Paola Sordoni, Neighbor

My passion for wines started years ago while I bartender. I had the opportunity to try some of the most amazing wines from the best vintages. I was especially captivated by powerful red wines. Some of my favorites included a 1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia and a 2001 Peter Michael Les Pavots. Then, my passion for wine rose to a new level after I took my first trip to Napa Valley, CA. I learned quite a bit about the wine making process while enjoying fantastic wines in unbelievable settings. I fell in love with some of the vineyards and the whole Wine Country scene, so I decided to take the next step and start making my own wine! I knew I wanted to make a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon blend (my favorite style), so I had try to Cabernet samples from all over Napa Valley to pick the perfect vineyards for my project (it’s rough work, but somebody had to do it!). I also hired a top-notch winemaker who works focuses on Napa Cabernets and works with boutique producers. We agreed on a vision and put together a plan, and JuneRay Wines was born!

My pre-wine life started in Brazil, where I was born and raised. When it came time for college, I decided to move to the U.S., hoping to learn a third language and get a great education. After graduating from Roger Williams University, I moved to NYC to work in the financial industry. While there, I also studied Digital Media Marketing at NYU. Today, I live in Darien, where my husband and I are raising our beautiful 1-year-old daughter. When I’m not taking care of her, I’m usually working on my wine business, blogging about wine, or looking for the next great bottle for our cellar!