Leading Ladies By Misty Hall
Caitlin Pianetta, woman winemaker
CA 101
Winemaking is where art and science meet patience and muscle. I’m sure there’s a fancier way to say that, but Pliny the Elder never hung out in Paso Robles. So picture the shrugging girl emoji, and pour us another glass. While you’re at it, ponder the fact that according to trade association estimates, just 10 percent of winemakers in California are women. In such a progressive state, how is that number so low? Interestingly, that’s not something winemaker Caitlin Pianetta spends much time thinking about. She mostly fills her days working in the vineyards, driving forklifts, and crafting luscious red wines for Pianetta Winery — and pouring at their downtown Paso tasting room in between. But yeah, the “woman winemaker” thing comes up sometimes, she admits. “My dad’s friend was on the crush-pad, I’m on the forklift, and this guy walks right past me to talk to my dad’s friend. He pointed at me and was like, ‘I’m just standing here, she’s the one you have to talk to!’” Caitlin laughed. Growing up with two brothers and veteran father, Caitlin was a self-professed tomboy for whom doing “guy stuff” never held a stigma. Some of her happiest memories as a kid were when her uncle would let her drive around on the tractor with him at their Bay Area family farm. Her father, John, had similar happy memories of farm life. While in college, he was drafted into the military as a Navy pilot in Vietnam, then flew commercially for many years. “But he always wanted to farm again,” Caitlin said. The old family farm consisted of row crops, however, and the industry was changing, so John went in search of something else — a permanent crop. A vineyard seemed like a good match. An aunt in Lodi had had a small vineyard, and John had once helped Caitlin’s uncle make some basic wines. The roots were there. 16
Winter 2019
Photo by Stephanie Austin Photography
Caitlin Pianetta takes a break amongst the barrels. california101guide.com