1974

An Albanian American, Rrustem Gecaj emigrated from Yugoslavia to escape communism and social hardship, first moving to Italy and then to Canada.

1976

He was granted a visa to the United States and settled in New York City, eventually becoming a U.S. citizen. He began working in a restaurant and after several months was promoted to a chef position where he remained for three years.

2006

In 2006, the Gecaj family acquired what was formerly a large, state-owned winery known as “NBI Rahoveci” which the Yugoslavian government built in 1953. All of Stone Castle’s wines are made from estate-grown grapes from the heart of the Rahovec Valley, known locally as the “Tuscany of Kosovo.”