Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

Oscar Chavez

Executive Vineyard Manager

At Grgich Hills Estate, we are firm believers that the land and how you cultivate it is the biggest contributor to the quality of wine one can produce. As such, the people who are employed to care for the land you grow on are one of the most crucial cogs in our winemaking system. At the forefront of those operations for Grgich Hills is Oscar Chavez, a member of our viticultural team since 2005. As our Vineyard Manager, he is responsible for the care and maintenance of all five Grgich Hills vineyards, which total 365 acres. Of course, with such a task, he can’t do it alone- a team of more than 30 vineyard workers carry out his instructions, which come from decades of experience and viticultural knowledge.

Another important task handled by Oscar is the execution of the Regenerative Farming principles that we’ve prided ourselves on since 2019. As the most rigorous agricultural certification currently, its successful implementation across all 365 acres of Grgich Hills is no easy task. However, Oscar’s leadership and extensive familiarity with our properties made the process relatively seamless. Now, he is himself an ambassador of this farming practice. When asked about his role in the ongoing regenerative agriculture revolution, in the Napa Valley and beyond, he replied, “We are eager to teach and share our methods with others, whether they come from different corners of the world or share similar backgrounds.”

Luis Portilla

National Sales and Events Administrator

Despite being a resident of the Napa Valley for decades, Luis Portilla had not been directly involved in the wine industry that our area is so well known for. While he was always on the fringes of the wine world, working in various roles in restaurant hospitality and bartending for the bulk of his professional career, it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic shook the restaurant world that he found himself accepting an offer to work at Grgich Hills.

“The wine world was something I had envisioned in the past, but I never had the courage to make the transition, since I was at a comfortable spot in restaurants, but the pandemic gave the right time and place to try something different, and here I am! I’m very fortunate for the change.”

Though he began his Grgich Hills career as a Wine Educator, Luis was soon promoted to the National Sales and Events Administrator position, facilitating all orders that come in from our California, national, and international sales teams. If you’ve seen a Grgich Hills wine on the shelf of your local grocery store anywhere in the country, you can be sure that it was Luis who approved that order and completed all the necessary (though by his own admission, tedious) paperwork that made that placement possible.

When asked about what the future of the winery looks like to him, Luis had the following to say:

“I see the winery succeeding in the future based on the deep roots in agriculture. We not only grow every grape we harvest and make into wine, but also have a strong commitment to long-term sustainability of the vineyards and nature. I think that’s a great sign of long-term commitment to the environment. How would I contribute to that future? With commitment, passion, with integrity- by showing up every day, rain or shine, with the best disposition to get the job done.”

Juan Salomon

Cellar Master

Juan came to Grgich Hills seeking an advanced position within a winery cellar, an aspect of the industry that he’d spent years honing his skills for. After receiving the position of Cellar Foreman, the previous Cellar Master of Grgich Hills took a leave of absence due to complications with COVID. Normally a loss that would result in devastation to the functions of the Cellar, Juan stepped up and proved he was more than capable of filling that vacuum. He took over all bottling line operations, something he’d never done before his time at Grgich Hills. If you’ve ever seen the symphony of machinery and human labor required to make a bottling line work, you can understand how daunting that task is!

Throughout his first year at Grgich Hills, Juan excelled and was well-respected for his leadership, dependability, and his ability to adapt and learn, even as curveballs were sent his way. “One of my proudest milestones at Grgich is, one year from when I got hired, I was offered the position of Cellar Master,” he said. His responsibilities now include managing the cellar crew and overseeing all cellar operations, including quality control, maintenance, and the bottling line. Interestingly, he has not felt the need to bring on a Cellar Foreman, stating “With the help of the team, who have been stepping up big time, I’ve accomplished all those tasks with less people.”

Perhaps the most important responsibility he’s taken on, however, is the management of Grgich Hills’ Harvest. “I’m in charge of receiving, processing, and sending fruit into tank, overseeing fermentation, and making any changes that come from our winemaker, Ivo.” At those crucial stages of a wine’s development, Juan is our man on the ground, making sure that the cellar is functioning flawlessly. By stepping up into this role and ensuring our wines remain up to the standards that Mike Grgich set in 1977, Juan has made himself a key ingredient in our winemaking success.

Rosie McGee

Senior Sales Accounts Manager

Our Senior Sales Accounts Manager Rosie McGee grew up around Grgich Hills – and we mean that literally! Her father was a Vineyard Manager who worked on the land that would one day become our Ranch House and Club Member Lounge.  “It feels like I’ve come full circle,” Rosie said, “I would visit my dad at work, and hear stories about the famous winemaker next-door. I had no idea that one day I’d be working for that winemaker, and that my office would be right where my dad worked – a place I grew up.” Though she started as a Tasting Room Manager in 2018, she was quickly promoted to hospitality manager right before the onset of the COVID pandemic. With tasting rooms across the valley shutting down, Rosie found a new way to utilize her talent for hospitality and innate personability – tele-sales.

Rosie now spends much of her day on the phone, connecting with Grgich Hills fans across the country. “One thing I learned from Mr. Grgich is to always smile when you’re talking on the phone,” said Rosie, “even though the other person can’t see you, they can hear the smile in your voice and feel your positivity. It’s why this job is so great – it’s all about building relationships with people, providing them with wines that they love and making them happy.”

Grgich Hills’ company motto of “Every day, do your best, learn something new, and make a friend” has no better representative than Rosie – anyone who’s met her will tell you she especially excels at making friends! Her passion for what she does, alongside her genuine commitment and care for those she interacts with are why Rosie has cemented herself as an invaluable member of the Grgich Hills family.

Noemi Fonseca

Tasting Room Lead

She’s a team player with a knack for learning, a rising star in the world of wine hospitality. Noemi may be relatively new to the Grgich Hills Tasting Room team, but she’s made it her goal to exemplify Mike Grgich’s motto of “learning something new each day.” From the outset of her Grgich Hills career, Noemi has taken an active role in educating herself in all aspects of our winery – history, farming practices, and of course, the wine.

“It’s never-ending learning,” she remarked, “and that’s one of my favorite parts about the wine industry. It’s constant mental engagement, which keeps the job exciting.” As her gusto for knowledge and authentic sociability earned high praise from guests and coworkers alike, she naturally rose up to the position of Tasting Room Lead within only a few months at Grgich Hills.

With her innate inclination for hospitality and amicability, it only makes sense that interacting with Grgich Hills’ guests is her favorite part of the job. “When you build those connections and bonding with guests, and they tell you this was their favorite experience, or you’re their favorite host they’ve had, that’s what I’m most proud of,” she said. “Knowing you’re going to be one of those memories for them, that they remember you when they think about Napa or Grgich Hills, it feels good.”

Her advice for other members of the Hispanic community looking to get involved in wine? “Just go for it – there’s such an opportunity for growth. I definitely feel like there are some doubts as to what I’m able to do based on race or gender, but I would say don’t let those stereotypes get to your head, even in an industry where you might not see many people with the same background as you.”