The Latinas of California Wine

Vino alert! A growing number of Latinas are putting a new face on California’s wine industry. Here are four Mexican-American women who are infusing California wines with culture, passion and a deep connection to the land.

Rosaura Segura, partner and president, Encanto Vineyards, Calistoga, Calif. 

“My father worked in the fields his entire life, and as a child I’d go into the vineyards and help him water,” says Rosaura Segura. “I grew to love the life cycle of the vine: In the winter it’s dormant, and slowly it wakes up and starts to bloom, and then the blooms turn into grapes, and then it’s harvest time, and it starts all over.”  

As an adult, she became curious about what happened after the grapes arrived at the winery. She and her husband, Enrique Lopez, purchased a 20-acre property in 1999 and planted it with Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Her father and her husband’s brothers were content to work in the family vineyard, but Segura said, “Let’s do something more than work in the fields.”

Encanto Vineyards opened four years ago as a commercial winery, and some of its wines have won awards. But Segura hasn’t let it go to her head. She jokes that she was once a cerveza drinker. Why the shift? “You can take 15 minutes to savor a glass of Sauvignon Blanc on a summer day,” she says. “With tequila, one sip and it’s gone.”

Encanto 2008 Pinot Noir Carneros Napa Valley

Gold Medal at the Beverage Testing Institute’s World Wine Championships. Made from 100 percent organically grown Pinot Noir grapes, the wine was aged 17 months in French oak barrels and presents aromas of licorice, ripe cherries and classic earthiness.

Try it with: Turkey in Mole Sauce

Vanessa Robledo, majority owner and president, Black Coyote Wines, Napa Valley, Calif.

At 24, Vanessa Robledo became president of the Robledo family’s winery, and today at 36, she remains one of the youngest Latinas to hold the position of majority owner and president of a Napa Valley winery.

Robledo’s approach to the wine industry is hands-on. She’s involved in every aspect of the winery’s day-to-day operations, from grape growing to winemaking to marketing. “I went to school for both viticulture and enology, and the business side,” she says. “But the strongest lessons I’ve learned come from my heritage, and from passion. You can’t learn passion. You have to be born with it.”

Early on, Robledo’s family gained footing in the highly competitive Napa Valley wine industry by focusing on food and wine pairing. “We’d pair my mom’s traditional dishes from her pueblo with the wine, and it opened up a whole new world for people.”

Black Coyote 2010 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Gold Medal Winner, 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. This wine displays some of the classic Cabernet Sauvignon characteristics including dark chocolate and ripe blackberry. Aged 22 months in French oak, the tannins are firm but elegant.

Try it with: a Venezuelan Pabellón Criollo

Next, meet two more Latina’s in Califonia’s wine world…

Dena Mancini, president, Nevarez Vineyards, Paso Robles, Calif. 

After 13 years in retail management, Dena Mancini was burned out and searching for a new path. She started law school and soon learned through her mother that Juan Nevarez, founder of Nevarez Vineyards, was looking for help managing his winery. Mancini stepped up and quickly fell in love with wine. Before long she was president of the first Latino-owned vineyard in Paso Robles since the time of the Franciscan missionaries.

“The wine industry has been run predominantly by men because of the labor-intensive side,” notes Mancini. “Latinas are changing the stereotype. Women are looking for other avenues besides corporate. A door is opening in the wine world and there are new possibilities for Latinas whose parents worked in the vineyards.”

Manchini describes Nevarez’s wines as simple and easy to drink. “We as Latinos like to have people over, and sometimes it’s last minute. The versatility of our wine allows for the planned and unplanned fiesta. It’s good with chips and salsa or with a great dinner.”

Nevarez 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon “El Vino” Special Lotería Series

Bronze Medal Winner, Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits Competition. With aromas of pomegranate and black cherries, this Paso Robles Cab is bursting with ripe fruit flavors. Soft tannins make it easy to enjoy on its own.

Try it with: Pork Carnita Tacos

Amelia Ceja, president and owner, Ceja Vineyards

Arriving in the Napa Valley at age 12, Amelia Ceja fell in love with viticulture and later with tasting wine. From an early age she worked in the vineyards alongside her father, knowing someday she would end up working in the wine industry.

After founding Ceja Vineyards in 1999 with husband Pedro Ceja, Amelia became the first female Mexican-American president of a winery. The company, Ceja says, has paved the way for democratizing the exploration of wine. “We don’t patronize anyone. In fact, we invite everyone from the novice to the master sommelier to explore wine on their own terms.”

Enjoying wine, Ceja says, is much different from enjoying other types of alcoholic beverages. “It’s all about sharing,” she says. “You enjoy wine with your family and friends. Latin culture is al about that.” She encourages people to take an adventurous approach toward wine. “Don’t be afraid to try wines that you don’t know with names you can’t pronounce. Wine is a living thing. It’s not a mystery— embrace it!”  

Ceja Vineyards 2010 Carneros Chardonnay

Gold Medal Winner, 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. This elegant chardonnay displays rich creaminess without the coarse, buttery popcorn aromas or overwhelming oakiness.

Try it with: Deep-fried Polenta with Queso Blanco and Avocado