Theresa Heredia-Winemaker, Joseph Phelps
Theresa supervises all Pinot Noir and Chardonnay production at the newly completed Freestone Winery. Theresa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and also completed three years of study in the Chemistry and Viticulture/Enology PhD program at UC Davis. After Davis, she worked her first harvest in 2001 at Saintsbury, and in 2002 was hired as a Research Chemist for Joseph Phelps Vineyards. For the 2006 harvest, Theresa worked at Domaine de Montille in Volnay.
The Ventura Limoncello Company was founded in 2007 by James Carling and Manuela Zaretti-Carling. Our mission is to the be premier producer of Limoncello liqueurs in the United States. We use the recipe handed down to Manuela from her Nonna in Italy. Ventura County, California, is home to some of the most amazing lemons in the world and their peels make a world class Limoncello. Due to the year round lemon growing season, we produce Ventura Limoncello in small batches all year. We work direct with local Ventura County growers who pick tree-ripened lemons to our specifications.Ventura Limoncello Originale was released in February, 2008 and was initally well received. Our Limoncello was awarded Gold Medal at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Ventura Limoncello Originale has been America’s highest rated Limoncello 3-years in a row. Ventura Limoncello Crema was relased in October, 2008. It was awarded Gold Medal at the 2010 LA SIP Awards.
Ventura Limoncello’s liqueurs are all natural and handcrafted. We hand peel all the fruit. This ensures only the top layer of peel containing the oils are used. No pith. Our natural processes produce aromatic and full flavor liqueurs. The true sign of an all natural Limoncello is “Il Collarino” (the little collar). This is formed by the citrus oils that gather at the top of the bottle. In our Limoncello Crema, milk fat may gather at the top. A quick shake before serving mixes everything back together in the bottle.
Thank you for learning about Ventura Limoncello. Please contact us if have any questions.