Skip to main content

Thompson: Mexican American Vintners Show the American Dream Is Alive and Well

May 18, 2017

Washington – Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05)—Chairman of the Congressional Wine Caucus—met with members of the Mexican American Vintner Association (MAVA) visiting Washington to discuss how they are growing their businesses and strengthening our local economy. Among those who visited Thompson were representatives from Mi Sueño Winery and Ceja Vineyards. Click here to watch the video here or visit https://youtu.be/m_W_AKN2jCs.

"Many Mexican American vintners built their businesses literally from the ground up," said Thompson. "They came to our country with dreams of a better life, worked the soil, tended the grapes, and did the back-breaking labor required to start their own vineyards. And now they have built incredible, enduring legacies for their families and our district. They are living proof that the American Dream is alive and well. It was truly an honor to speak with them today about everything they've accomplished and discuss how Congress can support their efforts to grow and expand."

"This is still a country where there are great opportunities," said Amelia Ceja of Ceja Vineyard. "You have to work harder if you are a Mexican woman, but still one's dreams can be achieved. The wines we brought with us to Washington have been touched by so many highly skilled laborers. They have been made with so much pride and love, and we have to show the world that we are bringing what is great from our own culture and adopting what is great from this culture. We have two amazing cultures that we can all help to make better."

"From the first moment I set foot in a wine cellar, I felt at home," said Rolando Herrera of Mi Sueño Winery. "I feel very thankful to God and life for opening the doors to winemaking and grape-growing and farming. Mi Sueño was born in 1997. We started with two hundred cases of chardonnay… today, we make about ten thousand."

You can see more about their stories by watching the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_W_AKN2jCs.

###