Knowing that business and pleasure can indeed be mixed, Joe and Rosalie Vicari, principals of 18 restaurants in metro Detroit, including 11 Andiamo eateries, toured several wineries in California’s Sonoma Valley in May with 20 of their employees. The annual sojourn included stops at six wineries over four days, including two with ties to Michigan — Fisher Vineyards, owned by Grosse Pointe Park native Fred Fisher, of the Fisher Body family; and Tom and Vicki Celani of Bloomfield Township, who own Celani Family Vineyards in Napa. “Tom and Vicki have a younger vineyard,” Joe says, “but their wines are very good, and they definitely have a good thing going. Fred is a real pioneer, having coming out here in the early 1970s.” In addition to learning about and tasting wines, the Vicaris also led their team into San Francisco on the last night of the trip. “We all split up and go to different restaurants to get ideas on décor, menu selection, and the latest trends,” Joe says. “It’s a lot of fun.”
