Young Voices in the Wine Industry
Stories From Boots On the Vineyard Grounds
At the beginning of July, my mentor Randy Caparoso wrote and collaborated with me on the Op-Ed Do Not Talk About What Younger Consumers Think About Wine Unless You’re Under 30, which made the front page cover story on Wine Industry Advisor. It was an honor to write with Randy; not only was he patient with me, but he also helped me learn how to unapologetically use my voice. For more
follow him on Substacks as he writes chapters from his to-be-released book Culinary Approach to Wine In Restaurants. Thank you to everyone who has followed me since the release of the article. With your attention, I’d like to use my platform to share the stories of my fellow wine industry punks who, like the Replacements Song, are pounding the prairie pavement, losing proposition, quitting school, going to work, and never going fishing. All for the hopes of a swinging wine party down the line.Eliana
I first met Eliana when she introduced herself as our new commercial wine rep, and immediately, her French girl chic stood out. Eliana wore black ballet Mary Jane flats, a cable knit white sweater, Madewell light wash straight jeans, and the perfect Francoise Hardy shoulder-length hair tucked behind her gold bejeweled ears. As we got to know her more, Paul and I realized we were in the presence of a little rockstar. At nineteen, testing vineyard soil samples for a credit filler class, she realized she wanted to work in wine. One track mind, Eliana laser-focused her way through the wine industry after graduating with an Ag Communications degree from Cal Poly. The second she turned twenty-one, she worked in a tasting room in Paso Robles and put herself through a harvest internship at Wente Vineyards. Now, at twenty-three, she works as a sales rep covering local accounts for Oak Ridge where you can contact her by email at earnaudo@oakridgewinery.com or through her Linkedin.
The most challenging part of the job, she admits, is when people still question her wine knowledge because of her age. Restaurant managers with their heads cocked to the side wearing confused faces is a regular occurrence. Even though it’s frustrating, she reminds herself that their shock is not so much about her as it is about them. The girl is well-rounded in her wine knowledge; she's backed up her hands-on experience by passing the WSET 3 with distinction. Key to the comeup, according to Eliana, is to reach out and build community. During our study days at Towne Corner Cafe, we’d break in between to talk about our wine daydreams. We drew inspiration from each other as we excitedly sent each other exciting young wine brands, like High Camp Wines and Catch & Release, and geek out about the technicals of their approach. Occasionally, my boss Paul gently nudges us towards heritage brands like Stolpman Vineyards, which he knew we’d also find their Stolpman So Fresh cool. Connecting with people your age while getting to know your older mentors builds an inner confidence that allows you to have fun during the learning process. Surround yourself with a support system to help you get through the good, the bad, and the corked.
Elvira
Our local Spanish ingenue, Elvi, is confidence personified. Elvira came to Lodi for originally what was supposed to be a short internship that turned into a full-time marketing position at Bokisch Winery. Having opened over forty accounts across the Loire Valley, Elvi’s already gone through the song and dance of being sussed out by old Frenchmen questioning her wine knowledge (WSET 2 and a Masters in International Business from the Universite d’Angers). With already built armor, the girl stepped into the American wine industry with her best self forward, taking on every opportunity to grow. Yet, in true girl power support, Elvi wants you to own your knowledge as well and stand in greatness with her. Across oceans, she is a living testament that opportunities in wine are available if you ask for them. The things you desire are achievable, so stop putting yourself down for the sake of modesty and stand proud.
Our comparative business strategist wants to see more purposeful wine marketing. Domestic wine mainly focuses on events for big-bottle purchases, but Elvi would love to see more work directed toward an everyday drinking lifestyle. Coming from Europe, where children grow up with wine as a part of their culture, Elvi's heart is recreating that culture through marketing for the American wine industry. The fun part is when our local industry is happy to allow young talent to experiment with growth. No heritage? No problem. Creativity, an iPhone, and a Macbook can push exciting new boundaries in wine. I think that’s the magic of marketing professionals; they can see what makes something unique and breathe life into overlooked spaces. Tune into Elvi’s journey through wine by following her Instagram, elvivino, and Substacks
to get a glimpse into the mind of an emerging maverick.
