On August 19, 2017, Rhythmix Cultural Works, Alameda’s destination for the arts, is celebrating women of wine and song with its upcoming #Rhythmix10 Gala celebration. It’s an action-packed afternoon of live local music, tasty bites, craft beer, fine wine, a silent auction, a wine raffle, and a tasting panel featuring rockstar women in the wine, spirits and beer industries. All proceeds go to support free cultural arts education programs for East Bay youth.
We wanted to take this unique opportunity to spotlight the 2017 Tasting Panel: Spice It Up! (to be moderated by Deborah Parker Wong) in this short interview series.
Dalia Ceja is making her mark in the modern wine industry. Growing up in the world-famous wine-growing region of Napa Valley, the 32-year-old brand ambassador has worked hard as a third generation Mexican American to learn her family-owned winery business from the ground up and help build the next generation of their namesake Ceja label.
Recently, we chatted with her to find out how she first discovered her lifelong passion for wine, Ceja’s current focus on pairing their well-balanced wines with authentic Mexican cuisine, what advice she would give young women who want to make their way in the wine industry, and more. Enjoy.
Early on, when did you first discover your passion for wine?
Since childhood. I remember being five years old and running through our Pinot Noir vineyards (our backyard) during harvest time and following the tractors and vineyard crew. My contribution would be to pick up the fallen grape clusters and throw them back into the yellow bins on the tractor. At a very young age, I knew we were involved in something very special.
How did your family inspire you to join the business?
I grew up in the wine industry but come from very humble beginnings. My family is the first Mexican-American family to start a wine production company in the United States. We went from vineyard workers to vineyard owners to winery owners within less than 40 years. Anything is possible with hard work, a vision, passion, and an education. I want to inspire others as a millennial and as the next generation in wine that anything is possible.
What’s the focus / mission behind Ceja? To make handcrafted quality wines that speak of their birthplace — the vineyards. We also focus on pairing Authentic Mexican cuisine with our style of wines.
Can you talk a bit more about Ceja’s focus on pairing wine with authentic Mexican cuisine? Our biggest philosophy stylistically is to make beautifully balanced wines that shine on their own but compliment world-wide and Mexican cuisine. Our wines have moderate alcohol content and have integrated acidity which is why they compliment dishes that have a subtle spice component like many Mexican dishes.
What’s your favorite Ceja wine at the moment? Food pairing options? Sparkling wine paired with grilled oysters and Pinot Noir paired with a salmon ceviche tostada. Mmmm…
What are the key opportunities / challenges facing women in the wine industry today? Working in a male dominated industry is a challenge. However, times are changing and women represent a huge majority in the wine industry. At Ceja, we’re a women-run business and we’re very proud of our Mexican heritage and working as a dynamic mother-daughter team.
What advice would you give young women who want to join the wine industry? Depending on the area of interest, apply to winery job positions that you’re passionate about and proceed with ambition and drive. Enroll in wine marketing, enology and viticulture classes to enhance your knowledge. Lastly, if opportunity strikes, work as a harvest cellar intern one summer — it’s an incredible experience!
What are you most exciting about to explore / discover at the upcoming Rhythmix 10 event? I’ve never attended this event. I’m excited to see diverse cultures come together to perform, inspire, teach and interact.
What does the future hold for you and Ceja? We’re in the process of building our Mission-inspired winery at our Napa estate. Once we build our winery we will be increasing case production and gradually doubling in size. It’s only the beginning for our family and business legacy!
Want to learn more about Ceja? Visit Ceja Vineyards and join us on August 19 for the #Rhythmix10 Gala.
