L'Italo-Americano

O n e , t w o , t h r e e l i v e s , across many wine regions a n d t h e m o t h e r l a n d . S i m p l y p u t , Lorenzo Forbice is "the m a n w h o r e m o v e s s m o k e taint from wine after fire seasons." However, his life has been much more than wine. After an early career in physical therapy, Lorenzo changed path and started working for winemakers in Europe, South America, and t h e U S . A s f o r h i s Californian life though, it didn't start until three years ago. When he got a job offer in Sonoma County, he did not know much about the Golden State, the people, a n d t h e l o c a l l i f e s t y l e . Nevertheless, together with h i s w i f e , J e s s i c a , a n d h i s s t e p - d a u g h t e r S v e v a , h e moved to the US and quickly fell in love with everything. We visited Lorenzo on a sunny day in his house up in the valley. It felt like a farm- to-table food experience: homemade pasta, porcini m u s h r o o m s f r o m I t a l y , zucchini from his backyard, to pair with a bottle of wine that he and his wife made. A w h o l e l u n c h e x p e r i e n c e talking about wine, life, and much more. Lorenzo, what's your p e r s o n a l s t o r y b e f o r e California? I was born in Padua and moved to Belluno soon after. I come from a family of five, with two amazing parents f r o m w h o m w e l e a r n e d many things. My sister has a disability, and our parents taught us the importance of b e i n g s e n s i t i v e t o w a r d s a n y o n e d i f f e r e n t o r w i t h different needs. One of their biggest lessons that still has an impact on my life is that, w h i l e w e d o h a v e a l l t h e f r e e d o m w e w a n t , e v e r y c h o i c e w e m a k e h a s consequences on others and other things. Not making a choice is a choice itself. You can be lucky in life, however, you need to take advantage of these opportunities. If y o u s t r i k e l u c k y a n d y o u choose not to do much with it, nothing will ever happen. Y o u r l i f e h a s c o m e w i t h m a n y s u r p r i s e s . Who is Lorenzo from a p r o f e s s i o n a l p e r s - pective? I h a v e a l w a y s b e e n p a s s i o n a t e a b o u t s p o r t s . A l t h o u g h m y p a r e n t s wanted me to get a degree in Economics, I chose to attend t h e C o l l e g e o f P h y s i c a l Education. I was interested i n h e l p i n g p e o p l e d u r i n g physical rehab and, as soon as I finished my studies, I d e c i d e d t o i n v e s t i n t o a rehab studio, including a gym for physical therapy. In t h e m e a n t i m e , I m e t a n Italian doctor who offered me the opportunity to join his team during surgery and learn all about their job. I used to spend my mornings with them and my evenings taking care of my patients in t h e r e h a b s t u d i o . T h i s allowed me to understand more about what patients go through before and after the s u r g e r y . W h e n m y f a t h e r passed away though, things c h a n g e d a g a i n : I s t a r t e d helping a friend with wine a n d I r e a l i z e d I h a d t h e same passion and dedication I u s e d w i t h m y p a t i e n t s . That's when my second life started. T e l l u s a b i t o f t h i s transition from rehab to wine… By working with wine, I r e a l i z e d I w a s u s i n g t h e same approach I had with m y p a t i e n t s . I w a s f u l l y dedicated to each client, the winemaker, and its wine. My p a s t i n t h e m e d i c a l f i e l d influenced my attitude and I k e p t u s i n g t h e s a m e a p p r o a c h t o w a r d s w i n e , b a s e d o n s t u d y a n d r e s e a r c h . I u s e d m y o w n machinery to understand w h i c h t e c h n o l o g y w o u l d best help my client. I then started traveling to the US and California, and did not stop for 20 years, attending local fairs, conferences, and also studying. What made you take a turn altogether? I met some people who became my mentors in the US, especially for research and development. However, Before getting into wine, Lorenzo Forbice trained as a physical therapist (Photo courtesy: Francesca di Marco) THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY Lorenzo Forbice, the Italian saving wine from smoke during fire season SERENA PERFETTO Continued to page 32

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