Two winery stories mirror the national conversation and the American story
Rolando Herrera was the protégé of Warren Winiarski and Paul Hobbs before founding Mi Sueño with his ... [+]
One of California’s most compelling propositions is its ever-changing story and its ability to mirror so many true American stories—from Horatio Alger prototypes and American dreamers to invincible women who stood up against patriarchal systems or broke glass ceilings.
With our very current national conversation focused on women’s rights, social justice and immigration, here’s a look at two California wineries that exemplify America’s pioneering spirit, as the state’s wine industry bounces back after a long shut down.
Inman Family Wines, Russian River Valley (Sonoma). With titles that include grape grower, winemaker, general managers, sales and operations manager, accountant, and forklift driver, Kathleen Inman is the “Jill of all trades” at her 10.5-acre farm, the center of which is the Olivet Grange vineyard. Her trajectory into wine wasn’t a straight shot: Raised with no alcohol in the home (her grandmother was a Seven-Day Adventist), Inman studied art-history at UC-Santa Barbara. She met her English husband while working in a Napa tasting room as a student. They reunited in England, eventually married, and Inman worked in the financial field for 15 years before the couple moved to California.
Kathleen Inman has put a concrete egg in her basket
Inman, a Napa native, and her husband purchased the farm in 1999 and planted 13,500 vines the next year on the sandy/loamy soil for which the AVA is known (The predominant soil type is Goldridge, a fine sandy loam composed of ancient volcanic ah deposits and bedrock). Since their first vintage in 2002, the solar-powered winery, which was constructed from recycled and reclaimed materials, has been sustainably farmed.
“I wanted the winery to reflect my eco-ethics,” she said.
Typical of other producers in the Russian River, Inman focuses on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, producing still wines in both colors, a rose, and limited-production sparklers from Pinot Noir. She also produces a Pinot Gris.
And, atypical, Inman says she’s the first winemaker to make a single-vintage, single-parcel cuvees. Given the AVA’s notoriously cool climates and nightly marine layer, she says “it’s a little bit risky.” Also among her first: Inman was the first luxury brand to launch a premium wine with Stelvin (non cork) closure.
The label includes her Olivet Grange estate Pinot Noir, a blended RRV appellation pinot, and another sourced from non-estate vineyards. All wines are small-production with total production at about 2,800 cases per year.
Inman acted presciently before California officially closed its tasting rooms in March 15.
“At the end of February when I saw [events] being cancelled, I thought I had better prepare for some changes in my business,” she said. By the time a shutdown was confirmed in California, Inman had created a range of online tasting packages, which she promoted as virtual solutions to birthday and bachelorette parties, and corporate entertaining.
“It has been a magical combination of wine, education, laughter and networking,” she said.
Endless Crush comes in a trio of pretty Pinot Noir-driven pinks for summer
Top picks: Endless Crush Pinot Noir must be on your list this summer. A trio of pretty-in-pink rosés made from Pinot Noir in three different parcels in the Russian River Valley. The unifying theme is a linear freshness and underlying tart red fruit. Line priced at $38. The Sexton Road ranch Pinot Noir ($68) had tart, crunchy red fruit, smacking of rhubarb and pomegranate – lovely with a chill on it.
Tastings: Available by appointment.
Rolando and Lorena Herrera of Mi Sueno winery in Napa.
Mi Sueño, Napa Valley. The wine world is full of inspirational stories, but if there’s one any more uplifting than that belonging to Rolando and Lorena Herrera, I have yet to hear it. Rolando left his home in El Llano, in central Mexico at age 15 for a life in Napa Valley. The teenager attended high school full time while working at night as a dishwasher at luxury resort Auberge du Soleil. His first job in wine as a harvest hand at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, was serendipitous: Warren Winiarski himself spotted the teen’s hard work as he constructing a wall on the winery property and offered him a job as a cellar rat. Within three years, Rolando was promoted to cellar master, and within a decade became assistant winemaker at Chateau Potelle.
Concurrently, Lorena Robledo, also a Mexican immigrant, was farming with her grape-growing family in Napa, Sonoma and Lake counties. In 1997, the same year of their marriage, Rolando created Mi Sueño Chardonnay (Spanish for ‘My Dream’) with grapes purchased from Lorena’s father. An experimental project, his 200 cases of sold out. Two years later, George W. Bush served the Chardonnay at a White House dinner for Mexican President Vicente Fox. It would be the first of three times Mi Sueño—Spanish for “My Dream”—would make a presidential appearance.
After a few more prestige winemaker jobs—including Vine Cliff and Paul Hobbs wineries—Rolando was ready move his side project up front and center. In 2004 he simultaneously launched a prestige line of single-varietal wines and devoted himself full time to his brand.
Had it not been for his hard work, Rolando’s success might not have been forthcoming, given his lack of fortune and formal education, he said.
“Who was going to trust me without a UC-Davis degree or any [inherited] money?” he asked. Instead, he used his wine as his resume, handing out bottles, saying “here, I made this wine.”
Today, the couple are parents to six children and full-time operators of their winery and Herrera Vineyard Management, an agricultural enterprise that gives them 100-percent control over their process from grape to bottle. They remain small, producing about 10,000 cases per year from 40 acres of estate vineyards in AVAs, Mt. Veeder, Los Carneros, Russian River Valley and Oak Knoll among them.
The pandemic not only strengthened them as an extended family, but also as a business and a brand.
“For everyone involved and everyone in this industry, it [was] a difficult experience. But it is also one that challenges us as small-business owners and tests our foundations and structures. When times are good, you have to have a plan in place because things can change in a heartbeat and you have to be ready that quickly,’” Rolando said.
“This time has forced us to examine how we can utilize different tools to stay in touch with our clients,” he said. “We have weathered financial crisis and natural disasters, but a health crisis shuts everything down and it should, health is more important than money.”
Top picks: The premium line, priced $78-149, is allocated to wine-club members. If you want to taste the history of this producer, the Los Carneros Chardonnay is the wine that launched Mi Sueño. Made from three clones harvested together as a filed blend, it’s a Burgundian-style Chard that will change your mind if you are among those who [wrongly] disregard this noble grape. The five-clone Pinot Noir also from Los Carneros is also a solid “Burgundy imposter” with tart red fruits and spicy and earthy-pungent layers. Line priced at $42.
Tastings: Available by appointment.
