Here is Sonoma County's top vineyard employee of 2019
On Saturday, the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation held its 2019 employee recognition festival honoring dozens of recipients through its vineyard employee recognition.
At the event, held at Saralee and Richard's Barn at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, the group named Jose Cervantes from Cornerstone Certified Vineyard as the vineyard employee of 2019.
Cervantes is the operations supervisor at Cornerstone. The foundation stated he has worked in the wine industry for 30 years (25 with Cornerstone) and has worked his way up to second in command at the company. As operations supervisor he is responsible for scheduling all work done in the field.
He does this with “determination, skill, great communication, a constant desire to learn and improve, a great sense of pride in himself and his work, and with the respect of his crews, colleagues, clients, and winemakers,” the group stated. Cervantes is married, with three grown children and one in middle school. Jose put his three oldest children through college and into successful careers, the group stated.
Cervantes was selected from workers honored throughout the year. Here is a list of those vineyard employees of the month and their employers. (Check out the photo gallery above to see all the contenders.)
January
Theme: Leadership
February
Jose Cervantes, Cornerstone Certified Vineyard
Gustavo Gonzalez, Sonoma-Cutrer
Leonel Avina, Sanchietti Farming
Catalina Alvarez, Redwood Empire Vineyard Management
Theme: Pruning
March
Luis Abrego, Cornerstone Certified Vineyard
Manuel Godinez, Vino Farms
Juvenal Flores, Redwood Empire Vineyard Management
Rosendo Avila, Emeritus Vineyards
Theme: Innovation/Creativity
April
Alonso Cervantes, Munselle Vineyards
Juan Avila, Emeritus Vineyards
Pedro Sanchez, Redwood Empire Vineyard Management
Anselmo Castillo, Vino Farms
Theme: Conservation
May
Raymundo Calderon, Cornerstone Certified Vineyard
Nicolas Hernandez, Bevill Vineyard Management
Alvaro Dolores Hernandez, Redwood Empire Vineyard Management
Michael Lewis, Atlas Vineyard Management
Theme: Frost Protection
June
Adrian Reyes Camacho, Redwood Empire Vineyard Management
Cesar Diaz, Cornerstone Certified Vineyard
Oscar Meza Frias, Bevill Vineyard Management
Roberto Rivera, Bowland Vineyard Management
Theme: Determination
July
Francisco Leon, North Pacific Vineyard Management
Emeterio Campos, Redwood Empire Vineyard Management
Cristino Trejo, Emeritus Vineyards
Fernando Argota Arias, Madrone Vineyard Management
Theme: Canopy Management
August
Leonel Campos Alvarez, Sangiacomo Family Vineyards
Felipe Hernandez, Atlas Vineyard Management
Jose A. Arreguin, Bevill Vineyard Management
Efrain Robles, Jackson Family Wines
Theme: Safety
September
Rafael Magaña, Sonoma Cutrer
Carlos Jacobo, Atlas Vineyard Management
Santiago Ildefonso Estrada, Sangiacomo Family Vineyards
Jose Antonio Lua, Renteria Vineyard Management LLC
Theme: Harvest
October
Ramiro Ramirez, Serres Ranch
Juan Sanchez, Dutton Ranch
Ramon Murillo, Vino Farms
Gabriel Ruiz, Cornerstone Certified Vineyard
Theme: Harvest
November
Cipreano Alvarez-Zavala, Sangiacomo Family Vineyards
Victor Ortega, Atlas Vineyard Management
Sacramento Ortiz, Cornerstone Certified Vineyard
Isidro Rodriguez, Emeritus Vineyards
Theme: Collaboration
Jose Aceves, Dutton Ranch
Emigilio Olivera, Redwood Empire Vineyard Management
Rigoberto Jimenez, Cornerstone Certified Vineyard
Leonel Ortz, Atlas Vineyard Management
