparent’s house. My grandmother cooking all day and the house overflowing with the aroma of spices and sauces; the air thick with warmth and steam from the pots simmering on the stove. 

The family dinner experience revolved around the table, full of warmth, joy, and the magic that happens when everyone comes together. The adults laughing, telling stories, and arguing about politics while enjoying homemade wine from the cask in the basement. The kids at their own table, close enough to be under the watchful eye of the parents and also to witness the magical synergy that is created by love and family coming together over beautiful food and drink.

These experiences shaped me, and once out of college I gravitated towards people and a career with that same kind of vibrancy and camaraderie. Journalism allowed me to travel the world chasing exciting stories and witnessing events most people never get see yet, the best stories were the ones that were told amongst my coworkers and traveling companions around the table at the end of the day. It brought me right back to Sunday family dinners with the Italian side

of my family.

After almost twenty years at CNN I contemplated a career change. I realized that my life in journalism had been exciting but was also often sad and sometimes depressing. I had spent years helping to tell someone else’s story and not helping others to write their own.  

I moved to Walla Walla to start Trust Cellars with a desire to make wines that complement the great food and conversations we share around the table and the traditions, memories and stories created by these experiences.