No Ordinary Fortune. Judy Duarte

and dark beams, as he led her to a marble-topped bar. Shelves of corked wine bottles awaited the next batch of wine enthusiasts who would come to taste the best vintages the winery had to offer.

      “Has your family always been in the wine business?” she asked.

      “No. When Alejandro was in college, he got a part-time job working at a South Beach wine bar to put himself through school. And that’s where it all started. He changed his major to agricultural operations and went on to get a master’s degree in viticulture and enology. He also spent a summer in France interning at a vineyard and another summer in one located in Napa Valley.”

      “I can see where his interest took off from there. I told you about my friend Calista, whose family owned that villa in Italy. It wasn’t quite the same for me, but her enthusiasm was almost contagious, and I learned a lot during my visits. For a while, I thought about moving there, but my dad had a fit and threatened to cut me off for good.” She turned and studied Carlo. “But what about you? What made you leave Miami to work at a winery?”

      “I come from a long line of restaurant and nightclub owners, so I’ve got a solid handle on the food industry, as well as wine. One of my jobs with Mendoza Winery is to run La Viña.”

      “Are you the manager?” she asked.

      “I suppose you could say that. Alejandro let me have free rein in remodeling the restaurant and hiring a chef and waitstaff.”

      “I’d love to see what you’ve done.”

      “We’ll end the tour there, then have lunch. In the meantime, I’ll show you the vineyard and the cellar, where we make the wine.”

      Carlo led her outside and to a barn, where a red electric car awaited them.

      “Oh my gosh,” Schuyler said. “How cute is this? It looks like a cross between a golf cart and a limousine.”