Wine & Chisme

Wine: 2019 Chardonnay, Solorio Family Wines

BIO:

Alain is the co-founder of las Azucenas a tropical hardwood restored forest. The project is designed to give the average citizen the ability to invest in tropical hardwood cultivation, one tree at a time.

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Join me and my friend Alondra as we enjoy a day of wine tasting in Valle de Guadalupe, MX and learn more about a few of these wineries and the wines.

Wineries in the order attended:

Ellie's Wine: Sete Tropical Orange Wine

Jessica's Wine: 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon by Herencia del Valle

This month Ellie and I chismear from all the celebrity divorces to the VMA's and everything in-between.

Wine:

BIO:

Tiffany Yvonne Cox is a 1st generation Trinidadian actress, director, writer, and producer. She began her professional career interning at The Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. This launched her into the Chicago Theatre scene where she worked with companies such as Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The House Theatre, The Goodman and many more.

After her first TV role on Chicago Fire she decided to move to LA where she has worked on shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, Dead To Me, and Good Trouble. She currently has a recurring role in the upcoming Raamla Mohamed/ Kerry Washington/ Larry Wilmore led legal drama Reasonable Doubt on Hulu and a lead on Hallmark’s Mahogany film Napa Ever After.

When not on screen or stage, Tiffany volunteers with the non-profit organization CSH Speak Up! where she supports those who have experienced homelessness in developing their story to share with legislation for more funding towards supportive housing. Once she realized bringing minority stories to the forefront was something she enjoyed creating through art, Tiffany began producing and directing. This began with collaborating on the Digital Series COMMUNE. Followed by her directorial debut of a short film called Roadside Assistance which has extended into a workshop on empathy and allyship.

She directed the one woman show Whoa Man by Brianna Morris, the podcast play LaDonna’s Epiphany featuring Anna Maria Horsford, and most recently Star Vehicle; a short film that is a comedic love letter to all actors with a look into the world of the diversity day player.

Follow Tiffany’s work at www.tiffanyyvonnecox.com and www.roadsideassistancewkshp.com.

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Wine: Llamas Family Wine Chardonnay

BIO:

When Luz's daughter started private school, my youngest realized she was different. She wanted to be like her friends, who had cute short blond hair and vanilla skin. One day she asked Luz if she could cut and dye her hair blonde and straighten her curls. She knew that she wanted her daughter to know how special is. The next day she shared my daughter's feelings with her teacher.

The teacher encouraged her to show her pictures of family members and important historical figures that look like us. Luz started a new bedtime routine which turned into storytelling, but more importantly, it became positive and powerful imagery of being seen and belonging. She showed her pictures of family members from great-grandmothers, aunts, uncles, and friends. To historical figures like the Mirabal Sisters, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Ghandi including current figures: Barack and Michelle Obama, Oprah, Jennifer Lopez, and so on! She then shared stories of who she was as a little girl. Little did she know that her daughters experience speaks to many other children that look like her.

Children from different backgrounds and families work hard to help their children be seen and have a place to belong. I wanted to do something for my daughter to see herself, which led me to publish my first bilingual Children's book. It's essential to have diversity in children's books because children need and deserve to see themselves in stories. They should see colors, characters, and stories that speak to them!

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I was beyond honored to be asked to MC for La Cosecha Grand Tasting by the Mexican American Vintners Association (MAVA)! This incredible event supports Mexican American vintners and raises funds for scholarships to local students.

Being part of an event that combines the celebration of wine, culture, and education is a true privilege. By showcasing the talents and passion of Mexican American vintners, La Cosecha Grand Tasting not only uplifts their contributions but also paves the way for future generations.

As the MC, I had the honor to connect with winemakers, enthusiasts, and supporters, each with their own unique stories to share. It was a joy to be part of an event that brings people together, celebrating diversity, heritage, and the magic of winemaking.

Vintners in Order of Appearance:

Rios Wine

Maldonado Wines

Seis Soles Wine

Don Chalo- Sergio

Don Chalo- Ernesto 

Bazan Cellars

Mi Sueno

MaCo Wines

Llamas Family Wines

AltaMed

Aldina Vineyards

President of MAVA, Guillermo Herrera

Wine: 2014 Chardonnay, Herencia del Valle

Elisabeth Rosario is an outsourced communications strategist that works with startups of all sizes and venture capital firms. As an independent contractor since 2016, her clients have included venture firms such as: Lux Capital, Renegade Ventures, Spero Ventures (sole LP is Pierre Omidyar), Equal Ventures, RRE Ventures, and Innovation Endeavours (founding partner Eric Shmidt). Startup clients have included: Sonoro, Koinz, Pattern Brands, Pitch, ServiceTitan, Own It (a book) by Ellevest’s Sallie Krawcheck, Emi Couple, Token, Flutterwave, Morty, Looking Glass Factory, Eight Sleep, Dipsea, Loft Orbital, and more.

