What started as a Madonna jukebox musical turned into something far more powerful. In this episode of The Big Sip, Charlene Alberto shares the story behind Sol The Musical — a groundbreaking original and vibrant play that captures identity, migration, and reclamation. In this episode, Charlene takes us through her artistic process, the challenges of writing original music, the decision-making that shaped the narrative’s heart, and the reimagined pop homage that led to deeper cultural storytelling. Along the way she reflects on what it means to center stories of Filipinos and Filipinos-in-the-diaspora on stage, and how Sol ultimately became more than a musical--it's a love letter and mirror for communities that often go unseen, their resilience, and her creative courage to bring it all to life. 

🎧 Tap in to hear how Sol found its voice and don't miss the 2025 premiere run in Vallejo of Sol The Musical opening October 10th at the Mira Theatre. 

As a third-generation farmer born in Mexico, Gerardo Espinosa is a key player redefining Lodi’s wine narrative. Often mischaracterized as merely a bulk wine region, Lodi has much to offer, and Gerardo is committed to showcasing the region’s true quality and variety in producing premium, high-end wines.

Gerardo’s journey begins with his grandfather, Victor Anaya, who immigrated to the United States in 1940 through the Bracero Program. Victor worked tirelessly as a farmworker, sending money back to Mexico to support his family and provide an education for his children, including Gerardo’s mother.  This legacy of hard work and dedication laid the foundation for Gerardo’s own aspirations.

Although Gerardo initially pursued and established a successful career in architecture for over 15 years, he felt a strong pull back to his agricultural roots. To honor his family’s legacy, he decided to produce a single barrel from a vineyard his grandfather planted in 1980, officially kickstarting his winemaking journey. One barrel quickly became ten, leading Gerardo to launch his first wine label in 2008.

Less than a decade later, he co-founded Lodi Crush, a custom-crush facility that has become pivotal to the region’s wine scene. As the Managing Partner, he’s played a crucial role in developing multiple award-winning wines, including his latest label, Anaya Vineyards. Beyond his own successes, Gerardo is passionate about mentoring aspiring winemakers, guiding them to discover, establish and craft their own unique styles, all while fostering sustainable practices that benefit Lodi’s vibrant wine community. In 2023, Gerardo opened a tasting lounge at Lodi Crush, providing a space for his clients to engage with guests and sell their wines. Most recently, he partnered with two brilliant individuals to launch Los Cuernos, a premium canned wine that’s already making waves in California’s major sports stadiums. 

To this day, Gerardo continues to see himself as an architect—an architect of wine—dedicated to building, shaping, and crafting a thriving community and legacy in the Lodi wine industry and beyond. 

Follow his journey @gerardojespinosa @theloungelodi 

Derek Baljeu is a master of mindset, understanding you have to see to be. His philosophy on life offers a unique perspective that ultimately influences his winemaking style, his daily work-life integration (challenging us all to rethink “work-life balance!”), and how he, much like anyone, can and should serve their community.

As the Head Winemaker of Knights Bridge Winery, Derek’s passion and dedication are rooted in making wines at the highest level while equally tying in an attitude that’s caring of people, conducive to growth, and connecting with others. To quote this brilliant human, “it’s easy to hop on the coattails of success and more difficult to build your own.” His leadership, teamwork, and driven work ethic have not only assisted him in his current career. These core pillars guided him to achieve his Bachelors and Masters from UC Davis in just five years! With full creative control at Knights Bridge Winery (snaps, claps, all the things!), Derek is determined to push and elevate the magic found in the heart of Knights Valley and bringing fame to a region so often buried under the glitz and glamor of Napa and Sonoma Valley. Derek is also highly focused on bridging the gap for other people of color, given the lack of representation throughout the start of his career and upbringing in the industry. By sharing his knowledge and resources, he ultimate hopes to act as a bridge of support and help others work smarter, not harder, to get where they want—those of us in the industry know all too well how hard it can be to break into the industry, even more so for people of color. As a mentor of The Roots Fund, his efforts are paying off (he recently discovered one of his mentees got a full-time job in the industry!). In addition to mentoring for the Roots Fund, Derek is highly involved in the community and was most recently a part of NVV’s Leadership Program where he developed Volunteer Napa alongside colleagues within his cohort. Volunteer Napa provides easier access for people to give back and is challenging every winery part of the Napa Valley Vintners to donate 24 hours of their company’s time to give back to the community. 

