A Sensational Season of Wine Country Events
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Your HostsHost Chef ~ Alejandro Ayala / Host Winemaking Family ~ The Cejas of Ceja Vineyards / Artist of the Year ~ Lowell Herrero / See AlsoYour Hosts - Host Chef Alejandro Ayala, Meadowood Banquet Chef, Ceja Vineyards, Host Winemaking Family, and Lowell Herrero, Napa Valley Mustard Festival Artist of the Year - invite you to join us! Host Chef ~ Alejandro Ayala
Napa Valley Mustard Festival Host Chef Alejandro Ayala celebrated his 20th anniversary at Meadowood Napa Valley in September of 2006 where he has served as Executive Banquet Chef for eight years. Chef Ayala oversees cuisine for executive retreats and special events at Meadowood, as well as events catered in other local settings. His team is talented, dedicated and exceptionally efficient, according Meadowood Executive Chef Vincent Nattress. “Chef Ayala is a great team leader,” says Vincent. “Nothing ever goes wrong when he is in charge. He’s on top of everything and he makes sure everyone is happy.” “My secret to success, along with having a positive attitude, is to work hard and accept challenges,” Chef Ayala says with the friendly smile that is so familiar to his staff. “I started here at Meadowood as a dishwasher. Whenever I had a few minutes I asked if I could help in the kitchen. I sought opportunities to learn and it did not go unnoticed.” Chef Ayala’s family experienced many difficulties when he was a child. His father, who came to Napa Valley to pick grapes each year, worked the rest of the year in Mexico as a farmer for Chef Ayala’s godfather, who owned the land on which they lived. “My father died in an accident in the field when I was eight years old,” he explains. “My grandfather helped my mother raise us. We all had to work. It was a challenge to succeed.” Chef Ayala’s father left him with the gift of positive thinking. “My mother still talks about how he used to say that when her children grew up they would drive her around in their cars and take care of her. She thought he was crazy. “How are kids with nothing ever going to own cars?’ she would say to him. Now she appreciates the way he encouraged us.” It was every child’s dream to come to the United States, according to Chef Ayala. “This country opens many doors for those who want to be successful,” he says. Chef Ayala came to the U.S. when he was eighteen years old. His entire family, with the exception of one sister, now lives and works here. “We’re all very proud to live in the United States,” he declares. Chef Ayala’s break into the kitchen came when one of the Meadowood cooks taught him to make crepes. One day, the property’s new French executive chef walked into the kitchen to find him carefully preparing a batch. Chef Ayala recalls that the new chef asked, “What’s your job here?” “I’m the dishwasher,” he responsed. A week later the chef invited him to work in the kitchen as a prep cook. “I’ve been cooking ever since,” says Chef Ayala. “And I’m happy today to oversee such an important aspect of Meadowood’s culinary operation.” Meadowood has embraced Chef Ayala just as he has embraced a passion for cooking. “I even met my wife, Kelila, here,” he says. “She is a wonderful person and also takes great pride in her work.” Highlights of Chef Ayala’s twenty-year Meadowood career include making events large and small, including Auction Napa Valley (held at Meadowood each June) memorable for all who attend. He’s also considered a role model by those he encourages to work hard to achieve success and status in their careers. “It’s a privilege to be selected to serve as Host Chef of the Napa Valley Mustard Festival,” he says. “It is especially meaningful that the Festival has chosen to honor my culture in 2007 and to recognize the contribution of the Hispanic community to the food, wine and hospitality industries. I’m very proud to offer my support and look forward to all of the fantastic events.” Chef Ayala will be present throughout the Season of Events and looks forward to welcoming guests to Meadowood for Romantica on February 10. He will present a five-course Latin-inspired menu paired with Ceja Vineyards wines and the wines of neighboring Carneros wineries Acacia Winery and Cuvaison Winery. “We promise you a wonderful, romantic and very flavorful evening,” Chef Ayala says with a smile. And, as everyone at Meadowood - as well as restaurant and winery professionals throughout Napa Valley - knows, Chef Ayala Ayala keeps his promises. Host Winemaking Family ~ The Cejas of Ceja Vineyards
Honoring Ceja Vineyards as Napa Valley Mustard Festival Host Winery means honoring the Ceja family. Introduced to the wine industry as immigrant farm workers from Mexico, members of the Ceja family jointly purchased land, developed vineyards, and established a boutique winemaking company, working together as an extended family in the tradition of their culture. They purchased their first 15 acre parcel in Carneros in 1983, and now own 113 acres of planted vineyards in Napa and Sonoma Counties. They released their first vintages in 2001 and opened their tasting room in Carneros in 2005. Pedro and Amelia Ceja manage sales and marketing and Armando and Martha Ceja, vineyards and winemaking. Amelia serves as president and the winery’s primary spokesperson. Pedro, educated as an engineer, is secretary of the corporation. “Armando is the reason our wines are incredible - he is responsible for the quality from the rootstock