Hospitality Alum’s Journey from RIT to Casa Larga Winery

RIT/NTID alum Tara Sarkin (Beltrami), who attended SVP in 2013, earned her associate degree in 2016, and a bachelor’s degree in hospitality and service management in 2019, has always been deeply passionate about winemaking. 

Sarkin’s journey began with inspiration from her godmother and an RIT professor, who fostered her ambition to pursue a career in winemaking. Sarkin says her skills, knowledge and determination eventually led her to the prestigious role as a winemaker at Casa Larga Winery in Fairport, New York. 

What inspired you to become a winemaker? 

My hometown in St. Helena, in the heart of California’s Napa Valley Region, and my godmother inspired me to become a winemaker. My first experience with winemaking was during my junior year of high school with the Future Farmers of America. My high school had this program to teach students about other opportunities related to farming, such as raising cows, goats, culinary arts, and more. Viticulture was part of that program—of course, with certain policies in place due to the students’ ages. That is where I first began to understand the basics of winemaking and viticulture. 

My godmother also made homemade wine on the side for fun. I would help her bottle her red wines to understand the final product and process of finishing wine to share with family and friends. This is where I realized that the hard work and dedication is paid off by seeing friends and family enjoying the wine from start to finish! These two inspirations led me to become a winemaker, and I love that I am able to share my knowledge of the art of winemaking with others. 

Please tell us about your job. What are your responsibilities? What’s a typical workday like? 

As a winemaker, my responsibility is to share high quality wines with the market. It is important to keep track of our products to keep them in the best condition possible. There are multiple parts in winemaking that are important, such as the taste of the wine being balanced, the harvest season going well no matter what the weather conditions may be, and making sure the product is done successfully. 

What accomplishments are you most proud of? Do you have any challenges you face from time to time? 

First, I must discuss the challenges I have faced. I went through so many challenges in my life, and I know that being deaf with a cochlear implant is one of them. I believe that being a deaf person in a hearing society has given me the opportunity to learn to be patient and never give up hope. These skills have helped me to accomplish the goal of becoming a winemaker for Casa Larga. I had great guidance from my mentors throughout my life, whether they were part of my deaf journey or part of my winemaking journey. The mentors have been great and understood where I stand with my goals. They made sure that my questions were answered and that I was on the right path. Without them, I would have been on a completely different path. I would not change one bit of it as it has taught me dedication and perseverance. 

How did your education and your involvement in activities at RIT contribute to your success today? 

I first came to RIT to learn about photography as it is a hobby of mine, but then came to the conclusion that photography as a career is not the path I was meant to be on. I have learned that photography was meant to be just a hobby for me. As soon as I heard that RIT offered wine-tasting courses, I took it as an opportunity to learn more about wine. I had a great mentor who wound up being my professor to guide me through understanding deeper about wine with wine tasting experience, to understand the history of wine, to understand the importance of the wine market, and more. She is one other reason why I have come this far in winemaking. She is the one who showed me that Napa Valley is not the only place that can produce amazing wines. She is the one who gave me the resources to learn about winemaking, such as at Finger Lakes Community College, and finding the right job that got my foot in the door to get me where I wanted to be, which is where I am today.  I know for a fact that without her, I would not be here in New York like I am now. 

What are your favorite and memorable moments when you were a student at RIT? 

My favorite memorable moments as a student were meeting new people who shared similar experiences as mine. I am not the only person who is deaf and oral with cochlear implants. I found others who understood my struggles. The group I hung out with understood that it is okay to be different. Don’t let anyone judge you or change who you are. It is your own journey, so let your friends be part of it. It is important to have the right support from the right people or else you could lose hope. No matter what, I have friends who have been there for me through the path of making wine, especially my husband Nathan Sarkin, who has been right by my side the whole time and is also an RIT alum. We met during Freshman Orientation, and he has supported me in every decision I have made on my road to becoming a winemaker. If I never met him, I would have been on a different career path. 

What advice do you have for RIT/NTID students who aspire to become a winemaker or work in the hospitality industry? 

My advice for RIT/NTID students is that it is okay to face struggles in life because it makes us all stronger in the end. No matter which career path you choose, challenges will be part of it. Challenges are not meant to make you feel different or hopeless. They are meant to teach you new ways to reach your goals and to prove to yourself that you are not a failure. Life without challenges does not exist.