Sip along and learn how Derek’s ability to relinquish control and trust his instincts have resulted in him crushing it! Follow along and support @coffeethencabernet @dbaljeu 

People come from all different backgrounds and their own unique set of life experiences, but what often unites kids of immigrants is an understanding of resilience, perseverance, doing the best with what you have, and often times being the first to do many "firsts." Salvador was the first in his family to go to college, the first to travel abroad for a harvest internship, the first to become a winemaker, and the first to launch his own business/wine label--Ludor Wines. Being the first to do anything comes with many mixed emotions--excitement for new opportunities often turn into fears or self doubt, transitioning into an identity crisis and struggle to take a leap of faith into the unknown. While it can often feel isolating and nerve wrecking, the willingness to pursue and jump into unexplored territory anyways is a feeling and driving force shared amongst many. After all, we witnessed early on how our parents left their comfort and familiarity in pursuit of a better life--so why couldn't we?

Our fields of opportunity were flourishing, and it is more important we didn't let our fear and discomfort stop us from experiencing life. Despite the pressure, intimidation and isolation of walking an often lonely path in pursuit of more, like many kids of immigrants, Salvador knew he was not going to see change if he stayed comfortable. If he was going to prosper, he was going to do it with purpose. Throughout his life, whenever Salvador was presented with a new opportunity, he found himself asking "how can this experience help elevate and bring representation to my comunidad?" After all, purpose is not found in the thing you do, but rather it is the thing that happens in others when you do what you do. For Salvador, taking a leap of faith and blazing a trail of many "firsts" has opened doors not only for him, but for so many in his community to equally prosper. 

Sip with us as we unfold and discover the many firsts that have led Salvador to a fruitful present for him, his family, his community, and don't forget to follow his journey at @ludorwines

Salud!

From displacement to revitalization. From destruction to investment. From exclusion to ownership. Chris Renfro, along with his partner Jannea, founded The Two Eighty Project with the initial goal of increasing equity and diversity within wine to benefit all. The project’s journey began when Chris, a trained horticulturalist, got his chance in 2019 to nourish a once-abandoned vineyard back to life. Tucked away in Alemany Farms, a public park on the backside of Bernal Heights along Interstate 280 in San Francisco, lies a garden and several rows of vines. Next to it? A low-income housing community in the projects. What began as an idea to reclaim a colonized wine industry, soon after morphed into a larger opportunity to revitalize an entire underserved and marginalized community.  Through access, opportunity, and visibility, the vineyard in the city is serving a larger social purpose to address food apartheid, housing injustices, and the importance of providing a safe space for Black and inner-city youth to learn, to explore, to be seen, and to be inquisitive. 

Since its founding, Chris has realized a vision rooted in building a sustainable food and wine community that nourishes every member of the local economy and ecosystem. Through various collaborations, including a special partnership alongside winemaker Steve Mattiason, The 280 Project launched an apprenticeship program, giving underrepresented individuals a chance to learn about wine, viticulture, and farming education. Chris also co-runs Feed the People Collective, where he and several allies gather once a month, collect fresh goods from Alemany Farm, and cook for the surrounding community for free. Most recently, The 280 Project was named Gerard Basset Foundation’s 2023 award recipient, giving Chris and Jannea’s apprenticeship program the chance to reach new heights.

In this episode, Chris and I discuss the intersection of wine, activism, entrepreneurship, the historical disenfranchisement of land that drove Chris on a journey to address the inequalities in his surrounding community, and a need to protect and provide Black and brown youth with meaningful solutions. We also explore the idea of true allyship and the monumental difference it makes when you are surrounded by a community who lends their talents, resources and abilities to help you and others thrive. Pour yourself a hearty glass as we serve up juice with a social justice purpose too. 

Don't forget to follow along on IG, get involved, and support: @280project

Whether you’re spinning his tunes on your favorite music platform or perusing his online clothing website, Dare 2 Be Different (D2BD), Matthew Osivwemu, also known by his stage name as Oke Junior, is making his homecoming debut this Sunday at BottleRock. After Manifesting his dreams and a 2016 tweet to reality, stating he’d one day play at BottleRock, The Recording Academy recently listed him as one of the 10 Must-See Acts at BottleRock.

The Bay area native, who moved from Oakland to Napa, was initially inspired by his brother to make and utilize music as a means of expressing himself to work through the trials and tribulations he faced early on in his youth, including losing his father shortly after high school graduation. The Sacramento State alum’s journey to the top is no coincidence. With an unmatched and diverse flow filled with a lineup of singles and albums full of emotion discussing his struggles, mental battles and drive, Oke Junior has attracted listeners all over the world garnering over 2 million streams across various platforms—getting attention from various artists like Mistah FAB, Too Short, 2 Chainz, Nef the Pharaoh, and others. Most recently he signed with United Masters, a testament of this rising hip hop star’s greatness and his official breakthrough in a cut-throat industry. 