Daniel
In the awkward growing phase of your wine career, you will be invited to many dinners where you feel out of place. This is why you find the other young person in the room and become best friends for the rest of the evening. Luckily for me, that person was Daniel. At an invite list with the best brains in California viticulture, I spotted Daniel from across the room, shooting the breeze with Dr. Cliff Ohmart, and made a beeline for him. Daniel was witty, smart, and easily conversed with everyone. Later, I pieced that professional dinner party social skills are a learned muscle from years of thinking on your feet as a young viticulturist. His first position in the industry was as a research assistant for the Fresno State viticulture department taking care of the demo vineyard. After working for Sonoma Cutrer as a viticulturist’s assistant, he transitioned into working as a field scout for Vino Farms. Seven vintages went by, and Daniel is now the head of viticulture at the Lodi branch. A tip from Mr. Meyer for vitals students wanting to get started is to put your application on Handshake and get seen by scouts checking out viticulture and enology-focused universities like UC Davis, Cal Poly, Sonoma, and Fresno State.
From there, it’s all it's how fast you can adapt to changing situations. In viticulture, Daniel will experience a brand new set of problems every season. The people who last the longest are the ones who are quick to learn. Sometimes, as quickly as researching a problem overnight and showing up the next day with the solution. Vino Farm’s foresight into the trend of diverse vineyard certifications also gave Daniel an edge. Naturally becoming the “organics guy” at the company, Daniel’s niche expertise helps meet demand from winemakers who are looking to produce from sustainably grown grapes like Pax The Bench Vermentino. His job also requires finding out about new trending grape demands like Picpoul Blanc, which they’ve now planted and have already contracted. Thinking one step ahead as usual, our clever viticulturist is cognisant that sustainable vineyard practices are becoming more commonplace with large corporations. Even though the allure of organics comes with the idea that they’re sourced from small production high-quality winegrapes, what’s to stop larger entities from replicating, or better yet partnering with, artisanal winemakers? It’s a cyclical paradox that has been happening since early California winemaking, but I’m sure Daniel and his team at Vino Farms can find a way to outsmart it. To reach Daniel you can email him at dmeyers@vinofarms.net.
Noah
Ever feel too shy to make friends with someone you think is really cool, but once you get over yourself, they’re just as awesome as you’d hope you'd be? That’s Noah. He is unapologetically himself and carries it well. Naturally outgoing with a grit that can withstand even the toughest jobs, his first foray into the professional world was working as a health and safety manager for UPS. After five years of grueling but rewarding work, he took his foot off the pedal to work as a server at Guantonio's Pizza, where he first fell in love with the Las Jaras 2021 Sweet Berry Wine. From there, an opportunity opened up to work a couple of days at the Lucas Family Winery, which later turned into him inheriting the role of tasting room manager. In an age where many tasting room managers’ MO is to rebrand with the goal of becoming more “elevated,” Noah is instead focused on bringing the winery back to its roots. To our fearless manager, the winery's winery is not based on palette sales or table turnovers. Instead, it’s about fostering a community around their wine club by centering the business around genuine guest interaction and showing true wine club appreciation. Whether through hand-designed harvest dinner posters or careful choice of bottle distribution, Noah’s love of the family winery as if it were his own is needed to keep the space special for years to come.
For folks in the transitional period in their career, Noah encourages you to be more picky. Know that you are talented, and carefully look to see if a business reflects who you are inside. If establishing personal customer relationships is important, align yourself with spaces that allow your light to shine. (Noah might have puked in his mouth after reading that Hallmark line, but I’m keeping in.) Wineries showing up authentically is essential to traversing the wine glut we’ve experienced. Our generation has grown up with advertising on every screen since childhood, and we’ve developed a dog whistle sense for inauthentic advertising - like spotting AI-done work. Wineries that can tune into their authentic self will be rewarded in the long run. Also exciting to our visionary tasting room manager are drink innovations like Scribe’s Non-Alcoholic 2023 Verjus of Pinot Noir, which he once mixed with sparkling water for a sober friend. Integrating non-alcoholic options into drink spaces allows a wider audience to integrate themselves into the wine world. In short, the more the merrier. To reach Noah you can email him at NCWentland@lucaswinery.com.
