Apri la Storia
Open the Story
Barbara Fitzgerald,
Italian Wine Ambassador,
WSET Level 3
Per amore del vino. For the love of wine.
Nice to meet you! Hopefully, you learn a bit more about me here. To learn more about the services I offer, navigate in the menu bar.
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I'm an Italian-American whose family is among the California wine industry pioneers – my great-grandfather (an immigrant from Tuscany) obtained the 4th Winegrower’s license in the state; my family has operated their own winery since 1934, for a time they owned one of the largest import and distribution companies in the US, and I currently own and operate a small wine production and import company with my husband. Suffice it to say, Italian and Californian wine and culture is a part of me down to the very core.
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I was born and raised in San Francisco (Go Giants!) and was quite fortunate that my Italian family remained deeply committed to their language and culture -- life was about the table (and the people sat around it); food was (is) love and wine makes food better. Everyone in my family was involved in the business from a young age -- whether it was loading delivery trucks in the warehouse, answering phones in the office, or filling out order forms by hand before everything was digitized. Wine was certainly something to be enjoyed; but for me, wine has truly given me a meaningful life.
I love the Direct to Consumer sector because I believe it's both where deep connections and change begin. After all, at the heart of wine is community and innovation. Armed with a lot of heart and lifetime of living in the industry, I decided to build a career outside of my family’s legacy. Over the past 15+ years, I have lived and breathed Direct to Consumer Marketing and Strategy, helping wine brands find exponential increases in revenue, brand awareness, and customer base. I combine my years of experience with critical thinking, data analysis, creative ideas and a penchant for storytelling.
On the topic of change, I'm also deeply committed to increasing sustainability in agriculture and production, and equity, diversity and inclusion throughout the industry. I love identifying ways to bring the values of both ESG and DEI into your brand, for the sake of holding ourselves accountable to the ideals that make us not just a better industry, but a better society. What are some areas we can do this? More sustainable farming practices, minimizing carbon footprint, and creating opportunities for minorities to have more leadership roles (to name a few).
I currently live most of the time in Sonoma County, spending a few months of the year in Puglia, Italy. Aside from wine, I love running, dinner parties, reading, Wordle, dates with my husband, podcasts, and experiencing cultures around the world.