Hello! I’m Isabella Morano.

I’ve devoted my life to learning about wine. Physically making wine of my own has been a dream since I was a kid.

When I was a kid, my dad took us on a family trip to Italy. It was there that I tasted and fell in love with wine for the first time. The way Italians connect with each other over wine is magical. Their culture hinges on winemaking. I wasn’t raised in a wine-centered environment so this was a radical experience for me.

I moved to California a few months after I graduated from high school. I was on a mission to absorb all of the information I could about wine. I wanted to become a sommelier. I studied independently for a while before I could legally serve/drink wine. Then, by some stroke of luck, I got a job with David Lynch (of Vino Italiano fame) at his restaurant St. Vincent. It was there that wine officially became the focal point of my life.

After my time at St. Vincent, I became a certified sommelier, worked at Arlequin Wine Merchant (or as I call it wine bootcamp), Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, Wine and Spirits Magazine, Habibi Bar, and NOPA.

While earning my spot in the Bay Area wine community at those esteemed establishments, I was fortunate enough to sneak away to learn how to make wine by working harvests. My first harvest was with Martha Stoumen in 2017, then Foradori in 2018, Domaine Mosse in 2019, and Bedrock Wine Co. in 2020.

The idea of home fascinates me.

I didn’t come from a place where making wine was viable—so I figured this dream would remain in my head back then. When I turned 18, I decided to take a chance and move to California where I could be closer to wine and explore where that path took me. It was the best decision I’ve ever made. I found my first and most important home here.

I’ve spent my adult life wandering the world looking for a place where I belong. In all of my wandering, I’ve found many homes. All beautiful and unique in their own right, all imbued with that mystical feeling of home. The intuitive pull I get when I’m in a place I love with people I connect with. That sets the foundation for home for me.

People are a lot like vines. We each embody a sense of place.

I set out to learn about wine as a way of learning about the world. Nothing ignites the passion of living for me more than experiencing different parts of the world. Wine has taken me to places I couldn’t have imagined and connected me to people I now consider family.

I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out the place that I fit into. My own personal terroir. After all this time wondering where I fit, I now understand that I fit almost everywhere. It’s important to me to extend that feeling to others and build a community around inclusivity in wine. My goal is to use my love of bringing people together to make the wines of my many homes accessible. I also aim to contribute to my community by giving back a percentage of my profits every year to organizations that share the same goal. This year, I’m proud to partner with Bay Area organization Third Parent Family. Learn more about their mission here.

Just like the vines that were transported from their original home and planted in new, unfamiliar homes, I seek to express the beauty of my many homes. I consider myself as adaptable as a vine. I hope to bring wines that mirror the same essence into the world.

I invite you to explore the world with me. Stay tuned for my next adventure!

This project, as well as everything I do in my life, is dedicated to my mother: Jean Marie Morano.

SHOP the WINES

Meet the rest of my team.

In addition to all of the wonderful people listed below, I also wanted to acknowledge the vineyard workers and people that contribute to the winemaking process that aren’t named — like the guy at the grocery store in Sonoma where I’d pick up the U-Hauls, the neighbor at the vineyard in cowboy boots that helped load grapes, or the guy in the pick crew that would make silly faces and made everyone laugh.

All of this wouldn’t be possible without you.

Bahman Safari

Bahman is my spiritual husband. He is a multi-talented creative who has a degree in graphic design. He’s the genius behind the Isa Wines logo and the rest of the label design. He also owns Habibi Bar in San Francisco. In his free time, he DJs around the Bay Area and hosts a monthly party called CallBackSF with my dear friend Will Morgan. I would be nowhere without him.
Pablo Andrés Cristi

Pablo Andrés Cristi is a visual artist born and raised in Los Angeles. His creative practice often interrogates systems of power and celebrates symbols of resistance. He is the Chair of the visual art department at Oakland School for the Arts and spends his time painting at his studio in West Oakland. Pablo and I connected over our shared curiosity over the idea of “home” as well as our fascination in the power of feminine energy.
Claire Cerdá

Claire joined the Isa Wines team during our first vintage. She is the genius behind the website design, marketing strategy, and is generally in charge of keeping me (Isa) alive. She’s really good at everything she does and I’m so lucky she found me. When she’s not busy improving my life (and feeding me), she works in design at Apple. She also works part time in natural wine bars. Clearly, she has a lot of energy.
Cole Thomas

Cole is the winemaker/part owner of Madson Wines (where I made my wine in 2021). He is one of the kindest and most patient men I know. Cole's love for wine originates from his love for agriculture. He and I share nearly identical ideas about winemaking and how to be good stewards of land. We both believe great wine is made in the vineyard. Cole was integral to my success in 2021 — fielding calls and texts from me all year about my various concerns about the wine. I am so grateful for him.
Ken Swegles

Ken is a staple in the Santa Cruz wine scene. As the self-proclaimed Vine Shaman, he manages the vineyards for Madson Wines (which he co-owns with his wife Abbey and Cole). Ken manages vineyards for Madson and started Rhizos Vineyard Consulting. He and Abby live on and farm the beautiful Ascona Vineyard with their bear/dogs.
Evan Lewandowski

Evan Lewandowski is a central figure in the natural wine world. His Ruth Lewandowski Wines are touted by many as benchmarks for quality natural winemaking. I respect what he does and how he does it. When he gave me the opportunity to work with a vineyard he loves, I couldn’t say no. I’m really happy with the way the wines have turned out and excited to share this special place with Evan.
Jack Sporer

Jack Sporer is a man of many talents. He owns Magnolia Wine Services (where I make Isa Wines) and makes his own label called Fresh Wine Co. We met in 2020 when I was working harvest across the parking lot at Bedrock and have remained friends ever since. Jack holds a lot of sage wisdom for someone so young. We share winemaking philosophies so it’s nice to be able to bounce ideas off of him. I’m lucky to have Jack as an anchor in this sometimes volatile industry.
Sergio Nava Santa Cruz

Sergio is by far the most talented cellar professional I’ve had the pleasure of working with. He worked in construction before making the move to winemaking. Since then, he’s perfected his craft and I’ve learned more from him than anyone else in my winemaking career. He’s patient, kind, and highly efficient. Our goal in the cellar is to always make Sergio proud. I love being able to learn from him and aspire to be half as good as he is one day.