After spending a great deal of time at the Gambino winery, I knew I wanted to help import Gambino wines to the United States. You can imagine how thrilled I was to discover Francesco Raciti Gambino and I shared the same vision of expanding the reach of his family vineyard. Born in 1973 to Vittorio, who was a builder, and Maria, who was the oldest daughter of an Etna vintner, Francesco was no stranger to the inner workings of a vineyard. Growing up around her father?s vineyard, Francesco's mother developed a passion for cultivating grapes and working with the soil. After his parents married, they began to purchase land on Etna. Francesco, their youngest child, became fascinated with the wine world, but he first had to fulfill his duty to the state.