In honor of the late Don Armando’s 100th birthday, Doffo Winery has released the Don Armando Cent’anni wine, a delectable blend 60 % merlot and 40 % cabernet sauvignon. To celebrate the wine’s release, we take a trip down memory lane with Samantha Doffo as she shares fond memories about her grandparents.
The earliest memories I have of Nono Armando and Nona Chola ( Maria Paulina) are of us walking hand in hand to the local grocery store. I was 2 or 3 years old and everyday they gave me a choice of riding the small merry-go-round or having an ice cream. Of course, I always wanted both. This was very telling of how our relationship would develop. My grandparents lived in Argentina and would come to California and spend 6 months at a time with us. We were so lucky to have them waiting for us after school. The smell of fresh baked bread or my grandmothers’ cakes filled the house. They were playful and nurturing and stern when they had to be but always loving. My grandfather Don Armando was very patient with his grandchildren. He never seemed to mind when my sister and I did his nails or styled his hair. He would sit in silence most of the time and just hold my hand as we watched the news or one of his favorite John Wayne movies.
In my 3rd year of college, I had the privilege of studying abroad in Argentina and found a university down the street from their apartment in Rosario. I moved in with my grandparents and spent the next 6 months making them a little crazy. That was the year my Nono Armando nicknamed me “Tormenta”, which in Spanish means Storm.
We had some amazing moments together. One year, to celebrate Thanksgiving, a holiday that is not celebrated in Argentina, I threw a dinner party for them and some other relatives and some new friends. We even had turkey decorations that my Nona and I made from paper because we couldn’t get a real turkey. She was playful and would let me do her make-up and dress her up so we could make Nono laugh. Even at 21, it felt really nice to crawl into bed with the two of them and talk about life. My grandfather had this little yellow hand-held radio that was on only when he was in bed and it would drive Nona crazy, and he would just turn it up. They catered to everything I wanted, I was spoiled, and in turn I was able to offer my help with things that age wouldn’t allow them to do anymore. The memories of our daily walks down the street, arm in arm with the both of them, still makes me smile and cry.
The last time I was in Argentina was in 2006. My Nona Chola would pass a few months after that visit. I was pregnant at the time. Sitting with me, she would tell me the importance of being a good mother. I cherished every word of advice she gave because I could very well see how much she loved my father and I could also see how much my father loved and respected her. After that, my Nono Armando would come to Temecula and spend time with us at the winery. He had a chance to meet my children Tiago and Fiorella, his great grandchildren. I know it is my job to share the stories of my grandparents’ lives with my children. They lived good lives that showed me that anyone can always rise above obstacles and challenges. I consider myself lucky that my grandparents passed on to my father the strength and courage to pursue his dreams. This is something that I too would love to pass on to my own children.
Marcelo Doffo with his parents Don Armando and Paulina.
