From Sicilian Roots to Kansas Vines. An Educator, Entrepreneur, and Farmer with a Twist.

A Daughter of Sicily. An Educator. An Entrepreneur. A Farmer. A Winemaker.

Some stories begin with a dream. Others begin with family traditions passed down through generations. For Dr. Gina Montalbano Zesiger, the story of Z&M Twisted Vines is a little bit of both.

A first-generation Sicilian-American, lifelong educator, and entrepreneur, Gina has always believed in the importance of family, hard work, education, and community. Her journey from the world of education to the vineyards of Kansas is one of reinvention, determination, and a deep appreciation for the traditions that make us who we are.

Today, as co-owner of Z&M Twisted Vines alongside her husband, retired U.S. Army Major Bryan Zesiger, Gina brings together her Sicilian heritage, leadership experience, and entrepreneurial spirit to create something truly unique in the heartland of America.

Roots That Run Deep: A Sicilian Heritage

Gina’s story begins with her parents, Salvatore and Antoinette, who came to America from Sicily and built a life for their family through hard work, sacrifice, and determination.

Growing up in a first-generation Italian-American household meant that family traditions weren’t just celebrated on holidays — they were part of everyday life.

Food, wine, family gatherings, and the importance of making the most of what you have were lessons Gina learned early. Her father worked hard to provide for his family of five children, becoming an American citizen and building a life through perseverance and dedication. His words, “Make me Proud,” became a lasting reminder of the values she carries with her today.

Winemaking was also woven into her family’s history. Gina’s relatives in Sicily had vineyards and wineries, and wine was a natural part of family gatherings. Her uncles and grandfather were among those who carried on the traditions of making wine and sharing it with the people they loved.

Those traditions would eventually become the foundation of something much bigger.

Gina has always believed that heritage is something you carry forward, not something you leave behind. At Z&M Twisted Vines, her Sicilian roots are reflected in the wines, the recipes, the hospitality, and the philosophy that brings people together around a table.

A Career Dedicated to Education and Leadership

Long before becoming a winery owner, Gina dedicated her professional life to education.

With a Master’s degree in Special Education and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, she built a career focused on helping students, supporting families, developing educators, and leading schools.

Her years in education included serving as an educator and school principal, ultimately becoming a respected leader within the Park Hill School District.

Education taught Gina many things that would later become essential to running a business: how to lead people, manage competing priorities, solve problems, communicate effectively, and recognize the potential in others.

It also reinforced something she has always believed — that learning never really stops.

Although she eventually stepped away from her career in education, the educator in Gina never disappeared. Today, she continues to use those skills in agriculture, business leadership, community involvement, and advocating for the growth of the Kansas wine and grape industry.

A Love Story That Became a Business

Sometimes the best business partnerships begin with a personal connection.

Gina and Bryan met later in life, bringing two very different backgrounds together through a shared love of wine, travel, adventure, and community.

Bryan brought his military experiences and appreciation for wines from around the world. Gina brought her Sicilian family traditions and an understanding that wine was about much more than what was in the glass.

Together, they decided to take a winemaking class through Greater Kansas City Cellar Masters. What began as an opportunity to learn something new quickly turned into a passion.

Their first wine was Harvest Moon, inspired by a recipe and winemaking techniques passed down through Gina’s family.

Friends and family loved it. They began experimenting with new flavors, creating new recipes, and sharing their wines with others.

Eventually, what started as a hobby became a business.

The name Z&M represents Zesiger and Montalbano — two families, two histories, and two people building something together.

Their first winery opened in downtown Leavenworth, Kansas, in 2018. They initially operated the business while continuing their full-time careers, learning the wine industry one batch, one customer, and one challenge at a time.

By 2019, Z&M Twisted Vines had become a formal business, and the couple committed themselves to building their next chapter together.

Tradition With a Twist: Bringing Sicily to Kansas

For Gina, winemaking is one of the most meaningful ways to preserve her family’s heritage.

Traditional Sicilian winemaking has influenced the recipes and techniques used at Z&M, including the practice of allowing white grapes to remain on their skins for a period of time during fermentation.

This Old World technique helps develop additional flavor, texture, and color, creating wines that don’t always fit the traditional expectation of a clear white wine.

One example is Z&M’s Itasca, whose beautiful amber appearance reflects this handcrafted approach.

Gina enjoys bringing these traditional techniques into a modern American farm winery, blending the old with the new and creating wines that tell a story.

She believes wine shouldn’t be intimidating or pretentious. It should be fun, approachable, and something everyone can enjoy in their own way.