Previously, Elisabeth was the Director of Communications at Spark Capital, an early stage venture capital firm that has backed companies like Twitter, Oculus VR, Slack, Warby Parker and Cruise Automation (acquired by GM). As the firm’s first in-house communications hire, she helped startup founders and the firm's investment team to develop and share their points of view with the world. She also helped to lead platform initiatives with the firm's community of entrepreneurs: building infrastructure, resources and programming to empower and connect over 100 portfolio companies.

Before that, Elisabeth was a key part of the growth of various PR agencies where she led media relations campaigns for over 100 disruptive entrepreneurs and startups including Rakuten’s Buy.com, Trello, ClassPass, HowAboutWe, HelloFresh, Squarespace, Zola and Academy award-winning sci-fi film Ex Machina. In 2015, Adweek named Elisabeth on its 30 Under 30 in the PR Industry list. In 2018, Bustle named her on their list of Must-Follow Latinx. She’s a graduate of Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business.

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Wine: Maldonado Vineyards Chardonnay

BIO:

Ruben Rojas is a Colombian-American artist, fashion designer, podcaster, and activist. In 2013, Rojas traded in his suit for a paint brush and began transforming blank walls into unique empowering messages that today are uplifting communities and challenging the public to create new dialogues. Rubens’ mission is to ignite creativity and inspire others to see the world through the lens of love. For Ruben, love isn’t a word but rather a way of life. A way to change the world.

Through his ‘love’ artwork, Ruben Rojas encourages people to live through love actively, to participate in a ripple effect of positivity, and to love themselves and care for each other. Ruben’s ‘Life Through Love’ message started with his murals. In our current climate of chaos, division, and uncertainty, his artwork is a supercritical reminder that love is a powerful verb; choosing to live through love can transcend labels, bring people together, and break down stigmas. From France to Florida to California, Ruben Rojas’ vibrant murals not only inspire viewers to dream hard, live in joy, and love big but they also beautify gray urban spaces. An act of love in itself.

Several of his murals feature his signature ‘love’ script—whether stories-high or small and repeated, Ruben’s looping ‘love’ amplifies his bold philosophy of love. Ruben’s work is also found in surprising places. Putting his philosophy of love to the test, he worked with inmates at Lancaster state prison in 2018 to create a Ruben Rojas-style mural with the message “Forgive/Forgiven.” In conversations with the inmates, forgiving yourself before asking for forgiveness rose as a major theme in their lives. And quite frankly, a love lesson we all need to learn.

In 2018, Ruben was painting his “Love Yourself” mural in Sherman Oaks and realized his hand-written ‘love’ would have just as much impact printed on a t-shirt. After posting the mural and accompanying ‘love’ t-shirt, he ended up selling 100 shirts, sparking a pivot to start a mission-driven clothing brand. Those first art-inspired shirts grew into a fuller offering of iconic street style options for men, women, kids, and accessories. Streetwear would be a powerful medium for spreading his philosophy of love on a daily basis: mission-driven clothing that not only looks amazing but also amplifies his ‘Live through Love’ message. He officially launched his first pieces at the end of 2019.

Most recently, Rojas was commissioned to create Love Sculptures for the NFL kickoff that will remain proudly displayed at SoFi Stadium (Home Of The LA Rams) and Highmark Stadium (Home of the Buffalo Bills). You can read the full press release here. The purpose of mission-driven brands is to positively impact the world through what they offer. Through his art, apparel, media, and speaking engagements, Ruben Rojas is creating a vibe that the world desperately needs. Operating out of love, not fear. Loving with purpose and action. Changing our narrative from what we lack to an abundance for giving.

Ruben also shares his mission of spreading a life lived through love with his corporate and charitable partnerships, including BMW, American Express, Ava’s Kitchen, W Hotels, and more. Inspired to Live Through Love? We’d love to introduce your audience to this man who is conducting a movement for the greater good. Looking forward to connecting with you.

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Join myself and a panel that includes Founder and CEO of Cannenta Center for Healing and Empowerment, Dr. Leti Cavazos, Director of Dallas Health and Human Services, Dr. Sandra Lozano, and Francesca Martinez, the National Director of Health Equity for the American Heart Association.

This live Wine & Chisme Podcast event wouldn’t have been possible without our in-kind sponsors including:

And I would like to thank my friend and V12 Yoga Owner, Veronica Torres for providing a pre-panel meditation and sound bath as well as Scott O'Reilly, owner of O'Boy Productions who provided the amazing video for the event. 

And of course, to all those who attended and made my dreams come true….I appreciate you more than you could ever know. Muchos abrazos to you all. 

Wine: Sauvignon Blanc, 2017 Encanto Vineyards

BIO:

Diana Benavidez is a Binational artist from the San Diego/Tijuana border region. Her art practice explores piñata-making as a method of expression and storytelling. Diana builds piñatas that reflect upon her experiences growing up as a woman in a border town. Her work is characterized for introducing materials not commonly found in traditional piñatas such as media, gadgets, and technology. Diana received a BA in Visual Arts from UC San Diego and her art has been exhibited in Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica and the US.

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