In January of 2023, Carolina Guerra’s long-held dream of becoming a winemaker became a reality when she was named the assistant winemaker here at MacRostie by her mentor, Winemaker Heidi Bridenhagen. For Carolina, it has been an interesting journey to reach this point in her career. A native of Franca-São Paulo, Brazil with a degree in Food Engineering, Carolina’s passion for wine has taken her around the world several times. She honed her craft in Australia’s Yarra Valley and in California at Kendall-Jackson, La Crema, and Sonoma-Cutrer, where she had the opportunity to work alongside acclaimed Winemaker Cara Morrison, who also mentored Heidi early in her career.

“I have been fortunate to learn from some amazing women winemakers. That shared knowledge and experience has been invaluable. It has shown me a path in the industry.” For Carolina, MacRostie is a dream job. “I love it here. Heidi is an amazing winemaker with an intimate, sensory-driven approach to winemaking. She has been a wonderful mentor. Working by her side, I am constantly challenged, and I learn something new every day.”

At MacRostie, Carolina works alongside Heidi throughout every stage of the winemaking process from the first fermentation to blending and bottling. “Making wine is a beautiful thing. I love it. There is so much going on at any given moment, and every year is different. Everything is on a one-year cycle, but every year is unique. There is always something new to learn.”

Carolina is dedicated to continuing to learn and grow, which is why she is augmenting her experience by working towards her Winemaking Certificate through UC Davis. She is particularly excited about her Viticulture for Winemakers classes. “Vineyard practices and sourcing the finest quality grapes is so important. It is at the heart of what we do here at MacRostie.”