Memorial to be held Thursday, May 12

East County News Service

(Ramona) –Herman Salerno, 81, an Italian opera singer, founder of Salerno Winery and a pioneer in our region’s winemaking industry, has passed away. 

Linda McWilliams, president of the San Diego County Vintners Association, remembered Salerno as “a pillar of the early winery community in San Diego County and Ramona. He was an award-winning winemaker and helped and encouraged so many, particularly in the Ramona AVA.” She added, “A visit to his winery was not just about tasting the wine but a view into the entire culture of art,food, old world conversation but also the joy of his operatic voice.”

By Miriam Raftery

Hear audio clip of Jorge D'Soria, a resident artist at Salerno (photo, right), performing his Pavarotti-style operatic rendition:  http://k007.kiwi6.com/hotlink/36dl3ft21v/opera-jorge_D_soria.mp3

September 21, 2014 (Ramona) - Opera and fine art in East County? Bravo! Salerno Winery in Ramona has forged a partnership that’s music to the ears of  those who love opera, sculptures and Italian-style wine.

Herman Salerno, an opera singer from Italy, and his wife, Rose, founded the winery and began displaying sculptures from a friend’s collection. Now, they have now teamed up with Jaime Chaljon, a Mexican businessman, to unveil an expanded sculpture garden featuring works by over 20 world-renowned artists including Jorge and Javier Martin, Tan Da WU, Julian Bravo, and Pedro Cervantes.

The winery is open on Fridays,  Saturdays and Sundays, when guests can enjoy not only wine and pizza cooked up in an outdoor oven, but also performances by Salerno and well known Mexican operatic stars.

Fruitful wine industry restores farmers’ dreams in rural East County
 

Story by Miriam Raftery

Photos by Mark and Miriam Raftery

July 22, 2011 (Spring Valley) – Friends and neighbors turned out to help plant 600 grapevine rootstocks from Napa Valley last weekend at the Vineyard Mansion in Spring Valley. Afterwards, guests savored a poolside tri-tip barbecue and sampled estate-bottled vintages in a stone-lined wine cellar. 

Their efforts are all part of a vision by East County vintners to establish a wine-making region along Highway 94—revitalizing the local economy with a new agricultural market to reward the fruits of their labors.