She grew up just outside Alba, in northwest Italy, a region steeped in winemaking tradition. Her mom was a math teacher, and her dad worked in cookie manufacturing. But for Miriam, it was winemaking that truly captured her heart. She fell in love with the craft as a teenager, around 14 or 15 years old. “In my culture, making wine isn’t just a job; it’s a way of connecting people and understanding the land,” she tells me.
From Alba to the world of wine
After earning her bachelor’s degree in winemaking, she worked in vineyards and wine cellars in Western Australia, then pursued her master’s degree in viticulture and enology* back in Italy, in the famed Barolo region, not far from where she grew up.
Viticulture is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes.
Enology is the study of wine and winemaking.
Searching for cooler climates
But she found the Italian wine scene was rigid and saturated, with little space for enthusiastic self-starters like herself. And she was concerned about increasing global temperatures: “The future of viticulture is in cooler places,” she explains to me. She began exploring new horizons.
“Our long growing season and cool maritime climate allow grapes to develop while preserving bright, high acidity—perfect for making sparkling wines.”
Her journey first brought her to the Okanagan Valley, where she fit right into the vibrant wine industry and soon found work at a boutique vineyard. She notes a double irony in her move to seek cooler temperatures: first, she hadn’t realized how hot the Okanagan gets, and second, climate change isn’t just global warming, but also freak storms and severe weather. After devastating frosts in 2023 and 2024, Okanagan production plummeted, and many wineries had to rethink their operations. She was considering returning to Europe when she learned that Beaufort Winery, a local winery on Vancouver Island, was looking for help. She thought, “I’ll give Canada one last chance.”
Finding Beaufort and the Comox Valley
Moving to the Comox Valley meant tackling a whole new set of challenges. Miriam describes the Valley as being “on the edge of where grapes can grow.” She was excited to learn about local soils and conditions, and how they affect her craft. She says, “Our long growing season and cool maritime climate allow grapes to develop while preserving bright, high acidity—perfect for making sparkling wines.”
Beaufort Winery, teamwork and organic practices
She speaks warmly about the Beaufort team—vineyard manager Cohen Brown, farm manager David Roch, head winemaker Stephanie Clarke, tasting room manager Megan Thiel, and owner Alexandre Guertin.
As assistant winemaker, Miriam works closely with Steph, the head winemaker, in the cellar. During harvest time, though, the entire staff is focused on one task: “Deciding when to bring in the grapes is an art,” she says. “It takes a whole team—from vineyard crew to tasting room staff—all working together.”
“From early mornings sampling grapes in the vineyard to long days monitoring fermentations or tasting through barrels, every season brings new challenges and discoveries.”
Beaufort’s organic practices are another source of pride for the organic winemaker, who says, “We’re committed to doing what’s right: preserving our soils, caring for the land, and ensuring that our work leaves a positive mark on the Earth.”
A winemaker’s ever-changing days
She humours my inquisition about a typical day in the life of a winemaker, but says one of the things she loves the most about the job is that it’s always changing. “From early mornings sampling grapes in the vineyard to long days monitoring fermentations or tasting through barrels,” she says, “every season brings new challenges and discoveries.”
She describes the 2025 season as exceptional, with warm weather bringing in a ripe Pinot Noir. “It’s my favourite Beaufort wine this year,” she enthuses.
Looking ahead with optimism
Miriam is still in what she calls her “honeymoon phase” with life in the Comox Valley. “It’s a new opportunity, full of potential and room to experiment,” she says, and I can almost hear her smile down the phone line.
From Italy’s rich traditions to the emerging vineyards of the Comox Valley, it seems certain Miriam’s journey will continue to be one of adaptation, learning, and celebrating the magic of wine wherever the vines take root.
