Profiles in wine: Jackson Family Wines’ cellar worker breaking barriers

Araceli Gutierrez remembers exactly when she was offered her first permanent job in the wine industry.

The year was 2009 and she’d just completed her eighth month as a temporary harvest worker at Martin Ray Winery in Santa Rosa. As far as harvest jobs are concerned, eight months is much longer than the average harvest gig, which typically lasts just three or four months. So she knew she was living on borrowed time.

“I had started working there in August, and by December I had seen many people let go,” said Gutierrez. “Every time the cellar master gave us our paychecks, we looked into each others’ eyes. We knew it was a temporary job and someone would have to go. We always worried about who would be next.”

So when she was called into the office to speak with the manager, Gutierrez was admittedly nervous.

“I was very scared, I thought maybe there was no more work for me or I had done something bad,” she said. “But they said they were very happy with me and then offered me a raise and a permanent cellar position. I will never forget. It was the ninth of May. I was so relieved and happy.”

During her nine years at Martin Ray, Gutierrez has been hungry for experience, frequently looking for opportunities to expand her knowledge and learn how to use the complex cellar equipment.

But after nearly a decade, Gutierrez realized she was ready for a change. So when she saw Jackson Family Wines had an opening for a skilled cellar worker, she jumped at the chance to apply.

“From the beginning of the interview, they were very kind,” she said. “I could also see they grant opportunities for everyone to learn and grow.”

Last May, Gutierrez was hired as a skilled cellar worker at Skylane, Jackson Family Wines’ large production and bottling facility in Santa Rosa.

“It was like going from a small town to a big city,” she said. “It was very intimidating.”

But, despite her initial nerves, Gutierrez has thrived in her new role, where her diverse responsibilities keep her on her toes.

Among them, is being the first woman in the company’s history to join Skylane’s wine blending team — an accomplishment, she said, that has given her “a lot to be proud of.”

But ask her what her favorite on-the-job task is, and you may be surprised.

“I really love filtering wine,” Gutierrez said, laughing. “When I’m done and I see the finished product, it’s very satisfying.”

That sense of accomplishment is what continues to drive Gutierrez, who left her hometown of Colima, Mexico for the United States in 2009.

As a native Spanish speaker, she said the most challenging part of her job is the language barrier, which she is working to overcome through Jackson Family Wines’ English as a Second Language program.

Offered twice per week, the ESL classes have helped her to feel more confident in her current role.

“I was very surprised they offered these classes, because not a lot of companies have them,” Gutierrez said. “We need to learn the language. It’s a motivator for me to continue growing.”

But perhaps her biggest motivation is something her father said long ago.

“When we were young, my father would say, ‘Whatever you do, always be the best at it,’ ” said Gutierrez. “ ‘If you’re going to be a leaf, don’t let them catch you! Always put your best self into whatever you do.’ ”

You can reach Staff Writer Sarah Doyle at 707-521-5478 or sarah.doyle@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) or Instagram @whiskymuse.