Wine & Chisme

Wine: 2019 Pinot Noir, Fathia Wines

As the host of The Wine & Chisme Podcast, I ask people to share their journey with me. The good. The Bad. The ugly. But I can't expect people to share the various facets of their journey with me if I am unwilling to share mine. As a self-diagnosed eternal optimist, I let that optimism turn into toxic positivity. Once I admitted how scared I was to myself, everything turned around. 

This episode has been one of the hardest episodes I've recorded and I hope that you find hope in struggle like I did. 

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Wine: Scielo NY Tinto 2014 by RG|NY Wines

BIO:

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Vicky Loza is a Mexican-American entrepreneur, ISSA certified personal trainer and fitness expert who believes that movement can change your life. Since starting her wellness journey in 2013, she has committed herself to a life led by health and fitness. 

Vicky’s dedication and perseverance have led to her hosting a nationwide, sold-out #VTFCBOOTCAMP tour in major cities that started in 2018, designing and selling thousands of online workout programs during the pandemic, organizing a local charity event to celebrate over fifty Latina small business owners from a diverse array of countries and give back to local Latinx street vendors, and providing countless free resources and content for Black and Brown communities of all fitness levels. 

Using a combination of Bodybuilding and HIIT style training, Vicky is on a mission to empower people to focus on self-love, health and movement - no matter what size and age they are, or stage of life they’re in. Her unapologetic attitude combined with an encouraging, structured style of coaching have helped her motivate and grow a community of over 100,000 across Instagram and TikTok.

Website: https://vickythefitchick.com/

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Wines: RG|NY, White Merlot 2018 

Scielo NY, Tinto 2019 

Scielo NY, Sparkling Riesling 2019

BIO:

RG|NY is a family of winemakers with a deep regard for their heritage. Their Mexican roots bring a unique perspective to their business. They value their family's tradition of wine-making and aim to foster the Rivero González legacy as they enter this new chapter. 

Maria Rivero González is the CEO of RG|NY and RG|MX and believes the most important thing she has learned about the vineyards to become more sustainable is to, "Work the land. Care for the land day in, day out. Add organic material to the ground and keep the vines healthy in a preemptive way is the best way to have a sustainable wine."

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Wine: Vesa O Reserva, 2020 Organic Rosé, D.O. Valle de Rapel Chile

BIO: 

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Julissa Prado is the Founder & CEO of Rizos Curls, a clean hair care line aimed at embracing and celebrating the beauty of curls, coils and waves everywhere! 

After years of making her own curly cocktail and being the “curl whisperer” within her community, Julissa decided to launch her own hair care line Rizos Curls. The result is a line of products made with quality natural ingredients that works across a variety of curly hair textures. The brand has amassed a global following of #RizosReinas, becoming a favorite among the curly hair community, shipped to over 57 countries and available at Target, Ulta Beauty and Sally Beauty Mexico! 

Julissa is a leading force in the beauty industry with award wins as one of Cosmopolitan’s 2021 The New C-Suite Winner and named Entrepreneur of the Year in 2020 by Beauty Independent. Julissa is also an active national speaker with speaking roles at Harvard University, The Girlboss Rally, Create & Cultivate, the U.S. Department of State for The United Nations, TED, among others. She also proudly organizes curated events and resources centered on entrepreneurship, including the Rizos Curls Small Business Summit and JEFACON, a collaboration with Smashbox Cosmetics. 

Julissa holds a Masters in Business from Wake Forest University, is an alumni of UCLA, and has held corporate leadership positions at Nestlé.

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This episode is a first and doesn't feature a wine but Mocel Mezcal! 

BIO:

Rosalinda Mendoza is CEO and Co-Founder of Mocel Mezcal, an e-commerce company that delivers ultra-premium artisanal mezcales to your home to create a shared tasting experience. Rosalinda was born and raised in rural Washington to farmworker immigrants from Michoacán, Mexico. Between growing up in the farmlands of Washington State and visiting her grandparents in rural Michoacán, she understood and appreciated the hard work of cultivating and making real food and beverages. Rosalinda and her sister co-founded Mocel Mezcal, which crafts mezcales from Michoacán using 400-year-old artisanal methods with two ingredients – agave and water. 

Prior to venturing into entrepreneurship, Rosalinda held roles in management and marketing for various organizations including IBM, Starbucks and the Washington State Farmworker Housing Trust, a non-profit working to improve housing conditions for families in rural Washington. 

Rosalinda also continues to play an active role as mentor in FOSTERing MBA Access, a program she co-founded as an MBA student to recruit students of color and women into UW’s highly ranked MBA program. Rosalinda has an MBA from the University of Washington and a B.A. in Economics from Whitman College. Rosalinda and her boot-wearing, bull-riding husband enjoy spending time in the Yakima Valley, hanging out at rodeos with family and expanding their mezcal collection.

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Wine: Fathia Wines, 2019 Carneros Valley Pinot Noir

BIO:

Sergio Ortega is on a personal mission to help everybody be mindfully intune with not only themselves, but also with their surroundings. His purpose is to consult the minds of all those willing to take a load of stress off of their plates through breathing techniques, mindful exercises, & I AM affirmations. These mindful techniques will help you speak positivity into your existence and the existence of others! #WINEFULNESS

Website: https://winefulness.org

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Wine: 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena, Vinos Unidos 

BIO:

Vinos Unidos came together as a group of friends and neighbors who love wine. They believe in supporting their friends and family and go even further to support our community by creating scholarships for college students pursuing degrees in enology, viticulture and culinary arts.

They choose the name, Vinos Unidos or United Wines, to show their connection with wine and each other and to highlight our diverse backgrounds. They hail from Chile, Mexico and the U.S.A.

Wine: 2019 Pinot Noir, Fathia Wines

BIO: 

Rebecca Contreras is the author of Lost Girl – From the Hood to the White House to Millionaire Entrepreneur, which recounts her journey from becoming a welfare-dependent teenage mother to advising a sitting president, to driving a successful 100-person company. 

Rebecca is a social and business entrepreneur who spent nearly twelve years with the George W. Bush legacy, first in Texas as his Director of HR then in DC in the White House as a Commissioned Officer supporting the Presidential transition. She started her fifteen-year service in government in a welfare-to-work program for Texas icon Ann Richards and achieved tremendous heights in her success.

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Wine: 2018 Sauvignon Blanc, Herencia Del Valle 

BIO:

Jorge Narvaez is a father of 3, fatherhood case manager and content creator. For the past couple of years he has been active on and offline to spread his message of Family, Community, Art, Music and most importantly Fatherhood!

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Wine: Armitage Wines, 2018 Pinot Noir 

BIO:

Karina Mora is a professional photographer, speaker, and podcaster devoted to helping people reclaim their cultural legacies. She elevates her native Mexican culture through photography and recently launched guided trips with her to Mexico. Her podcast Elevating la Cultura features stories from first and second-generation Latinas who are working hard, pursuing their passions, and pouring their positive efforts and benefits into the next generations.