Ceja Vineyards
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| Ceja Vineyards | |
| Location | Napa, California, USA |
|---|---|
| Appellation | Los Carneros AVA |
| Founded | 1999 |
| First vintage | 2001 |
| Key people | Amelia Moran Ceja, President; Armando Ceja, Winemaker and Viticulturist |
| Cases/yr | 7000 |
| Known for | Carneros Pinot Noir |
| Varietals | Chardonnay, Dulce Beso - Late Harvest White Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah |
| Website | http://www.cejavineyards.com |
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.
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[edit] Family history
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Amelia Morán Ceja was born in Las Flores, Jalisco – an agricultural village in Mexico. At twelve years old, she moved with her family to the Napa Valley in California. Her father was a mechanic at a local vineyard management company and her mother was a farm worker at the same company. During the summers and Christmas break, Amelia worked there as well.
Amelia’s high school education was split between Mexico and the United States. She spent two years in a boarding school in Aguascalientes – a beautiful colonial city. There, she had the opportunity to travel throughout Mexico, and she explored the richness of her heritage and the diversity of regional Mexican cuisine. Amelia returned to California to finish her high school education, and after graduation, she went to UC San Diego where she majored in History and Literature.Her contributions to the wine industry were recognized on March 15, 2005, when she was named "Woman of the Year" by the California Legislature.
Pedro and Armando Ceja are brothers and they were born in Aguililla, Michoacán. Their parents’ names are Pablo Ceja and Juanita Castañeda Ceja. Pablo, after many years in the brasero work program, immigrated to the United States with his family in 1967. The family settled in St. Helena in the Napa Valley, and on weekends, the entire family worked in the vineyards. Amelia and Pedro met picking grapes at the age of 12. They married in 1980, and in 1983, they partnered with Pedro’s parents and his brother to buy their first parcel in Carneros.
Armando Ceja began his winegrowing career at seven years old, and he made his first Cabernet Sauvignon barrel at 18 years old. After high school, he studied enology and viticulture at UC Davis, and is now vineyard manager and winemaker at Ceja Vineyards.
In addition to working as an engineer for ThermoFinnigan. Pedro's hands-on experience in the field has provided valuable knowledge of viticulture and enology.
The family tradition continues with Amelia and Pedro's children. Their daughter, Dalia Ceja, is the Director of Sales and Marketing and their son, Ariel Ceja, is General Manager at Ceja Vineyards.
[edit] 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.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Ceja Vineyards
- Carneros Wine Alliance
- Eric Asimov (2004-10-20). "Living out American dream, on a vineyard". International Herald Tribune (International Herald Tribune). http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-101153675.html.
