JJ & Kelly Menozzi of Aluvé Winery
Their Air Force Academy class had 1,000 students in it, 900 of them men. So it wasn’t until they pursued a Master’s degree in a smaller class setting that JJ and Kelly Menozzi met. They eventually became partners in life and in the sky, with JJ flying an F16 and Kelly a Boeing 707 fit with a device for refueling in the air. They travelled the world, moving 17 times during the 24 years they were in the Air Force. On weekends they visited wine regions wherever they were, and especially enjoyed the wines of Italy and Argentina. They also fell in love with the people, wine and town of Walla Walla while they were stationed in Idaho. When it came time to retire from the Air Force, the lure of Walla Walla convinced them to pursue winegrowing as a second career.
In 2010, Kelly and JJ purchased 10 acres on the North side of the Mill Creek Valley, and had to start from scratch to turn the property into a home for themselves and for grapes. They enrolled in the Walla Walla Community College Enology and Viticulture Program to learn about winemaking and grape growing. Today the property has an estate vineyard focused on Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, a winery with tasting room and patio, and a beautiful home. Aluvé Winery opened its doors in 2019, and the name is a made-up one combining the Italian words for wing and grape. Their wine labels also combine their passions for flying and winemaking, with a color progression from sky blue to purple for grapes to deep red for wine. Learn about Aluvé wines and the Aluvé story here with JJ and Kelly.
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