Our Story
Our Story (so far)
In 1996, Teresa surprised Bill for his birthday by clearing a quarter acre plot behind their Florida home to plant their first grape vineyard. Grapes and wine have been an integral part of their life ever since. Together they have followed this passion for the past 25 years, culminating in the Sotrio Vineyard land purchase in 2015, in the Swan Creek and Yadkin Valley AVAs of the Piedmont area of western North Carolina. In 2019 they were able to build the future winery and office spaces to operate the business. Currently, they are working to fully understand the viticultural requirements of vinifera in North Carolina and build out the winery with the necessary equipment. We are excited for our first harvest and to welcome you to Sotrio.
Meet the Owners
William C. Piastuch, or "Bill", is a Florida native with a background in Plant Molecular Biology. Growing up, he was actively involved in NASA's space program and began a career with them, designing, building, and flying plant-based experiments on the Space Shuttle and training astronauts to grow the plants in space. Bill currently works in the IT business and, of course, Sotrio vineyards.
Teresa Piastuch, is somewhat returning to her roots, being born and raised for her early years in eastern North Carolina, moving to Florida when she was nine. Teresa has a background in Property and Facility Management and also works for NASA Contracts. Bill and Teresa met in 1990 at the Kennedy Space Center.
Together they are blessed to have a truly supportive family, that have helped clear, plant, and harvest along the way.
Looking Ahead
At this point, Sotrio stands as a maturing 6.5 acre vineyard in its second year of harvest (planted 2017), with 10 vinifera varietals representing both Italian and French origins. Currently, we are selling the grapes to our partner winery where we are collaborating on wines that will help establish our brand. We are hopeful that we will begin crafting Sotrio estate wines with the 2022 harvest with a limited tasting season in 2023.
Eager to See More?
As we prepare to open our winery and vineyard, we invite you to check out our News Page where we will keep you up to date on our progress, share key milestones and our experiences as we learn and grow in the Carolina hills.
