Gustavo’s love for wine runs deep into his childhood. He grew up in California’s Central Valley, surrounded by family with longstanding ties to agricultural business who instilled in him a love of the land and an appreciation for wine. He spent his summers in orchards, vineyards, cotton fields, tomato fields and canneries, but he never intended to be a farmer, much less a winemaker. His dreams were filled with airplanes and rockets and cars. But one day he found a bottle from Robert Mondavi Winery that his father had put away. After reading the mission statement on the back label, his trajectory changed and led to 17 years at Mondavi, where he earned the title of head red winemaker. In 2009, Gustavo established Mira as one of the top producers of small production, single-vineyard wines in Napa Valley—including fruit from premier vineyard sites such as Hyde Vineyard in Carneros and Schweizer Vineyard in the heart of the Stags Leap District. Drink in this episode with the fascinating Gustavo Gonzalez.
