Growing up in a spirited Italian family in Boston, Massachusetts, MaryAnn spent summers helping her grandmother tend a verdant garden featuring rows of vegetables, herbs, and an especially precious vineyard. From the last of these, the family celebrated the rite of winemaking; a tradition that young MaryAnn did not fully appreciate until years later.

Indeed, after completing her second year of college at U-Mass/Amherst, MaryAnn found herself again ensconced in vineyards; this time in a study-abroad program at the University of Angers, France. Located in the glorious Loire Valley, the idyllic town of Angers epitomized French country living and was the perfect place to spark a willing palate for simple, but well-crafted wines and inspired cuisine. It was here that MaryAnn caught "the bug" that would fuel her interests and ultimately inspire her move to California, her graduation from Harvard Business School, and the launch of a remarkable career in the wine industry.

Hired by Mike Moone to join Beringer Wine Estates in 1989, MaryAnn realized a long-standing dream: to live and work in the legendary Napa Valley. During this time, she ran a variety of businesses within Beringer's portfolio and brought to market three #1-rated wines in the world (Wine Spectator). The lessons MaryAnn accumulated at Beringer carried her to Luna Vineyards, where she has been President since January 2001. While she openly gushes over the distance Luna has traveled to become one of Napa Valley's favored destinations, she greets the opportunity of creating a remarkable limited-release cabernet with nothing less than rapture.