Meet the Penns Woods Under-30 Team

We’re proud of our storied Penns Woods Winery history: our Italian-heritage wines were born from our president and winemaker Gino Razzi’s lifetime of experience—and his first Wine Spectator-approved 1997 Symposium didn’t hurt, either.

We get even more excited when we see our bright future and know it’s being secured right now by a rock star team who’ve not yet hit the big 3-0. These wine industry movers-and-shakers know wine, know our customers and know what’s next for Penns Woods.
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We don’t mean to brag—well, yes we do! Here are four of our finest:

Carley Mack
Co-owner, Marketing/PR Director
Age: 29
Colorado State University; Fairfield University in Connecticut
B.A. in business management with a focus in marketing
Husband: Eric Mack
Dogs: Charlie and Elle

What brought you to wine?
Wine has been in my veins since I was born. I’ve been working with my father since I was about 12. Back then, he only had his wine import company and I helped everywhere from the warehouse to processing orders in the office. During college, I took a break from wine to see what else the world had to offer. Once I graduated, I moved back home to be closer to family. My father had just started Penns Woods, and I fell in love with the idea of building our small family company whose focus is not only great wines but also promoting local agriculture.

What did you do before working at Penns Woods?
I was a canvasser and office manager for Clean Water Action Colorado.

Why do you love working at Penns Woods?
The people! Not only do I think we have the greatest team members of all time, but we meet so many new people every single day. We collaborate with amazing local artisans who have a deep passion for their business and products, customers from every walk of life who have the most incredible experiences to share and restaurants that are genuinely excited to promote our local product. The vibe of the local wine industry—and everyone involved—is so much fun!

If you weren't working in the wine industry, you’d be …
Working right alongside my best friend (my husband, Eric) helping him build his company, Mack Landscape Management, LLC.

What's your favorite Penns Woods wine?
It really depends on the weather. When it is cold outside, I go for the Cabernet Franc Reserve. Super hot summers call for the Traminette. Any other day, I go for the White Merlot.

What's your go-to food-and-wine pairing?
There is nothing better than a big, delicious bowl of linguine in homemade red sauce and a glass of our red wine.

What non-wine adult beverage do you love?
Bring me an extra dirty martini.

How do you fill your spare time?
Spare time? What's that? Kidding! I love being outside, whether it’s hiking, camping, or even just a walk around town. I also love to cook.

What’s on heavy rotation in your music collection?
I love all music. I wouldn't be able to survive a day without it. A few favorites: The Allman Brothers, Yonder Mountain String Band, Kygo, Miley Cyrus, Grace Potter, Lindsey Sterling, Etta James ... I could go on.

Davide Creato
Vineyard Manager, Assistant Winemaker
​Age: 27
University of Teramo in Italy
Studied enology and viticulture
Wife: Andrea
Dog: Harper the Vineyard Dog

What brought you to wine?
I started making wine at home with my father. We planted a small vineyard at my home in Italy when I was 12, and we started making wine from our own grapes when I was 15. I fell in love with the art of winemaking, which inspired me to study enology in college.

What did you do before working at Penns Woods?
I worked at Cantina Zaccagnini winery in Bolognano, Italy.

Why do you love working at Penns Woods?
My favorite part about working at a winery—harvest! There’s no better feeling than harvesting the beautiful grapes from the vines that I care for all year. There’s so much hard work put into taking care of the vines to ensure the highest quality grapes. Harvesting the grapes and starting the wine-making process is the most rewarding feeling for me.

If you weren't working in the wine industry, you’d be …
I can't imagine not working in the wine industry, but if I weren't I would still remain in the food industry in some way or another. I thrive off of creating high-quality food items, whether that’s wine, beer, cheese … it’s a long list.

What's your favorite Penns Woods wine?
Chardonnay Reserve 2012—in my opinion, that was one of the greatest wines we’ve made.

What's your go-to food-and-wine pairing?
Sagne e fagioli with Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Sagne is a traditional pasta dish from my home region of Abruzzo.

What non-wine adult beverage do you love?
Beer! I'm really into all local craft beers.

How do you fill your spare time?
I constantly read and study about winemaking to expand my knowledge. I also like to play soccer, make cheese, make beer and cook.

What’s on heavy rotation in your music collection?
Anything by Rino Gaetano.

