Our Roots

Family is paramount to us. Ken’s great grandparents immigrated from Tuscany Italy in 1907. As a child, Ken developed a strong bond with his grandfather who loved to cook and remembers his grandparents’ Sunday Italian dinners vividly. He was especially fascinated by the Chianti bottles in straw that adorned the shelves in the dining room.

As an adult, Ken wanted to learn more about our family history. His ancestry research uncovered more details about his great grandparents. He learned that they were from Calcinaia, a small village in the Tuscany region of Italy. In appreciation of the sacrifices they made to come to America, Ken obtained Italian citizenship and donates part of his time to causes such as the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) dedicated to preserving the culture of Italy in America and where he serves on the Board.

We discovered we had relatives living in Calcinaia and in 2021, we traveled there with our three daughters and Kristin’s father to meet our new-found family. It was a joyous occasion.

The visit to our ancestral home combined with previous family vacations to wine regions in the Americas and Europe sparked the decision to make our own wine, pay homage to our Italian heritage and build a legacy for our children and future Reali generations.