Magnotta Winery,
Ontario's third
largest winery
and winner
of over 4,500
awards for product excellence, is
celebrating their
25th anniversary
in Vaughan
throughout 2016.
ROSSANA
MAGNOTTA
THE
CEO OF
Magnotta
WINERY
If anyone could be called a warrior it would be Rossana Di Zio Magnotta. Both in business and
philanthropy, as well as in her personal life, Rossana can tell stories of challenges and victories, of
happy times and very sad times. Yet in spite of all she has endured over the past 25 years, she has no
regrets except one; that she cannot enjoy this success with her late husband Gabe Magnotta.
Rossana Di Zio Magnotta has always worked tirelessly, no matter the obstacles. When she and her
husband Gabe were refused space for their wines on the shelves at the LCBO, something stirred in
her belly. Rossana learned to fight. Not only did they roll up their sleeves to fight the good fight and
win, she continu ed to take the bull by the horns when needed. When she suffered one of the lowest
points in her life, the loss of her husband due to complications of Lyme Disease, Rossana got up and
continued on in spite of the heartache. At a time when personal loss could have brought her to the
end of the road, she persevered in the face of that loss and kept moving to honour her husband’s life.
Rossana is a fighter, a survivor, a caregiver and a very successful force in the City of Vaughan. She’s
gotten to where she is with prowess and passion, but primarily with heart.
I was invited into her office, a space filled with photographs of her and her beloved, Gabe. Awards
and products spanning 25 years lined the shelves, telling a story that almost came to an early end. She
attributes her success to both her husband and the employees. She humbly refuses to take full credit for
the past 25 years of hard work and success and says it has more than surpassed all her expectations.
At the helm of one of the most thriving businesses in Vaughan, Rossana remembers the early days in
the City when the late Lorna Jackson was Mayor. She speaks fondly of Ms. Jackson, expressing how
generous and dedicated she was as Mayor. Together they frequented local charity events to show their
support to the community. “It was a mutual respect,” recalls Rossana. “Lorna would come to
the store, buy wine here. She supported other businesses and always insisted on paying. We became
great friends. I dedicated a special wine to her, and the proceeds go to Colorectal Cancer Association
of Canada.” This is one of the ways in which Rossana’s generosity of spirit is exemplified – but there
would be more charity, precisely because of her dedication and love for the human spirit.
As a child, Rossana always wanted to help her father make homemade wine. As she got older, she
became more and more interested in the actual chemistry of winemaking. “I developed a keen interest in the whole idea of biochemistry and understanding the fermentation process so I became my
father’s big helper,” recalls Rossana. Although her curiosity grew in leaps and bounds in the hobby
of winemaking, her first love was medicine. Once she was done with her studies, she landed a job at
Humber River Hospital.
Although she was happy in the laboratory, she wanted to become a mother and raise a family. Leaving
her children with others was not an option. “I wanted to care for them, to watch them grow.”
While she was home caring for her children, her husband Gabe was running his company, Festa Juice
which provided grape must to the home winemaker. He asked her to help him and she agreed to oversee
the chemistry, the technical aspects of making the juice. “I understood what it took to make homemade
wine and by that time I knew how to make it very well.” At the age of 30, Rossana was teaching Italian
men how to make wine. Of course, this didn’t sit well with some of the male customers. “Gabe always
supported me and would reply, ‘she’s actually the expert, I’m not. I’m the businessperson. She’s the
technical person.’”
2016 \ Celebrate Vaughan
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