Andrea Creato
General Manager
Age: 28
West Chester University; Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta
B.A. in business management; diploma in pâtisserie and baking

You’ve probably spied by now that Andrea and Davide are married! Which brings us to our own Penns Woods Winery love story. Davide came from Italy to work the 2011 harvest, a test to see if he might want to move here. He met Andrea, and it was love at first sight. They became inseparable and were only briefly parted when his work visa ran out and he had to return to Italy. A few short months later in February 2012 he returned to Penns Woods and to Andrea. They decided they simply couldn’t live without each other and were married in our vineyard in June 2012. They recall it was a short and sweet ceremony in front of their Penns Woods family—and Andrea’s mom, who flew up from Georgia. Andrea’s family met Davide when they hosted a belated reception in Georgia that November, and she met Davide’s family in Italy that December. They finally took their first trip (alone!) together in 2015—a delayed honeymoon to St. Martin. (So romantic!)

What brought you to wine?
I worked for a winery in my hometown of Clayton, Georgia, for a number of years while in college. I fell in love with the industry then and knew I wanted to remain involved with the wine industry.

What did you do before working at Penns Woods?
I was a pastry chef at Loews Hotel Philadelphia and at the Bakeshop in Atlanta.

Why do you love working at Penns Woods?
The incredible people I’ve had the opportunity to meet, from other wine professionals sharing passion about the wine industry to our customers visiting the tasting room.

If you weren't working in the wine industry, you’d be …
If I weren't involved in the wine industry, I would love to be a farmer. I’d have horses, cows, pigs, sheep, a massive garden … the whole shebang. Or, I’d start a travel concierge business for people to explore the "roads less traveled."

What's your favorite Penns Woods wine?
Traminette for white and Cabernet Reserve 2013 for red.

What's your go-to food-and-wine pairing?
I love a crisp white wine with fondue! My greatest food and wine pairing memory is from a trip Davide and I took to Zermatt, Switzerland, where we had raclette and cheese fondue with a white wine varietal called Sylvaner. It was so simple, but the most delicious combination I've ever tasted.

What non-wine adult beverage do you love?
Hard cider. I'm never been much of a beer drinker, but I have a huge crush on hard ciders from local Pennsylvania producers.

How do you fill your spare time?
I volunteer weekly at All Riders Up, which is a therapeutic horseback riding center in Delaware County. My greatest passion lies with horses, and I absolutely love spending my free time helping out with the horses at ARU and the students taking lessons.

What’s on heavy rotation in your music collection?
Brett Dennen and Grace Potter.

Lauren Bilinski
Reservation and Events Coordinator
Age: 24
Susquehanna University in Sellinsgrove, Pa.
B.A. in communications

What brought you to wine?
I fell in love with wine when I studied abroad in college. A friend of mine knew about my passion and told me to get in touch with Carley. That summer, I interned with Penns Woods Winery and haven't been able to leave since!

What did you do before working at Penns Woods?
Before I came to Penns Woods, I worked with an event management company.  

Why do you love working at Penns Woods?
There is such a great atmosphere here. I love talking to people and making sure they have a memorable experience.

If you weren't working in the wine industry, you’d be …
Probably working for another event management company.

What's your favorite Penns Woods wine?
I absolutely love the 2012 Chambourcin!

What's your go-to food-and-wine pairing?
The wine, cheese and honey pairing we do at Penns Woods is by far my favorite. It’s such a great combination, and the way the wine tastes after eating the cheese and honey always amazes me.

What non-wine adult beverage do you love?
I am a 100% wino!

How do you fill your spare time?
I’m into anything outdoorsy; hiking is one of my favorite things to do. I also enjoy getting lost in a good book.

What’s on heavy rotation in your music collection?
I don’t have a favorite—I’ll listen to just about anything.

Well, it’s settled! With their deep love for the industry, tending grapes, wine, food—and some not-to-shabby playlists, too—these 20-somethings are poised to take Penns Woods Winery far into the delicious future. Stop by our tasting room, where you’ll often find Carley and Andrea. Keep an eye out and you might spot Davide in the vineyard. Say hello to Lauren when you’re making reservations or planning an event. They, along with a mighty wine-loving staff, are ready to make your Penns Woods experience memorable.

Penns Woods Winery is a family-run Pennsylvania winery. With more than 40 years of experience in the wine business, winemaker Gino Razzi and his daughter, Carley Mack, produce award-winning wines from Pennsylvania-grown grapes. Penns Woods wines can be found in restaurants throughout Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs. Stop in to your local state store and pick from a limited selection of wines, or visit our tasting room for the full offering. The tasting room in Chadds Ford provides an all-around vineyard experience and hosts live music, food and wine pairings and other exciting events each weekend. Score Penns Woods Winery news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter today!

--Nina Malone

​Photo of Andrea Creato: Alexandra Whitney Photography.