10/06/2026
Ten yeas ago today I lost my mom, Krystyna Tarasewicz, to cancer. I’ve spent most of the day reflecting on her love and legacy, reminiscing about good times and funny stories, and generally trying not to dwell on the sadness of missing her. 10 years feels like a long time, but it also feels like yesterday.
✨
For those of you that may not know, my mom and her husband Jan founded The Organized Crime W**ery 20 years ago. They turned an old pear orchard into 28 acres of prime Beamsville Bench vineyard, built a working w**ery, and created a small retail store from the dining room in their home. From nothing. The chutzpah that it took to do all that awes me to this day. But those were my parents. My mom was ‘big picture’, while Jan was the details guy, and it worked.
✨
After my mom passed, my husband Edward Zaski and I took over the business from my stepfather Jan, who wanted to retire. We sold our house in Toronto, moved to Beamsville, and officially took ownership of Organized Crime 6 years ago *to the day*, on the anniversary of my mother’s death. So while this is a sad day for me, it’s also an auspicious one for our family, as it marks when the w**ery passed to the next generation.
✨
To this day, I *still* have people who walk into the w**ery and tell me funny stories about my mother. She had such an awesome, dry sense of humour, and people became regular customers not only because of our w**e, but to visit with her. I love hearing these tales, as it brings her back to life for me, all while I laugh and shake my head at some of this things she said.
✨
If you’re still here, reading this far down, thank you for taking the time to learn about my mom. And if you feel so inclined to share one of your funny stories about her below, that would make my day.
✨
Love you, Mama. Miss you always. Ania 🤍
