Tell us a little about yourself and your company.
I am the owner and winemaker at Rosa Fierro Cellars, the first 100% Hispanic woman-owned boutique winery in Livermore Valley. My urban winery and tasting room are located on “Vasco Row,” a vibrant and unique industrial hub featuring craft wineries and breweries in Livermore. My wines are handcrafted from fruit grown locally in Livermore and Napa Valley.
What is the most enjoyable aspect of your current role?
Everything! I love making the wines, running the winery and tasting room, handcrafting my own labels with my own artwork, and featuring local musicians on our patio at night. The most awesome part is crafting a wine from beginning to end, starting with choosing the grapes in the vineyard and harvesting the fruit, making the wine, tasting and watching it change and develop in the barrel, and then one day you taste it and realize the wine is ready and it is awesome! It’s the best feeling ever!
How did your experience at NP influence the direction of your career?
The attorneys and staff that I worked with at NP were extremely supportive of this crazy winemaking thing the entire way. I worked at NP for over 20 years, so they watched the winery grow from a hobby to a dream come true. Some of my fellow practice assistants at NP have even come out and helped me with harvest! They also like to help with quality control (tasting the wines).
What impact has your heritage had on your career?
Hispanic families are defined by an intense love for family and friends and a huge sense of pride. I will never forget seeing my grandfather’s face the first time he saw our name, FIERRO, on my wine barrels. Having the support and trust of my family has been very important along this journey. My Hispanic heritage shines through in the names of some of my wines, some of which have been named in honor of my family and friends. Quatro, De La Luna, Primo, Sola and Delicada Rosa are just a few of them.
What inspires you? or Why do you do the work you do?
Doing what I love and having friends and family who share that love is the biggest inspiration. I made the decision to be a winemaker late one night as I was driving home covered in sticky Petite Sirah after helping a friend make port in his garage. I had an overwhelming spiritual sense that this was what I was supposed to be doing in my life, so I followed that feeling with all my heart. I have never looked back.
Are there any other developments in your professional and/or personal life you’d like to share with the NP Alumni community?
I have just leaned recently that I am going to be a grandma, so I am very excited to teach my granddaughter how to make wine in the near future.