Mackenzie Cecchi, Native Sacramentan, At Home in the Foothills

Mackenzie Cecchi is the third person to be featured in this continuing series of introductions to women in wine in the Sacramento area.

 

Mackenzie Cecchi, general manager/partner, Casino Mine Ranch, Shenandoah Valley, Amador County

When native Sacramentan Mackenzie Cecchi returned to her hometown following professional stints in the culinary arts, hospitality and wine in New York City and Napa Valley, she did not pause to take a breath, but continued to pursue those passions with the vigor and drive of an Ironman athlete, which she also happens to be.

With her husband Brad Cecchi, she opened the restaurants Canon in Sacramento and Franquette in West Sacramento. She became a principal of the Amador County winery Casino Mine Ranch. With three partners, she founded From Scratch, an educational and networking collaboration to help entrepreneurial women fulfill their aspirations. She laid the foundation for the Sierra Foothills Wine Collective to improve wine quality and wine marketing among member wineries.

After New York City and Napa Valley, what has been the biggest cultural shock of getting established in Amador County?

I’d say it’s the reverse of culture shock. It’s been a delight. Coming home has been wonderful, and to discover this wine region that isn’t like Napa Valley, which is internationally known and always busy, is a real treat. It is really nice to be in a place that feels more down to earth, and not caught up in Napa Valley prices.

With From Scratch, you help women succeed in business; what is holding back women from the wine trade?

In my experience, I don’t see that. Our winemaker Jessica Tarpy Shaheen and I have been lifted much by our partners. They believe in us, and let us do our work. A lot of wineries in the foothills are women led, or are part of a husband-and-wife team. It feels really balanced.

What gap is the Sierra Foothills Wine Collective trying to bridge, and how?

We are simply showcasing the fruit, wines and people from like-minded wineries in Amador and El Dorado counties. We want to bring awareness to the Sierra foothills as a whole. People don’t know what Amador and El Dorado are. We’ve done consumer events in Sacramento and Napa.

You have suggested that additional grape varieties be planted in the foothills; what are they?

We just grafted rootstock to Syrah, Nero d’Avola, Carignane and Aglianico. Italian varieties do so well in our region because of our diurnal swing, the temperature extremes between daytime highs and nighttime lows. And we had some Sauvignon Blanc that wasn’t turning out as we had hoped, so we grafted it to Greco di Tufo, but we can’t call it that (because of label regulations). We call it Flicka, the name of the German Shepherd that our founder Simone Vanophem Shaw had when she bought the property in 1936. (At last week’s Foothill Wine Fest competition in Folsom, the 2021 Flicka was elected best-of-show white wine.)

How do you handle the tasting-room guest who is drenched in cologne or perfume?

In our employee handbook, employees are not allowed to wear scent, but we haven’t encountered that among guests. That’s a hard one. You never want to turn people off. My first thought is to see if they would like to sit outside before pointing out that their scent is strong.

Do you provide tasting-room guests with spit cups?

We do. We have some beautiful ceramic spittoons specially made for our tasting room by Echeri Ceramics in Sacramento. We didn’t want to put metal bins in front of people. We wanted something to feel heavy and thoughtful, and gave Echeri our dream. It’s little things like that that set us apart.