Beginning with early 18th-Century winemaking in the California missions established by Franciscan Father Junipero Serra, through the bittler grape pickers' struglles of the late 1960s and early 1970s to the present day, Mexican-Americans have been an intergral part of the California wine industry. But as the industry has expanded and changed with time, so have Mexican-American roles.

Nowadays Mexican-Americans —and Hispanics in general— are finding success at all levels of the industry. The voices of those who bring wine to the tables of America and the world—from vineyard workers to winery owners—are many and varied. To bring them to our readers, Latino Leaders recently toured the Napa Valley, famed for its fruitful vineyards and fine wine production.

Our first stop was the Cain Vineyard and Winery. Established in 1980, it is situated in a spectacular bowl at the top of the Spring Mountain district, overlooking Mount St. Helena. Dramatic terraces have been cut into the steep hillsides facing north, south, east, and west. At Cain we spoke with vineyard workers Hector Solorio, Gustavo de Haro Hernandez, and Samuel Felix, all originally from the state of Zacatecas, in Mexico.

Typical of so many who help plant, care for, and harvest in this lovely valley, Solorio was not new to field labor when he came to Napa, having worked in Zacatecas from the age of six, harvesting corn and other crops. Upon immigrating to the United States, Solorio slowly worked his way north. “First I went to Fresno, where I worked a while in the potato fields. Then I worked in the tomato and cotton fields for two years. And then I came here to Napa, with the idea of starting at the bottom and working my way up. By then I had learned English, and in 1982 I came here to Cain.”

Solorio's job may not require much in the way of formal schooling, but it does require careful skill and loving attention.

“Cultivating the vines is an art,” he explains. “From the moment you plant the grape root you have to be careful that it does well in the soil you've placed it in. The idea is that it should continue to grow and do well, year after year. But that depends upon the way you treat it and care for it.

Gustavo de Haro Hernandez agrees: “You have to give a lot of are and attention to each plant. You almost think of it as a child, caring for it from the moment it's born and continuing to care for it as it grows.”

That kind of attention and know-how explains why at least one vineyard owner refers to her workers as "vineyard technicians," and also explains what these three like so much about their jobs. Samuel Felix sums it up. “ Taking care of the vines is really great work, because you learn a lot of new things. Ebery year, for instance, the weather is different and you learn things you didn't know before. Andy you're always working hard to try to keep improving the quality of the grapes.

CAIN FIVE 1997, NAPA VALLEY
One of California's better wines. Low production puts this wine halfway between the Top Quality and Cult wines. Delicious and amazing ripe red fruit, prune and blackberry notes, this wine is full-bodied, silky and beautifully crafted. Full tannins wed hints of coffee and cocoa. A long, long finish makes this unforgettable.

CAIN CONCEPT 1997, NAPA VALLEY
A high quality Bordeaux-style blend. The complexity of the combination of varietals builds up an interesting, elegant, and exciting wine. Deep plummy fruit and soft tannins add a delicious balance and medium to full-bodied structures. It shows great potential for the next 10–15 years, but excellent to drink now.

December 2001 – January 2002