Ceja Vineyards

Last updated

Ceja Vineyards
LocationNapa, California, USA
Coordinates 38°14′08″N122°18′52″W / 38.235586°N 122.314545°W / 38.235586; -122.314545
Appellation Los Carneros AVA
Founded1999
First  vintage 2001
Key peopleAmelia Moran Ceja, President; Armando Ceja, Winemaker and Viticulturist
Cases/yr7000
Known forCarneros Pinot noir
Varietals Chardonnay , Dulce Beso - Late Harvest White Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot , Pinot noir , Sauvignon blanc , Syrah
Website http://www.cejavineyards.com
The gate of Ceja Vineyards Ceja bis enwiki.jpg
The gate of Ceja Vineyards

Ceja Vineyards is a family-owned winery in Napa founded by Mexican-American immigrants. The Ceja family have been growers in the Napa and Sonoma valleys in California for three generations. The wine production company was founded in 1999 and focuses on premium wines. The principals are; Amelia Moran Ceja, President; Martha Ceja, Vice President; Pedro Ceja, Secretary; and Armando Ceja, Treasurer. As of 2008 production is around 10,000 cases per year.

Contents

Family history

Amelia Morán Ceja was born in Las Flores, Jalisco, an agricultural village in Mexico. At 12, she moved with her family to the Napa Valley AVA in California. Her father was a mechanic at a local vineyard management company and her mother was a farm worker there. During the summers and Christmas break, Amelia worked there as well. [1] Amelia’s high school education was split between Mexico and the United States. She spent two years in a boarding school in Aguascalientes. Amelia attended UC San Diego where she majored in History and Literature. Amelia and her husband, Pedro Ceja, met at the age of twelve while picking grapes with their families. [2] They married in 1980. Her contributions to the wine industry were recognized on March 15, 2005, when she was named "Woman of the Year" by the California Legislature [ citation needed ]. She has also been called "the first Mexican American president of a wine production company in the history of the wine industry". [3]

Brothers Pedro and Armando Ceja were born in Aguililla, Michoacán. Their father, Pablo Ceja, spent many years working in the Bracero, and eventually immigrated to the United States with his wife, Juanita Castañeda Ceja, and their family in 1967. The family settled in St. Helena in the Napa Valley, and on weekends the children worked with their parents in the vineyards. Armando Ceja began his winegrowing career at the age of seven, and he made his first Cabernet Sauvignon barrel at eighteen. After high school, he studied oenology and viticulture at UC Davis, and is now Vineyard Manager and Head Winemaker at Ceja Vineyards. Pedro Ceja worked as an engineer for ThermoFinnegan before returning to oenology. In 1983, Pedro and Amelia partnered with Armando, Pablo, and Juanita to buy their first parcel of land in Carneros, California, thus founding Ceja Vineyards.

The family tradition continues with Amelia and Pedro's children. Their daughter, Dalia Ceja, is the Brand Marketing Manager and their son, Ariel Ceja, is General Manager at Ceja Vineyards.

Wine history

The Ceja family bought its first 15 acres (61,000 m2) of vineyards in 1983, cobbling together $400,000 in cash and loans for land in carneros, the hill country 40 miles (64 km) north of San Francisco. The Carneros Region’s moderate climate is created by fog, moist air, and cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean. Protected from harsh weather by the Coastal Range, Carneros summer days are warm with cool nights and winters are mild. As a result, grapes stay on the vine longer, reaching high acidity and full flavor development. Where there were fruit orchards and cow pastures, the family planted 13 acres (53,000 m2) of pinot noir grapes and in 2001, the family released its first 750 cases of wine.

The first releases of Carneros wines under the Ceja label: 150 cases of 1998 Ceja Sonoma Carneros Pinot noir, 250 cases of 1998 Ceja Napa Valley Merlot, and 350 cases of 1999 Ceja Napa Carneros Chardonnay. There are 113 acres (460,000 m2) producing and the fruit is hand selected that goes into Ceja wines; the balance of the grapes are sold to other wineries. Some of the clients are: Carneros Creek, Benzinger, Rombauer, Beringer, Mumm, Domaine Chandon, Gustavo Thrace and Dutch Henry. Previously, grapes have been sold to Acacia, Saintsbury, Signorello, Cosentino and Domaine Carneros.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinot noir</span> Red wine grape variety

Pinot noir is a red-wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French words for pine and black. The word pine alludes to the grape variety having tightly clustered, pinecone–shaped bunches of fruit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domaine Chandon California</span>

Domaine Chandon is a winery located in Napa Valley in the town of Yountville, California, United States. Established in 1973 by Moët et Chandon, businessman, John Wright, was the first French-owned sparkling wine producer in Napa Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonoma County wine</span> Wine made in Sonoma County, California

Sonoma County wine is wine made in Sonoma County, California, in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Carneros AVA</span>

Los Carneros AVA is an American Viticultural Area which includes parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties in California, U.S.A. It is located north of San Pablo Bay. The proximity to the cool fog and breezes from the bay makes the climate in Los Carneros cooler and more moderate than the wine regions farther north in Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley. The cooler climate has made Los Carneros attractive for the cultivation of cooler climate varietals like Pinot noir and Chardonnay. Many of the grapes grown in Los Carneros are used for sparkling wine production. Receiving its AVA status in 1983, the Carneros area was the first wine region in California to be defined by its climate characteristics rather than political boundaries.

