“When you drink wine it’s a story in a bottle,” says Ramon Sandoval, whose mission is to celebrate and recognize the greatness of Latino wines in the Bay Area and nationwide.

Sandoval says that California’s wine industry was built with Latino labor and now Latino vintners and winemakers are at the forefront of the industry. Where they once worked the vineyards, many Latinos now own the winery. Where they once worked the cellars, they now claim the name ‘winemaker’.

“They have taken their passion for family, land, and work and poured it into their wines,” says Sandoval, who lives in Napa Valley. Through his company, Vino Latino USA, Sandoval represents Latino vintners and winemakers via direct to consumer sales, in-home wine tasting, and wine tours of local Latino wineries.

He works with pioneers of the American wine industry such as Gustavo Brambila, Reynaldo Robledo and younger winemakers such as Cesar Toxqui, Fernando Candelario, Cecilia of Enriquez Family Wines, and Fausta of Fausta Family Vineyards.

Sandoval is clearly inspired and motivated by the Latino winemakers he works with in the Bay Area.

“Gustavo Bambrila is a pioneer,” says Sandoval. “He is one of the first Latinos who become well recognized as a winemaker. The story of Mr. Robledo working in the fields and then gradually buying land, it is a fabulous and inspiring story.”

Sandoval estimates there are almost twenty Latino-owned wineries in Napa and Sonoma Valley and at least 40 Latinos winemakers.

More Latino consumers are starting to spend more on wine, especially younger Latinos, according to Sandoval.
Now an evangelist of wine, Sandoval was not a wine drinker at all for most of his adult life.

“I tried wine about twenty years ago and it tasted horrible - I wasn’t educated,” confesses Sandoval. “It was always beer and tequila.”

Having tasted only a mass market wine, Sandoval admits that he had a negative perception of wine for many years.

“After I met my wife, I started knowing about wine and enjoying it,” he says. “Before that, I did not know the difference between wines.”

Sandoval gives his wife, Becky Tyner, a lot of credit for educating him about handcrafted artisan wine. His wife introduced him to wine by starting with a white, such as a Chardonnay. “Don’t start with a red wine,” he says.

Sandoval’s personal experience is what’s behind his current mission of wine introduction and education. The education challenge is no different than with someone who doesn’t like tequila but has never tasted a quality tequila.

With Vino Latino USA, Sandoval conducts wine tastings in people’s homes across the Bay Area. He’s done hundreds of these in-home tastings, which are called ‘Vino with Amigos’. “We go to their homes and educate them. At home, they are not intimidated to ask questions. We tell the story in the bottle.”

“When people want to meet Latino winemakers, they come to Napa to do tours with us.”

At the home wine tastings for groups of family and friends, Sandoval was often asked by Latino customers for a sweeter wine. He responded by creating his own wine, Vino es Vida, which is now one of his best sellers at the home wine tastings.

Of his Vino Latino business, he says, “It’s a personal venture - I know every winemaker of the wines I feature and I am fascinated by the history in the bottle.”

Latino-owned wineries are generally of smaller production and don’t reach most stores but are sold directly from the winery…and now through wine champions such as Sandoval.

“I love sitting down with the wine maker and to know how they become wine makers,” says Sandoval. “I love to see their passion - their passion to do what they do is amazing to me.”