Through his ascension and continuous accolades (did I mention his music was picked up by ESPN?!), Oke Junior never forgets about the community that continuously uplifted and supported him. Reminiscing on his formative years, he works diligently to inspire the next generation by working closely with youth throughout various Napa Valley schools and using music & art to discuss mental health issues impacting their daily lives.  

Sip with us to learn all about how Oke pays homage to his father every time he takes the stage and be sure to catch him on the Truly Stage at 1pm this Sunday. For my music festival fans who unfortunately can’t attend, we’ve got three killer musical surprises sprinkled in throughout our inspiring conversation. We hope you enjoy!

After working 15+ years in the beverage industry for household names like Moet Hennessy, Lillet, Bacardi and others, Amanda Victoria is quickly creating her own household name, one canned whiskey cocktail at a time.  With “hot girl summer” at its full peak in 2019, canned cocktails were all the rave. Meant to provide convenience and an alternative “low calorie” option in comparison to beer, this Veteran spirits expert quickly realized people were being heavily misinformed about what they were actually drinking. This misconception ultimately drove Amanda to redefine standards for the industry and the need to do better. What happens when frustration meets passion and opportunity? Something buzzworthy! 

Having founded several other businesses, this fierce, award-winning Latina entrepreneur and CEO decided to co-find Siponey Spritz Co-- a canned cocktail that is both good for the planet and the people! As Amanda so passionately shared in our Big Sip platica, “The planet is our home, and we should care for it intentionally and mindfully in everything we do.” With an effort to build a legacy not only for herself and her daughter, but also for other LatinX individuals and women seeking representation in leadership level positions, Siponey is the shining star example of what a sustainable and conscientious cocktail can be. Offering a clean lineup of only four ingredients—whiskey, sparkling water, lemon juice, and wildflower honey—Siponey is committed to giving back 2% of their annual revenue to non-profit environmentalists around the world dedicated to saving honeybees, knowing that honeybees are the first step in recovering the environment, one can at a time. At the core of her heartwork lies an honest and authentic desire to leave the world in a better place than how she found it. Because of her focused efforts, Siponey recently became the first B-corp certified cocktail company (woo hoo!) and shares this exceptional badge of honor alongside a small handful of other companies like Patagonia, Toms, Maryam + Company, and more. 

Sip with us and learn more about “Lady Lillet’s” entrepreneurial journey from founding her consultation company “Aperitif Hour” and the LA Spirits Awards, to how this powerhouse chingona created a quality whiskey-based cocktail that makes you feel hopeful for the planet, all while navigating the pandemic and new motherhood.

To support big dreams, #drinkbetter and shop #smallbusinesses visit www.shopsiponey.com and be sure to follow along on IG: @siponeyspritzco and @amandavictoriaog

As a Latina entrepreneur, Rocio Rivera has authentically stayed true to herself and her proud Mexican roots, often bringing cultural elements and warm tones into her powerful, rich photography. As we like to say in Spanish, “tiene un Don.” While some might see her as a wedding and lifestyle photographer, she’s quick to share her refusal to be placed in a box and label herself—she simply captures moments in time. As you scroll through her Instagram page, you can’t help but feel warm inside.

Introduced to photography in high school, Rocio knew she was hooked the moment she realized it was the one class she didn’t want to ditch. She actually looked forward to visiting the dark room! Unapologetic and sin miedo al exito, she sets the tone early on so people don’t get it twisted: photography is not about the money. This talentosa y poderosa mujer might have built an entire business around her passion, but at the end of the day that’s exactly what it is—a passion that gives her the ability to express herself and do what she loves day in and day out. As a first generation Latina who’s witnessed her parents endure back-breaking vineyard work, she doesn’t shy away from understanding that if life was about making money she could easily hustle and do something completely different. However, life is about being fulfilled—and for this talented, successful, and well-known Chingona the ultimate vision of a life fulfilled is simple. Her dream in focus? Moving to Mexico to manage a small coffee shop where she spends her days taking pictures for pleasure, mentoring students (something she started doing the pandemic), and providing a space for people to network. 

In this episode, we unpack what it’s like being first gen, having to navigate our parent’s expectations of our future versus pursuing what we wholeheartedly desire, toxicity within our culture, and Rocio’s many successes (Did you know she was named as Solano County’s Best Photographer twice?!). We acknowledge how our culture has always placed a special importance on echandole ganas and hustling (mostly out of necessity), while realizing we must also choose and remember to not just work hard, but play harder and truly enjoy all of life’s moments.

Dive in, take a big sip, and learn more about the photographer friend you never knew you needed in your life! Follow along on Instagram @rociorivera and reach out for questions or to book your next session at [email protected]