to the bottle,” says Amelia, and Armando, who graduated from the University of California, Davis, in 1984 with degrees in viticulture and enology, praises the family for the teamwork that has Ceja Vineyards a rising star in the world of wine. “Martha is my partner in vineyard and winemaking operations,” says Armando. “She works quietly behind the scenes and makes what I do possible.” He credits Amelia and Pedro for making the business a success. “We recognize and respect each other’s positions,” he says. “Amelia is a marketing genius. Our accomplishments are possible because of our collective talents and skills.” Ceja Vineyards produces exceptional Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Syrah and Vino de Casa - a red blend and a white blend. “The fact that the land we purchased has proven to be superior vineyard land is a real plus,” says Armando. “Our wines stand alongside the finest vintages in the world.” Surrounded by vineyards ~ vibrant with mustard in bloom during the Mustard Season ~ the Ceja tasting room is tribute to the way in which Ceja family members work side by side to handcraft everything from wine to savory Mexican specialties which emanate from the tasting room kitchen. Cooking, as well as winemaking is an art at Ceja Vineyards. “Our style of wine has been influenced by our culture and the subtle spice in our food,” says Amelia. “They are smooth with crisp acidity and balanced tannins. They pair beautifully with our Mexican dishes and world cuisine.” As children Pedro, Armando, and their brothers and sisters lived in the middle of a vineyard in Rutherford. The vineyard was their playground and determined their direction in life very early on. Pedro and Amelia met at the age of 12 picking Merlot grapes at Robert Mondavi’s winery. Their families had both coincidentally settled in Napa Valley in 1967, arriving from Michoacán and Jalisco. Fully immersed in agriculture, the Cejas had grown corn in Michoacán. “I remember following a horse drawn plow and planting the corn seeds when I was four years old,” recalls Pedro. “I fell in love with the smell of the earth and growing all kinds of plants. This passion has stayed with me for life and is at the root of Ceja Vineyards where we nurture verdant, healthy vineyards utilizing sustainable agricultural practices.” A self-proclaimed dreamer, Pedro has believed since childhood that the United States is the land of opportunity. “With education, hard work and focus we can fulfill our dreams and expectations despite humble beginnings,” he says. “At Ceja Vineyards we represent the reality of what is possible and we serve as an inspiration to others.” A diminutive five-foot dynamo, Amelia is often sought as a guest speaker on behalf of the wine industry, as well as for her business insight by corporations including American Express, the Napa Valley Mustard Festival’s Presenting Sponsor. She enthusiastically expresses her belief in the possibility of upward mobility through education, vision, dedication and the work that binds it all together. “When I picked grapes in the vineyards at the age of 12, I took my buckets to the gondola, called out my number, and got my own paycheck,” she offers as proof. “It gave me independence and fired my ambition.” Amelia’s parents and grandparents are her role models. “I am from a matriarchal family that believes in nurturing children to become strong and independent,” she explains. “My grandparents were loving rather than authoritarian. My parents worked hard to give us the best possible education. They made higher education a possibility for us, and we made it a reality by holding up our end of the bargain. We have achieved success by being diligent and proving that we are business savvy. We work fearlessly and with great confidence.” Armando, who made his first barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon from Duckhorn grapes when he was a senior in high school, points out that there have been many helping hands along the way. “We have lots of angels in our past he says. “We are very, very fortunate. I feel like one of the luckiest people alive.” Ceja family members will have a vital presence during the 14th annual Napa Valley Mustard’s Season of Events. On February 10, they will host Romantica at Meadowood Napa Valley with the Festival’s Host Chef, Chef Ayala. Pedro and Amelia’s son, Ariel and his girlfriend, Janelle Chase, will be featured Salsa dancers at Mustard Magic at the Culinary Institute of America on January 27 and at Spice! at Robert Mondavi Winery on March 3. Ariel and Janelle work in the Ceja tasting room. Following in his parent’s footsteps, Ariel is outgoing and vivacious, offering a lively wine tasting experience to their guests with Ceja gusto. To make an appointment to taste Ceja wines visit www.cejavineyards.com or call 707-255-3954. American Express cardmembers will have the opportunity for complimentary tasting throughout the Mustard Season, from January 27 through March 31, 2007. Artist of the Year ~ Lowell Herrero