Gundlach Bundschu Winery is a historic winery and an outdoor concert venue located in Sonoma County. It is California's oldest continuously family-owned winery, and is the second oldest winery after Buena Vista Winery. It is still owned and operated by the founder's heirs and today led by the sixth generation, Jeff Bundschu. The winery's 320-acre (1.3 km2) organic estate vineyard, named Rhinefarm by Bavarian-born Jacob Gundlach in 1858, is located within the Sonoma Valley AVA of Sonoma County, at the crossroads of the Sonoma Valley, Los Carneros AVA and Napa Valley AVA, along the Mayacamas Mountains. They specialize in estate-driven, organically farmed Bordeaux reds and cool climate varietal wines.

Dawnine Sample Dyer is an American winemaker and entrepreneur who pioneered the use of champagne-making methods in California's fledgling sparkling wine industry in the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California wine</span> Wine made from grapes grown in California, United States

California wine production has a rich viticulture history since 1680 when Spanish Jesuit missionaries planted Vitis vinifera vines native to the Mediterranean region in their established missions to produce wine for religious services. In the 1770s, Spanish missionaries continued the practice under the direction of the Father Junípero Serra who planted California's first vineyard at Mission San Juan Capistrano.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buena Vista Winery</span> Winery in California

Buena Vista Winery is a winery located in Sonoma, California, United States. It is the second oldest winery in California after the D'Agostini Winery, which was founded a year prior in 1856. It was founded by Agoston Haraszthy in 1857. The winery is located on its original grounds, just east of Sonoma, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marimar Estate</span>

Marimar Estate is a Californian winery located in Sonoma County, owned by Marimar Torres, the sister of Miguel A. Torres, President of Bodegas Torres.

Foris Vineyards Winery is an American winery located near Cave Junction, Oregon in the Illinois Valley region of the Rogue Valley AVA of Southern Oregon. As one of Oregon's pioneering grape growers, Ted Gerber planted his first vineyard in 1974. For 15 years, Gerber provided fruit to other winemakers, until 1986 when the winery was founded by Ted and Meri Gerber and the Foris label was launched.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benovia Winery</span>

Benovia Winery is a family-owned producer of Pinot noir, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel wines in Santa Rosa, California. Founded in 2005 by Joe Anderson and Mary Dewane, Benovia Winery farms three estate vineyards which total 71.67 acres (290,000 m2) and are located in the Russian River Valley AVA and Sonoma Coast AVA in Sonoma County. To supplement the fruit it harvests each year, Benovia purchases additional grapes from two sites farmed by the Martinelli family. Benovia's winemaker, Mike Sullivan, is also co-owner of the winery. Benovia wines are produced and bottled at the winery's winemaking facilities at the Martaella Estate Vineyard in the Russian River Valley AVA. Annual production is approximately 6,000 cases. Benovia wines are sold direct to customers, as well as distributed to restaurants and other retailers for resale.

Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards is a winery in Sonoma County, California that specializes in sparkling wines, as well as Pinot noir and Chardonnay wine. It was the first sparkling wine producer in Carneros. It was also the first to plant Champagne grape clones in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cecil O. De Loach Jr.</span> American grape-grower and winemaker

Cecil O. De Loach Jr. is a California grape-grower and winemaker in the Russian River Valley AVA who has contributed to the reputation and notoriety of Sonoma County viticulture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terra de Promissio</span>

Terra de Promissio is a family owned and operated vineyard that grows Sonoma Coast pinot noir grapes. The vineyard is located in the Sonoma Coast AVA, outside Petaluma, California in Sonoma County.

Nicole Abiouness is an American female entrepreneur and winemaker. She owns and operates Abiouness Wines, in Mendocino County, Napa Valley, California where she makes Pinot Noir and Sangiovese wine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twomey Cellars</span>

Twomey Cellars is a California winery. It was established in 1999 by the Duncan Family, who have operated the successful Silver Oak Cellars in California since 1972. The Duncan Family started Twomey Cellars to pursue varietals other than Cabernet Sauvignon. Twomey has three wineries: one in Calistoga in the Napa Valley; one in Healdsburg in the Russian River Valley; one in Philo in Anderson Valley, and produces mainly Pinot noir and Sauvignon blanc. Twomey’s Sauvignon blanc is a blend of Sauvignon blanc grapes from their estate vineyards at their wineries in Napa Valley, Anderson Valley, and Russian River Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Cane</span> Australian winemaker

Benjamin Cane is an Australian winemaker who currently owns Duke's Vineyard in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cakebread Cellars</span>

Cakebread Cellars is a Napa Valley winery known for its Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc wines, which are internationally distributed. Founded in 1973 by Jack and Dolores Cakebread in Rutherford, California, the winery produces approximately 200,000 cases of wine per year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artesa Vineyards & Winery</span>

Artesa Vineyards & Winery is a winery located in Napa, California in the United States.

Jackson Family Wines is a wine company headquartered in Santa Rosa, California. At 6 million cases sold per year, it is the ninth-largest wine producer in the United States. Jackson Family Wines includes 40 brands, sourced from vineyards and wineries in California, Oregon, the Bordeaux region in France, Tuscany in Italy, Australia, Chile and South Africa. It controls 50,000 acres (20,000 ha) in the United States and is the largest owner of coastal vineyards in California and Oregon. The family-owned company is known for the brand Kendall-Jackson.

References

  1. Leiber, Nick (October 28, 2020). "She Made Winemaking History. She's Beating the Odds Again". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  2. Melnik, Peg (August 31, 2018). "At Ceja Vineyards, following in the family footsteps". Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  3. Brosnan, Kathleen A. (January 1, 2019). "The Lifting Fog: Race, Work, and the Environment". Environmental History. 24 (1): 9–24. doi:10.1093/envhis/emy128. ISSN   1084-5453.