Decades before her life as a Napa Valley winery owner and philanthropist, Jo Ann Truchard was a school teacher in Austin, Texas. “My first year of teaching, I taught 3rd grade in a low income part of town,” recalled Jo Ann. “I’ll never forget a little girl named Barbara. She was overweight and every time she would make a mistake, she’d say things to herself, like ‘Oh, you’re so clumsy. You are just like a cow.’  When I asked her why she said that, she responded, ‘People always say that to me.’ I told her that wasn’t true, that she was a special gift from God. It was so sad. I’m sure her parents loved her, but they weren’t very kind to her.”