Lowell Herrero has reached a place in his career that allows him the freedom to paint that which inspires him. He enjoys traveling, nurturing the Napa Valley Tuscan style villa he and his wife Janet created, and extending generosity to his community and the causes that touch him. In 2006, Lowell agreed that he would create an image especially for the 14th annual Napa Valley Mustard Festival. He has given the Festival use of the image ~ Vineyard Mustard ~ for posters, merchandise, and marketing, and will donate one-half of the proceeds from the sale of the original painting to his charity of choice: Clinic Olé. At The Prelude, an event sponsored by Robert Mondavi Winery on November 18, 2006, Vineyard Mustard was unveiled. Mark Young of Calistoga’s Left Coast Restaurants, opened the bidding at $40,000 and Scott Bauder of Napa raised the bid to $42,000. Both will be guests, along with the Herreros at Spice!, a dinner dance also sponsored by Robert Mondavi Winery, on March 3. Others who wish to bid on the painting, valued at $60,000, will be able to meet the Herreros and place bids at Mustard Magic at the Culinary Institute of American on January 27, The Grand Dinner at FARM on February 23, at SPICE!, and at The Mumm Napa Photo Finish on March 31, where the painting will go to the highest bidder at approximately 10 p.m. Vineyard Mustard is hanging at Antique Fair in Yountville between appearances at events. Bids may be placed at Antique Fair or by calling Pat Summers of Summers-McCann Public Relations, Napa Valley Mustard Festival Coordinator, at 707-938-1133 ext 106. To view the poster, available for purchase here at mustardfestival.org, please click here. Although the Herreros enjoy financial success and immersion in an enviable artistic lifestyle, affluence was not a part of Lowell’s childhood. He grew up in Oakland where he drew pictures more often than he played with his friends. After graduating from high school he spent three years in the service, returning to the Bay Area to attend the College of Arts and Crafts on the GI Bill. “I took full advantage of all of the school’s classes and tried out everything they had to offer,” he says. “After taking a couple of commercial classes I knew I was headed for advertising.” Four years later, in 1950, Lowell graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. He took his portfolio and headed to San Francisco where he landed a job with a Standford and Sanvick, one of the area’s most prominent graphic arts studios. “I started at the bottom and worked my way up,” he recalls. “It wasn’t long before clients took notice of my work and started asking for me. It was a thrill!” Three years later Lowell set up a three-man graphic design studio in partnership with artist Bruce Butte and lettering man Bill Hyde. An enormous success representing numerous national companies, Butte, Herrero, and Hyde was located above Melvin Belli’s office on Jackson Square in North Beach. After 13 years they quit while they were at the top to pursue their individual artistic aspirations. Calendars became a significant element in Lowell’s success during his years with Butte, Herrero and Hyde, where he painted images for Shell Chemical Calendars. Once on his own, he began painting for calendars again. First came Whales in 1979, followed by Cats in 1981, and later by Cows in 1988. Although he no longer paints new images, his popular Cat and Cow calendars are still reproduced and marketed nationally. Lowell and Janet met at a party in 1979. When he decided to move on from advertising to focus on fine art, she agreed to support him for one year. He soon sold his first painting at the Bill Dodge Gallery in Carmel where he went on to produce numerous successful one-man shows and build his career. In the early 1990s the Herreros purchased acreage on Mt. St. Helena and built a beautiful studio where Lowell developed the large format paintings for which he has become famous. Janet took transparencies to St. Helena’s noted I Wolk Gallery to promote the first paintings. “Ira Wolk wasn’t there when I went in, but I no sooner arrived back at the studio when he called and said ‘I have to see this work’! He immediately offered Lowell a one man show,” Janet recalls with pride. The first show in 1996 was a sell out. There have since been three sold-out shows, and waiting list of collectors eagerly anticpate for new works. After twelve years of commuting to their Napa Valley studio from San Francisco the Herreros moved to Napa Valley. They sold the mountain studio in 2005 and created at studio at their home in Calistoga. A gated entry and olive grove greet guests who wind their way to the complex designed with the same care and sense of joy which emanates from every single Herrero painting. The thick, deeply flavorful olive oil, which comes from the grove, bears a beautiful label created, of course, by Lowell. Lowell and Janet Herrero appreciate their success. “It’s wonderful to be in this position,” he says. He is soft-spoken, yet emphatic. “We are very, very fortunate.”
"Vineyard Mustard" is featured on 2007 Festival marketing materials and merchandise; posters are available for purchase online here at mustardfestival.org. The original painting is offered at silent auction throughout the Mustard Season, and will go to the highest bidder at The Mumm Napa Photo Finish on March 31. The painting is valued at $60,000. One-half of the proceeds from the sale of the original painting to Herrero's charity of choice: Clinic Olé. The high bid (as of this update) is $42,000. Vineyard Mustard is hanging at Antique Fair in Yountville between appearances at events. Bids may be placed at Antique Fair, at select events, or by calling Pat Summers of Summers-McCann Public Relations, Napa Valley Mustard Festival Coordinator, at 707-938-1133 ext 106. Special thanks to Martin Sundberg for the use of his Lowell Herrero photo! >> See Also:
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