Vinas de Vaquero Chardonnay 2021

If you’ve sampled a lot of wine from northern California, there’s a good chance you have the Robledo family to thank for it. Starting with Luis Robledo in the 1940s, they’ve been responsible for growing and maintaining about 350 vine acres across Napa, Sonoma and Lake County.

Luis came to the state via the Bracero Program, an agreement between the U.S. and Mexico that allowed Mexican workers to fill agricultural jobs created by World War II. He quickly took a liking to grapes and worked his way across the area, raising several sons amongst its vineyards and teaching them the ins and outs of viticulture.

In 1968, his 16-year-old grandson Reynaldo, who was raised in Mexico, chose to join them. He dreamt of doing what, at the time, was unheard of: owning his own vineyards and managing his own wine production.

Within just two years, he was promoted to vineyard foreman and, soon after, he’d go on to develop vineyards for Sonoma Cutrer winery, St. Supéry and other iconic estates throughout the region. He was even sent to France to teach innovative vine grafting techniques he developed.

By 1984, he and wife Maria had saved enough money to purchase a vineyard in Carneros. They planted vines and had their first wines bottled eight years later, making them some of the first Mexican-American workers to establish a winery. Later, they became the first former migrant workers to open a tasting room. And in 2003, the city of Sonoma declared October 25 to be ‘Robledo Family Winery Day’ in their honor.

Vinas de Vaquero (‘cowboy vines’) is an elegant Chardonnay that celebrates this legacy, offering the perfect balance of orchard fruit characteristics, florals and toasted oak accents. It’s a very special wine from a very special family—don’t miss your chance to taste a piece of history!