Silvia Coati joined the Farina winery in 2021, when the Farina Wine Boutique opened its doors to wine enthusiasts. For us, it seems like she’s always been here.
How did you get started in the wine business?
I was a 25 year old mother when I began sending my resume to local companies that would allow me to find a good work life balance. Living in an area surrounded by vineyards meant sending it to wineries too. My fluency in English and German sealed my first job offer in a winery, and I fell in love with the business from my first day on the job.
What made you fall in love with the wine business?
People. My first position was in sales, but I found my calling in hospitalitr. I love being with people, I take pleasure in meeting new people every day, and I have never lost that passion. I am proud to have made many friends through wine. Wine is a cultural pursuit and I am proud to share my knowledge and passion through the thousands of people I’ve met during tastings and winery visits.
An export manager can travel around the world selling wine, but I like to think that what me and my team are building at the winery day by day, plays a huge role in building the notoriety of the Farina and their wines. We hope that each guest feels at home with us, and leaves remembering the greatness of the experience as much as the wines.
Did you love wine when you began?
No, I hardly drank wine before I began working at a winery, even though I grew up here. Ever since, I’ve never stopped learning about wine, from tasting courses to wine studies.
The more I know, the less I realize I know, and the more I appreciate about the bottles I open and the stories behind each wine.
What makes working at the Farina winery so special for you?
The best way I can describe it is that you almost don’t know where the Farina family begins and ends. We all feel part of something bigger, and day by day I give my all to arriving at the pinnacle of a project that began twenty years ago when Elena and Claudio took rein. We enjoy working together, we believe in what we do and I think our guests perceive the positivity during their visits.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Oh, it’s hard to make forecasts, but I can say that hospitality is in my DNA. We are in one of the most fascinating wine regions in the world, and I would like to be a leading voice in building the quality of hospitality in Valpolicella. In the span of just two years, Farina is already becoming a benchmark for the quality of our winery experiences and there are great things to come.
