Making an Impact
In the summer of 2020 whilst fighting a global pandemic, saw the George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests bring about waves of change. Along with this change, came the increase of hospitality brands and publications seeking to diversify with Latinx and BIPOC voices and talents.
As a result, two shifts took place in the wine industry.
First, the Court of Master Sommeliers was called out for sexual misconduct against more than two dozen women who left before finishing the Master Sommelier exam program and were called out for sexual misconduct with the New York Times piece. Allegations of discriminatory practices led to these women shaping a newly formed Diversity Committee.
The second shift resulted in Black and Latinx winemakers finally becoming noticed and celebrated not only for their delicious wines but also for the impact they bring to their communities.
As an obsessed wine writer and rosé lover, I’m so glad to see the wine industry finally acknowledge Latinx winemakers like Ramon Sandoval and Cecilia Enriquez, who take pride in creating wines that celebrate their heritage and advocate for themselves by giving back to their community.
Barbara Bourne
Ramon Sandoval
VINO LATINO USA
Napa, California
A first-generation Mexican American, Ramon Sandoval’s childhood ambition was to get out of the ghetto.
Passionate about his Latino heritage, his mission has always been to celebrate Latin winemakers and give back to his community. For most of his adult life, Ramon admits that he had a negative perception of wine:
“I tasted wine about twenty years ago and it tasted awful - I didn't know anything about wine,” confesses Sandoval. "It was always beer and tequila."
This perception changed after meeting his wife Becky Tyner, who had a twenty-year background in the Napa wine industry. Becky educated Ramon about wines, starting with Chardonnay, leading him to enjoy wines so much that he started hosting wine education parties at people’s homes.
Living and working as a marketing executive in Sonoma, Ramon fell in love with Napa and quickly learned about the history of the many Latino winemakers who worked in the Sonoma and Napa vineyards. With frequent trips to the 800+ tasting rooms there, Ramon noticed the disconnect between Latinos working the fields and vineyards and their lack of presence in the tasting rooms.
This led to Ramon founding Vino Latino, a Latino-owned and operated winery to celebrate the impact and rich heritage Latinos have brought to the wine industry. With his wife’s 20-year background in the wine industry and close ties to the Latino community, Ramon creates Latin heritage-inspired wines using California-grown varietals.
Inspired and motivated by the Latino winemakers with whom he works in the Bay Area, Ramon represents and works with young Latino winemakers such as Cecilia Enriquez of Enriquez Family Estates, Fausta from Fausta Family Wines, and pioneers Gustavo Brambila and Reynaldo Robledo.
Cecilia Enriquez
Enriquez Estate Wines
Sonoma, California
Over a decade ago, with little more than a basic understanding of winemaking, Cecilia Enriquez, a 21-year-old Latina Wells Fargo credit manager, made the bold move to purchase a 30-acre property in Petaluma.
Inspired by family ties to the agricultural industry in Mexico and fueled by her parent’s unwavering support and passion for great wine, in 2011 she built Enriquez Estate Wines with the help of her parents Ana and Eduardo.
Lack of education to this point forced Cecilia to immerse herself in a crash course on “all things wine” by reaching out to Napa Valley winemaking pioneers like Mike Brunson and Ramon Sandoval who would later become her mentors. When it comes to Cecilia’s choice of wines, she focuses on limited lots of Pinot Noir (her father’s favorite) and Tempranillo varietals.
Since selling her Petaluma Estate and purchasing land in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, her out-the-box creative wine blends include varietals unique to the Russian River Valley such as Muscat, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Tannat, producing and selling no more than 700 cases.
Cecilia admits she still finds herself using the same relationship-building practices she learned as a credit manager:
“I would connect with my customers at Wells Fargo by establishing a relationship to make them feel comfortable purchasing our products. Wine is the same way. You can have a great product but if you don’t connect with the person, you’re most likely not going to purchase the product and vice versa”.
As a young new generation Latina winemaker, Cecilia is paving the way for underrepresented Mexican American winemakers and vintners.
Cecilia has remained resilient amidst the many challenges of 2020 (wildfires, winery shutdowns) and has championed her local community by teaming up with local small businesses in Sonoma by inviting them to be a part of her “Brunch in the Vineyard” and “Vineyard Estate Cottage Guest Stays”. Community is at the heart of everything she does, as a proud member of the many Sonoma local and Hispanic organizations like the Hispanic & Windsor Chamber of Commerce, Russian River Valley & Petaluma Gap Winegrowers.
