Foppiano Vineyards Viticulture Team

Raul Guerrero (joined the team in 1975) ~ Paul Foppiano (joined the team in 1999)

It is impossible to separate these two highly motivated, and deeply passionate viticulturists who make up the Foppiano Vineyards viticultural team.

Raul Guerrero – In 1975, when Raul Guerrero was searching Northern California for a job to define his life, he accidentally stumbled onto Foppiano Vineyards (where his car ran out of gas). At that time, Louis M. Foppiano’s younger brother, Rod Foppiano, was in charge of vineyard operations for the Foppiano family, under the guidance of family patriarch,
Louis J. Foppiano.

Without any English, Raul managed to be hired on the spot. Raul says that all he could say was, “Yes” no matter what Rod asked. “Yes.” Can you prune? “Yes.” Can you drive a tractor? “Yes.” Can you harvest? “Yes.”

This union began during a pruning season. Giving Raul a pair of shears, it only took a few seconds to see that Raul had never done this work before. Rather than being frustrated, Rod Foppiano took Raul under his wing and patiently taught him every aspect of viticulture. As Raul mastered each lesson, Rod moved him forward to the next level of expertise, until Raul completely mastered the craft and became Rod’s partner in the vineyards.

In 1984, with Rod’s untimely death, Raul inherited the trust of the family and the complete responsibility of managing vineyard operations at Foppiano Vineyards. In time he was given the opportunity to hand down the lesson he had learned from Rod to Rod’s son, Paul. Although Paul Foppiano was not able to learn directly from his father, he still has vicariously been able to learn everything that his father had to offer through Raul, and so the bond is airtight.

Paul Foppiano – Paul was only nine years old when his father passed away. When Paul’s passion for viticulture first kicked in, he went to work with the Demostene Family at Sausal Vineyard. Third generation viticulturists, David and Ed Demostene were eager to share their vineyard knowledge with Paul. “At a time in my life when I was really eager to learn, they taught me a lot about farming, and I respect them tremendously.” It’s ironic and worth noting that both Giovanni Foppiano’s family and Manuel Demostene’s family emigrated from Genoa, Italy; and together in California, they continued their bonds of Genoa ancestry, heritage, and friendship.

In 1999, Paul decided to join the Foppiano Family vineyard operations in Healdsburg. At this point, along with what he had learned at Sausal, his craft had also been refined with Santa Rosa Junior College’s well-respected, viticulture program.

Joining Foppiano Vineyards was where a Renaissance for the family occurred. Like spring sunshine returning to a Northern California vineyard, a new generational chapter began the fifth generation of viticulture for Foppiano.

The balance between Paul and Raul is shared knowledge and tasks. Day-into-night tasks become divided. When one’s in the field, the other’s in the winery, but not before meeting each morning to decide what has to be done, and who’s going to do it. It’s a perfect balance of respect and knowledge. Their passion spans to each vine, and they intimately know the vine’s history, growth patterns, and needs.