Hi, I’m Fiorella—but most of you know me as Fio.

If you’ve visited us at the tasting room or joined us for anevent, you’ve probably seen me pouring your wine, running around making sureeverything is flowing smoothly, or maybe even with one of my kids—Felix andGianna, who are very much part of this journey too.

These days, I wear a lot of hats. I make the wines, run thebusiness operations that keep Rockbound moving, and manage the tasting room.But more than anything, Rockbound represents something deeply personal to me.

It’s a rebirth.

A chance to build something entirely new—something morefulfilling, more hands-on, and more connected to the life I want to live.

Where It All Started
Wine wasn’t always the plan.

I came to the Central Coast to attend Cal Poly San LuisObispo, which is what first drew me to this area. After graduating, I beganworking as a Contractor at NASA Ames Research Center, supporting the windtunnel division. What started as an internship turned into a 15-year career.

I worked as a business manager, handling finance, humanresources, procurement, and leading a team. It was structured, analytical, anddeeply mission-driven work. And while it may seem like a completely differentworld, that experience is something I lean on every day while runningRockbound.

Back then, my days looked very different. I wore heels towork and spent most of my time behind a computer, deep in spreadsheets.

Now, I live in Blundstones—and no two days look the same.

A New Chapter in Paso Robles
When we made the move to Paso Robles and purchased our 33-acre property in theAdelaida District, everything began to shift.

At first, it was just land. But as we cleared it and plantedthe vineyard, a vision started to take shape. One that felt exciting—but alsoincredibly risky.

I had never owned a business before. And I had never madewine.

So I did what I’ve always done when stepping into somethingnew: I went back to school. I enrolled in the UC Davis Winemaking Program tolearn the fundamentals and make sure this was something I truly wanted topursue.

That’s where I discovered how much I loved it—the balance ofscience and art. I’m someone who enjoys working with data, understanding thechemistry, and tracking the details. But I also appreciate the intuitive sideof winemaking—the part where you step back and let things unfold in the cellar.

Learning the Hard Way (and the Right Way)

In 2021, we made our first small batch of wine and partneredwith Alta Colina, a local, family-owned winery just down the road. Theirwinemaker, Molly Lonborg, took me on as an intern, and we were able to produceour wines through their custom crush program.

That first harvest? It tested me.

My back hurt. My hands were rough. I had never worked withpumps or large equipment before, and there were moments where I truly didn’tknow what I was doing. I remember walking around feeling completely out ofplace and thinking, what did I get myself into?

One day, I came home completely exhausted—with a bee stingon my lip and my hands stained deep purple from handling grapes all day. Iremember looking at myself and realizing those were my battle wounds. Proofthat I was out there doing the work, learning something new, and buildingsomething from the ground up.

And still, I kept going.

By my third harvest, the challenge looked different—but noless intense. I had a newborn to juggle alongside midnight harvests. It pushedme in ways I hadn’t experienced before, but it also showed me somethingimportant: that it’s possible to pursue what you love while building a familyalongside it.

And then, just last year, I found myself pregnant duringharvest—four months in, still out there doing the work, even stomping severalmacro bins along the way.

What’s funny is that in the beginning, I had never even useda pump before. It felt completely foreign to do pump overs on wine. But by theend of my fourth harvest, myself and the other women in the cellar had earned anickname—we became known as the “pump queens.”.

Each season asked more of me. And with each one, I grewstronger, more capable, and more certain that this was exactly where I wasmeant to be. The Moment It Became Real
There was one moment when everything came full circle.

We opened a bottle of our 2021 wine with someone who wasn’tfamily or a friend—someone with no reason to say anything other than what theytruly felt. They tasted it, lit up, and wanted to buy it on the spot.

After years of work—planting the vineyard, learning thecraft, making the wine, waiting—it all came together in that one moment.Someone experienced what we had created and wanted more of it.

That’s when I knew: I’m really doing this. I’m awinemaker.

Stepping Into My Own
Fast forward to 2025—that’s when everything shifted again.

We moved our production to a new facility, and I fullystepped into leading winemaking decisions for Rockbound. Around the same time,we opened our tasting room, creating a space to share these wines and thisstory directly with all of you.

It’s been an exciting and evolving process—one thatcontinues to challenge and inspire me every day.

Looking Back (and Ahead)
If you had told me years ago, while I was working at NASA, that I’d one day bemaking wine in Paso Robles, I wouldn’t have believed you.

But here we are.

Rockbound is more than a business—it’s a reflection of risk,growth, and the willingness to start over. It’s a family story, one that Felixand Gianna are growing up alongside every day.

And more than anything, I hope that as they grow up in thisenvironment, they see that you can do anything with your life—as long as youput your best foot forward and work hard for it.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

—Fio

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