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The Carneros region in California's Napa Valley is home to gentle, rolling hills as well as a bustling wine industry. And it's home to another "rolling hill" - the Ceja family, whose name in Mexico has a colloquial meaning descriptive of the verdant valley where Amelia Morán Ceja and her family produce world-class Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.
"'Ceja'" is a gentle, rolling hill," says Amelia, the president of Ceja Vineyards, with a twinkle in her eye. "Isn't that just the most perfect name?"
Amelia is a burst of energy, and one thing is abundantly clear: she loves what she does. She speaks of her life and her business partnership - her husband, Pedro, his brother, Armando, and Armando's wife, Martha, round up the Ceja Vineyards team - with pride and affection. And she speaks of wine with affection, too, describing its tastes and scents as if she were writing poetry. Nothing about Amelia calls to mind the stereotypes of the powerhouse businesswoman, but she is truly a pioneer in a field relatively untouched by women.
Perhaps it is her humble beginnings that keeps her so friendly and low-key. But to Amelia, "It doesn't matter where you begin. What matters is what you do from that point
on."
Amelia was born in Jalisco, Mexico, where she lived until the age of 12 when her family moved to the Napa Valley. Her parents worked as laborers at a vineyard, and Amelia took to the winemaking world immediately.
There she met the Ceja brothers, Pedro and Armando, whose family had also moved to California from Mexico to work in the vineyards. The brothers shared Amelia's dream. Says Amelia, "Our vision began there when I was 12 years old."
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By the time Amelia was in high school she already had her life goal firmly in mind. "I knew that I was going to do something major in the wine industry someday."
While in college at the University of California Davis, Amelia held on to her dream by returning to the Napa Valley vineyards on her winter and summer breaks. "Instead of choosing to work somewhere else, I actually elected to work in the vineyards," Amelia says. "I really wanted to learn all of the viticulture practices - pruning, planting, everything."
Amelia and Pedro had begun dating, and Armando was studying enology and viticulture at UC Davis. Armando had already made the unofficial first Ceja wine while he was in high school, a Cabernet.
Two years after her graduation from college, Amelia married Pedro, and they immediately started looking for a place to start their vineyard. Pedro's mother was working at a nursery in Carneros, and they partnered together with his parents to purchase a 16-acre parcel of land. At the time Carneros was virtually undeveloped, scattered with cows. "We were sort of pioneers because there were very few wine-growers there at that time," Amelia says. "It was really hard. But it meant so much to us."
Three years after their initial purchase, in 1986, the Cejas planted their first grapes - a total of 15,000 vines. Each vine would hopefully yield between a half-bottle and a bottle of wine, but that would take a few years. "It was a struggle to plant the vineyard, but we all worked. Even our kids," says Amelia. "We have pictures of our daughter - she could just walk - helping Armando, her padrino."
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Their first harvest and wine came in 1988, a vintage that the Cejas have saved and still treasure as a reminder of their first sip of success. They had realized their dream.
Surely none of the Cejas realized, though, just how much success they would enjoy. What began as a small production of 750 cases per year has grown to 6000 cases, and in 2002 over 90 of the world's most prestigious wine writers named Ceja Vineyards the Best New Winery of the year. "It's been really wonderful to be able to release wines that restaurateurs fall madly in love with," says Amelia. "We are really a new chapter in the wine industry. … We are now producing world-class wines in a very short period of time."
In fact, the new chapter in the wine industry is Amelia herself. In 1966 Robert Mondavi built Napa Valley's first major winery, drawing attention to what is now one of the most important winegrowing regions in the world. Now, Amelia Ceja is taking over. "Now the spokesperson is a woman, it's a Mexican woman - me, the new chapter," she says.
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The Ceja Vineyards family, from left: Pedro Ceja, secretary; Amelia Morán Ceja, president; Martha Ceja, vice president; and Armando Ceja,
treasurer. |
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Amelia likes to say that she wears many hats, and it is true. In addition to president, among the many roles she plays at Ceja Vineyards are salesperson, public relationships representative, executive chef, bookkeeper - even grape picker. She also teaches at the local junior college during the summer, where she has the pleasure of being a mentor and role model to her young students. "These young men and women see me, and they are going through the same challenges that I did at their age, and they say, 'Oh my gosh. If she can do it, so can I. … She went through the same thing I'm going through, and she survived."
And survive she did. The Ceja label is relatively new, and it still must stand the test of time, but with Amelia's hard work and the collaboration of her husband, brother- and sister-in-law, it looks like her wines just might survive as well.
A Ceja Vineyards Feast
Amelia Morán Ceja returned to Mexico to spend her first two years of high school in a boarding school in Aguascalientes. During this time she was able to travel around the country, sampling the variety of regional cuisines, and developing a love of and a deep respect for the cultural role that food plays. She would later infuse her winery with this same respect and love, cherishing the matching of food to wine and hosting elaborate feasts for guests to which the meals she prepared were as central as the wines she served.
Here is an example of one of the delicious dishes that the Cejas serve to their vineyard guests. Amelia recommends that you pair it with a Ceja Carneros Chardonnay or a Ceja Careneros Pinot Noir.
ASPARAGUS WITH SHALLOT
VINAIGRETTE SAUCE
Ingredients:
· 2 pounds fresh asparagus
· 1/4 cup olive oil
· 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
· 2 shallots thinly sliced crosswise
· 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
· Pinch of sugar
· Salt to taste
Directions:
· Trim and rinse asparagus.
· Bring salted water to a boil in a medium size pot.
· Add asparagus to boiling water and cook for
two minutes.
· Drain asparagus and immediately place in a
glass bowl filled with ice water.
· Drain chilled asparagus and place in serving
platter.
· Mix together olive oil, vinegar, shallots, garlic,
pinch of sugar and salt.
· Sprinkle olive oil mixture to asparagus. Ready
to be served. (Serves 8.)
SBTV.com: To meet Amelia Ceja go to www.latinastyle.com. Provided by SBTV.com
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