Beckley vineyard  hires Italian master  11/29/00 - West Virginia's largest vineyard has won the attention of master winemaker Marco Bertaccini, who has been named "head winemaker," according to winery officials.		Daniels Vineyards

Daniel Vineyards -- the California-style vineyard off W.Va. 16 south of Beckley -- attracted the enologist through its success as a small-but-award-winning institution, according to Chris Dyer, marketing director for the vineyard.

"I enjoy working in a small winery," Marco Bertaccini said on accepting the position. "I feel more responsible for the final product because I can interact with every step of the process." 

Bertaccini earned the title "Master Winemaker" by virtue of his master's degree in enology, the science of making wine, from the University of California at Davis, the world's most prestigious wine school. 

The owner of Daniel Vineyards, Dr. Richard Daniel, compares having an enologist on staff with a degree from U.C. Davis to being a law firm with an attorney on staff with a degree from Harvard Law School. 

Bertaccini, who has made wine for the likes of the famous Robert Mondovi winery in California, lauded the benefits of working at Daniel Vineyards. 

"At a large wine corporation, like Mondovi, all the winemakers are like little cells in a larger organ," Bertaccini said. "The wine that comes out has little to do with you as an individual winemaker." 

"Daniel Vineyards also has a track record of already producing award-winning wines, I want to build on this good reputation and hopefully make it even greater."

Daniel Vineyards provides free wine tasting, tours, and sales Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays 1 to 6 p.m. 

Bertaccini will be available to meet with guests Monday through Friday from
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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