Shedding Light on Viñedos Aurora
by Juan Carlos Castillo
One of Lodi’s hottest new wine labels, Viñedos Aurora, contains the root of a great American success story starting with the grandfather of winemaker/proprietor Gerardo Espinosa--Victor Anaya Rocha--who first came to the Stockton area from Michoacán, Mexico to work the fields in 1944. For many years, Anaya, Sr. traveled back and forth, raising four sons – Victor Jr., Ramon, Armando and Gerardo and a daughter Letitcia (Gerardo’s mother). Gerardo came to the US as a teenager and pursued a career in architecture. He decided to go into the wine business after experimenting with a few vintages of amateur winemaking (home winemaking) and then began meeting and socializing with people that were in the trade.
“It was always a dream of my family to have our own wine label from our own vineyards,” he said in a recent interview. He acknowledges being inspired by other Latino winemakers, including Rolando Herrera from Mi Sueño Winery in Napa, among others. .
“Our main focus is producing a quality wine,” states Espinosa, pointing out that the varietals they have been growing over the last twelve years, including their Petite Sirah, their unique Cabernet Sauvignon/Tempranillo/Merlot blend called Síntesis and their dry white made from the Albariño grape, have been “influenced by the Spanish-style” and are “mellow wines that pare well with spicy Mexican dishes and dishes from all over the world.”
Typical of countless immigrant families who found success by pooling resources, the Anaya brothers transitioned from agriculture careers to owning and operating a retail as well as restaurant business. They opened Dos Hermanos Market on Lodi's Central Ave. and Taco Real in Galt, CA in 1988. Yet, their dream of working their own farm persisted and so, in 1998, the four brothers bought and broke ground on 40 acres of prime potential vineyard property east of Lodi in the Clements Hills American Viticultural Area, on Brand Road.
They started by planting Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and the Anayas' vineyard quickly came into production, supplying some of Lodi's larger premium wineries. The brothers began making their own wine in the classic garagiste ("garage") tradition from their vineyard's Petite Sirah, starting in 2002. The younger Gerardo jumped into the mix in 2007, immersing himself in enological study and becoming a member of the Lodi Amateur Vintners Association (LAVA). After a 2008 vintage of his estate-grown Petite Sirah earned a few medals in different competitions and a double-gold in the California State Fair Home Wine Competition, Espinosa felt that the family was ready to turn their grapes into their own wine label. Viñedos Aurora — named for Victor Anaya Sr.'s wife Aurora, while expressing the idea of a "vineyard" that sees "first light of day") — was born.
Espinosa is looking forward to opening a tasting room in the downtown Lodi area. He is also working on adding new wine varietals to his ever-growing menu. “We are planning on more than doubling our wine production this year,” says Espinosa, who still works as an architectural project manager. “I would like to have more time to focus on marketing,” he admits. |
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