Much like a traditional Sicilian family meal, wine is an invitation to slow down, share stories, celebrate life, and bring people together.

At Z&M, there is something for everyone, but not everything is for everyone. And that’s exactly how Gina likes it.

The Entrepreneurial Spirit: Finding Opportunity in Everything

One of Gina’s greatest strengths is seeing possibilities where others might see limitations.

That philosophy helped shape another part of the Z&M family: Bella Vino.

During the early years of winemaking, Gina and Bryan began asking a simple question: What could they do with the byproducts left behind from making wine?

Rather than allowing those materials to go to waste, they began exploring ways to repurpose them into useful products.

The idea eventually became Bella Vino, a sustainable self-care line inspired by the winemaking process.

With help from family and local makers, they developed body scrubs, soaps, lip scrubs, and their signature Twisted Lips lip balms, incorporating repurposed materials from their wine and coffee wine production.

They also found ways to turn leftover wine into wine jelly and grape byproducts into resources for other local agricultural operations.

For Gina, this is more than a business idea. It reflects how she was raised: work hard, be resourceful, appreciate what you have, and never waste an opportunity.

Her Sicilian upbringing taught her to make the most of everything, and that philosophy continues to influence the way Z&M operates.

From Educator to Agricultural Advocate

Gina’s transition into agriculture brought a new opportunity to combine her professional background with her passion for building something meaningful.

Although she and Bryan didn’t grow up as Kansas farmers, they embraced the challenge of learning viticulture, developing a vineyard, and navigating an industry with its own unique agricultural and regulatory challenges.

Today, Gina is actively involved in advancing Kansas agriculture, viticulture, farm wineries, and agritourism.

She has served in leadership roles with agricultural organizations, including the Kansas Viticulture and Farm Winery Association, where she has worked to strengthen the industry and create opportunities for Kansas grape growers and winery owners.

Her work extends beyond her own business. She believes small farms, specialty crop growers, and farm wineries deserve a stronger voice and the opportunity to succeed.

Drawing on her background in educational leadership, Gina approaches agricultural advocacy with an emphasis on collaboration, communication, and bringing people together around common goals.

She is particularly passionate about helping establish Kansas as a recognized wine-growing region and encouraging more people to understand the economic, agricultural, and tourism opportunities that vineyards and farm wineries bring to rural communities.

For Gina, growing grapes is only one part of growing an industry.

Community, Connection, and Giving Back

One of the things Gina values most about owning Z&M Twisted Vines is the opportunity to make a difference in the community.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when so many businesses and families were struggling, Gina helped organize community meal programs that provided approximately 1,000 fish sandwich meals to people in the area.

It was a reminder that a business can be more than a place where people purchase a product. It can be a resource, a gathering place, and a way to help others.

That belief continues to guide the winery.

Through community partnerships, charitable events, agricultural organizations, veteran initiatives, and local collaborations, Gina and Bryan have worked to build relationships that extend well beyond the vineyard.

Gina believes deeply in creating a welcoming environment where people from different backgrounds and generations can come together.

Whether someone visits for a glass of wine, a family outing, a special gathering, or simply the opportunity to experience something different, she hopes they leave feeling that they were part of something special.

The Next Chapter: Growing Roots in Kansas

Today, Gina continues to balance the many roles that have shaped her journey: educator, business owner, agricultural advocate, wife, daughter, and proud keeper of her family’s Sicilian traditions.

Together with Bryan, she has helped transform a small winemaking hobby into a growing Kansas farm winery, vineyard, and agricultural business.

Their journey hasn’t always been easy. There have been unexpected challenges, financial obstacles, long days, lessons learned, and plenty of twists along the way.

But Gina believes those experiences are what make the journey worthwhile.

She often looks at the vineyard much like she looks at life. Roots need time to grow deep. Strong foundations take patience. And the best things are often created through a combination of hard work, tradition, and a willingness to try something different.

Her hope is that Z&M Twisted Vines will continue to grow deep roots in Kansas — not only through the grapes they grow and the wines they produce, but through the people, families, and communities they bring together.

After all, wine has always been about more than wine.

It’s about heritage. It’s about family. It’s about sharing a table, creating memories, and enjoying the unexpected twists along the way.

From Sicily to Kansas, Gina’s roots run deep, and her story continues to grow — one vine, one bottle, and one new adventure at a time.

Twisted in Life. Twisted in Love. Twisted in Wine.

— Dr. Gina Montalbano Zesiger
Co-Owner | Educator | Entrepreneur | Agricultural Advocate | Farm Winery Owner
Z&M Twisted Vines