In May of 1975 I graduated from the Viticulture and Enology program at UC Davis and took a position as Assistant Winemaker with the Taylor Wine Company in Hammondsport, NY.
At 23 years old, I assumed total winemaking responsibility for Taylor, producing six million cases of table, dessert, and sparkling wines. When Coca Cola bought Taylor and neighboring Great Western Winery in 1977, I was promoted to Senior Winemaker in 1980, and in 1985, took on the added responsibility as Technical Director for Taylor/Great Western and Gold Seal Winery.
In 1986, I left Taylor and made the transition to Senior Winemaker for the Canandaigua Wine Company of Constellation Brands responsible for all production of table, dessert, and sparkling wines namely Wild Irish Rose, J. Roget Champagne, Arbor Mist and technical liaison to Constellation’s burgeoning family of wineries.
After 22 years as a “Corporate” Winemaker, I saw the future in the growth of farm wineries and started my own consulting business in 1997. Since that time, I applied what I learned working for large wineries to helping new winery owners and winemaking students tackle their own challenges in the winery business, helping to start over 30 farm wineries in that time.
I also taught online basic and advanced winemaking courses for VESTA (www.vesta-usa.org) through Missouri State University and Kent State University for 10 years.
Since 1975, I‘ve had the distinct honor of producing over 330 million gallons of wine covering table, sparkling, dessert, fruit wines, meads, and wine coolers.
I enjoy working with both new and established wineries, as well as home winemaking groups in the areas of new business development; education; and problem solving through one-on-one consulting; group seminars, and personalized winemaking courses.
I look forward to serving you, either through my free online classes, as a future winery owner, or perhaps in one of my regional winemaking seminars.
Here’s to you!
Dom Carisetti
TESTIMONIALS
"I have been associated with Domenic for over 6 years, and in that time I have never stopped learning from him. In fact, I have learned so much, and continue to do so, that I often say I am a lifetime student at Carisetti University! When I first met Dom, he told me that he specialized in fixing wine problems. The last six years have proven the truth of that statement. Although I have presented him with numerous problems, never yet have I presented him with a problem wine that he did not immediately recognize the problem, and more importantly, know how to fix."
"Dominic has been great resource for wineries / cider/ mead making facilities in our region. His ability to navigate to a balanced finished product, though Mother Nature’s ups and downs, highlights his in-depth knowledge in the industry. Dominic is also a wealth of knowledge in problem solving for the industry and I have used him many times as a sounding board for issues as they arise. I have seen firsthand his ability to jump start entry level businesses to streamlining mature ventures."
"Dom’s expertise and enthusiasm for winemaking has been central to the success of Grindstone Island Winery since its inception. Novices in the winemaking arena, my wife and I turned to Dom at all stages of our vineyard’s evolution and growth. From buying equipment to planning our annual harvests, Dom has been an unparalleled resource. We truly believe that his years of experience–along with his passion for the wine industry– make him a consultant truly in a class of his own. In addition to his extensive knowledge about the winemaking process, Dom is also a wonderful person. At Grindstone Island Winery, we are lucky to not only have gained a central member of our team, but also a lifelong friend."