I always knew that food and wine were vital, with my mother being Italian and a good cook.

My path was simple: Follow your passion. Pour in your heart and soul. Settle for nothing less than excellence. And with enough hard work and faith in yourself, you can realize your dream.

We definitely need to get the excitement back.

Even more importantly, it's wine, food and the arts. Incorporating those three enhances the quality of life.

Wine to me is passion. It's family and friends. It's warmth of heart and generosity of spirit.

Whether I played marbles, whether I played football or slam anything else, I wanted to excel.

Wine to me is all about sharing.