 Carolyn Craig believes life is an adventure and you create your future by having dreams. “Dreams become a reality when you create and accomplish your goals,” says Carolyn. Carolyn’s adventure has taken her on a journey from her family home in the small town of Fall River Mills, California, to the Sonoma Valley and the 70-acre vineyard that is home to Larson Family Winery founded by Tom and Becky Larson. Carolyn began college at St. Mary’s College of California in Monaga with the goal of owning her own business. However, she had grown up in an environment rich in agricultural and outdoor activities, and she began to realize that agriculture was really her passion and the focus from which to pursue her career goals and dreams. She transferred to Cal Poly State University and received a bachelor of science in agribusiness and a minor in wine and viticulture. “After I graduated from college, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do. I knew my goal was to get a job in the wine industry, but I couldn’t decide where I wanted to go,” remembers Carolyn. Her decision was made when a friend introduced her to Tom and Becky Larson at Larson Family Winery, and she went to work in the winery’s tasting room. Soon, Tom got Carolyn involved in doing vineyard sampling and lab testing which led to additional responsibilities - checking the Brix during fermentation; monitoring the wines; and training new lab personnel. Carolyn’s dream of being in the wine industry was coming true. She was learning by doing and learning by tasting. Today, Carolyn is the winemaker for Larson Family Winery and oversees the making of the winery’s award-winning, world class wines. “From my start in the lab to winemaking, I have learned a lot to improve my skills and knowledge from other winemakers, lab techs, seminars, workshops and classes,” explains Carolyn. “The majority of what I do has been learned through experiment and actual hands-on techniques.” Carolyn’s on-the-job learning has paid off in the creation of award-winning wines including the winery’s 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon which was awarded a double gold at the California State Fair. Larson Family Winery produces Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and Syrah. Tom and Becky Larson have been great mentors for Carolyn. Tom Larson and his father, Bob, planted Chardonnay grapes in 1977. The 40-acre block on the family ranch gradually led the family far beyond home winemaking. “When we made more wine than we could drink ourselves,” Tom recalls with a laugh, “we got serious.” In 1984, Tom earned a degree in fermentation science from the University of California Davis. Tom and Becky founded Larson Family Winery founded the same year. The winery had its first crush in 1988 and released wine in 1989 under the Sonoma Creek label. With Tom’s guidance, Carolyn continues to develop her winemaking style and philosophy. She realizes everyone has different tastes, so pleasing everyone is not her goal. Her goal is to make great wines that can be enjoyed and represent the area and the winery well. To achieve this goal is a team effort. “It takes teamwork to make a great wine,” stresses Carolyn. “The winemaker is like the conductor of an orchestra. Without a conductor, the orchestra is just a group of people trying to make music,” says Carolyn. “It takes the conductor directing the orchestra to create the magic, beauty, melody, and immense taste. So without the winemaker the wine is just wine, but with the winemaker leading the team the wine can be excellent.” Here's what a recent Vocationer had to say about their experience at Larson Family Winery: “I had an amazing experience at Larson Family Winery. My mentor, Caroline, was informative and encouraged me to have a hands-on experience. I participated in many of the activities that pertain to the process of wine making and learned a lot during my two days. The permanent stains of Merlot and Cabernet on the clothing I wore will always be a representation of this great and incredibly valuable experience.” Janice Bissonnette San Diego, CA While on your Winemaker VocationVacations® dream job holiday with Carolyn Craig at Larson Family Winery, activities will include some or all of the following:
Available: September 1st through October 31st based on Mentor's availability with exception of holiday weekends Book This Career Mentorship
|
||||||||
 |
 |
| (Not included in the price of the VocationVacations® holiday) Other activities and tourist destinations while on your VocationVacations® adventure: Full payment of the VocationVacations dream job holiday is required to make a reservation. A $100 non-refundable fee is assessed if a VocationVacations experience is cancelled or rescheduled prior to 14-days of the scheduled VocationVacations holiday, based on the approved availability of the mentor to reschedule. A VocationVacations adventure cannot be rescheduled and is non-refundable if cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled VocationVacations holiday. Written notification of cancellation or rescheduling is required in all cases. In the US, Grounded Nomads, LLC and VocationVacations holidays encourage all customers to acquire travel insurance to cover any unforeseen expenses due to cancellation or rescheduling. In the UK, Grounded Nomads, Ltd and VocationVacations holidays must require all customers to acquire travel insurance to cover any unforeseen expenses due to cancellation or rescheduling and provide verification of such travel insurance to Grounded Nomads, Ltd. |
|
Brew Master
Chocolatier
Spa Owner
Sports Announcer
Choreographer
Voice-Over Artist
TV Producer
Coffee House Owner
Dog Daycare Owner
Photographer
Latest Headlines:
August 20, 2010
Second Career: From Manufacturing Plant Worker to Entrepreneur
June 2, 2010
VocationVacations Newsletter
March 11, 2010
Career Makeover: From Management Consultant to Travel Writer
