The Valley’s own Steve Sangiacomo has been selected as Outstanding Young Farmer for 2009 by the Sonoma County Harvest Fair. Sangiacomo was selected for his dedication to quality wine grape production, agricultural leadership, community service and preservation of family farming.
“I am extremely honored to be recognized for this award and am very fortunate to be part of a wonderful farming community in Sonoma County,” said Sangiacomo, general manager of Sangiacomo Vineyards.
Sonoma County Harvest Fair board president, John Balletto, will present Sangiacomo with an award for his service at the annual Awards Night Gala on Saturday, September 26, 2009. Sangiacomo was selected by past award recipients to receive this top honor.
“Steve Sangiacomo is well deserving of this award. He comes from a remarkable Sonoma County farming family with deep roots in our community” said Steve Dutton, president of Dutton Ranch Corp.
Steve Sangiacomo, along with his brother Michael, is one of the general managers at their family’s highly acclaimed Sangiacomo Vineyards. Sangiacomo oversees the production and marketing of wine grapes grown on more than 1,000 acres of vineyards in the Sonoma Valley. He is the third generation of his family to farm in the Valley and grew up amid the vineyards in a close-knit, multi-generational family.
Sangiacomo is a director and past chairman of the Carneros Quality Alliance and serves as vice chairman of the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission. He volunteers as a football coach at his alma mater, Sonoma Valley High School. During the fall football season, Sangiacomo juggles his time between the wine grape harvest and the football field.
“My dad, uncles, and aunt have been great role models of approaching business and farming with intangibles of hard work, respect, and humility. They have taught myself, my brother and sister so much about the experience of farming for over seventy years and the importance of being great stewards of the land,” said Sangiacomo. “Sonoma Valley has been so great to our family and I look forward to helping continue our heritage.”
The Harvest Fair Awards Night Gala is held on the weekend prior to the three-day fair. Medals will be announced at the Gala for the hundreds of participating wineries, restaurants and caterers. Wine and food aficionados gather to find out who is the best of the best while enjoying unlimited tasting of some of the county’s finest food and wine. Tickets for the Awards Night Gala go on sale August 12.
The Fair is open beginning Friday, October 2, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and
Sunday. Admission for adults is $6; children 7-12 are $2; children 6 and under are free.
Complete information on how to enter the Harvest Fair, purchasing tickets and more is available at
harvestfair.org or by calling the Sonoma County Fairgrounds at 707.545.4203
