Sandra Gonzalez, Founder
For nearly ten years, Sandra Gonzalez was affiliated with Wine Institute, the San Francisco-based trade association for California wineries. As Member Relations Manager, she traveled to California’s winegrowing regions, planned industry conferences and social events and communicated directly with winery owners and top corporate wine executives. She also worked with respected chefs, specialty food producers and noted culinary historians.
In 2001, Ms. Gonzalez founded Vino con Vida, a wine education company focused on Latino consumers and culture. She publishes vinoconvida.com, a web site featuring news about Latin food, chefs, wine, and culture. And she writes wine, food and travel articles in both English and Spanish for various trade and consumer publications. Her articles are published in industry magazines Vineyard & Winery Management, Wines & Vines, Wine Business Monthly, El Restaurante Mexicano. And contributes to Hispanic Business, Fuego Magazine, Latino Weekly Review, Sacramento Hispanic Magazine, Tinta Latina and La Voz newspapers. Ms. Gonzalez hosts a weekly English language radio program on San Francisco North Bay's 1440 KVON in which she discusses wine, food, arts, travel, politics and news as related to Latino culture. She has contributed to and produced wine education seminars and events with partners such as, Time, Inc., Univision, KRON-TV (San Jose, CA), Hispanic Business Magazine, Hispanic Lifestyle Magazine, Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, and Latina Business Women Association, among others.
Ms. Gonzalez is the first Latina to speak at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, the largest wine industry tradeshow and conference in America. And she is the first wine advocate to partner with the largest U.S. Hispanic food and beverage tradeshow and conference, Expo Comida Latina, to produce wine seminars and tastings connecting wine to Latino culture, food and flavors. She is the Founder and Chairperson of Sabor de Napa, the wine gala which celebrates the Latino winemaking, culinary and artistic influences from the Napa Valley and beyond. It is the first and only event of its kind in the United States. Sabor de Napa is an annual charity gala for Napa Valley non-profits helping vineyard workers and the under-served throughout wine country.
