Even at an early age, John had developed a love for farming. He remembers the turning point, when he was only three years old: he was in the garden with his grandfather, who picked and shelled some favas for him to eat. It was a visceral experience that immediately tied him to the land. The Chiarito Vineyard winery came about as an extension of what John was already doing; farming, gardening, and making prosciutto, bread and wine. It was nurtured and helped along by his family and other influential figures he met along the way, including Larry Pacini, Irece Anzilotti and his dad, Americo. The creation of this winery has given John a great connection to the land and an older way of life. It is a tribute to his parents, grandparents, and all of the friends who have taught and helped him.             John’s father, Americo, is first generation Italian American. His parents came to the U.S. in 1909 from Ginestra, a small village in southern Italy, and he was the first American-born child for the Chiarito family. Shortly after his birth, they returned to Italy, where his father fought for the Italians in WWI. Twelve years later they returned to America. After college, Americo enlisted in the U.S. Army to fight in WWII and was sent to the front in southern Italy. His first diary entry describes his arrival on Italian soil. They were immediately bombarded with mortar shells and, as the world was coming down all around him, Americo found himself standing in a fig orchard. All of the trees were filled with ripe fruit. Not knowing whether he was going to live or die, Americo climbed up into one of the trees and began to eat figs, as bombs continued to crash and explode all around him. This bittersweet story exemplifies his strong and sweet character. Today, Americo plays an essential role in the winery. He is John’s accountant; he helps bottle, label, garden and harvest. He is the whip cracker, and is often heard saying, “Is that all you got done today?” Mostly, he leads by example by working hard at the age of 94.             Ari Piretti Rosen claims, like most Italian sons, that his mother’s cooking is the best. From a very young age, Ari was rolling out fresh pasta, stirring polenta and helping his mother with other northern Italian delights, such as bagna cuada. Ari’s passion for cooking took him to Italy to cook for two years, then to Healdsburg’s Dry Creek Kitchen, and then to become Chef de Cuisine of Santi Restaurant. At Santi, he spent time curing meats with Dino Bugica and, occasionally, John Chiarito. Ari’s philosophy in life is similar to his style of cooking: to respect the timeless combinations of simple ingredients. Ari works with John at Chiarito Vineyard solely because of their similar philosophy in wine, food and life. He is passionately working to create new facets of the winery, including cooking classes, winemaker dinners and the Chiarito Wine Club. It is Chiarito Vineyard’s style of living, eating, and drinking that Ari hopes to share with as many people as possible.