Ep. 1046 Sophia Torres | Voices With Cynthia Chaplin

Welcome to the Italian wine podcast. This episode has been brought to you by the wine to wine business forum twenty twenty two. This year, we'll mark the ninth edition of the forum to be held on November seventh and eighth of twenty twenty two in Verona Italy. This year will be an exclusively in person edition. The main theme of the event will be all around wine communication. And tickets are on sale now. The first early bird discount will be available until August twenty second. For more information, please visit us at wine to wine dot net. Welcome to the Italian wine podcast. I'm Cynthia Chaplin, and this is voices. Every Wednesday, I will be sharing conversations with international wine industry professionals discussing issues in diversity, equity, and inclusion through their personal experiences, working in the field of wine. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and rate our show wherever you get your pods. Welcome to voices. I'm Cynthia Chaplin, and today I'm very happy to welcome Sophia Torres. She's the co founder and vice president of Avoy, the associate's young, Islamustria Delvino in Oregon, Ecomunidad. And this organization is a nonprofit creating opportunities and empowering Latinx and Hispanic vineyard workers in the Willow Valley in Oregon and providing educational and professional development So a very cool, initiative that I can't wait to talk about. I wish we had something like that in Italy, but we'll get around to that. Sophia herself was born in Mexico, and she worked there in the tech industry until she moved to the US in two thousand and two. And she and her husband, Ryan Mckay, took a huge risk and invested everything they had and started Cromweiser, Vineyard, and winery in two thousand eleven. And so Sophia is now the only Latino winery owner in the Dundy Hills of Oregon. So a lot to talk about today. Thank you so much for coming on the show, Sophia. Thank you so much for inviting me, Cynthia. No. It's a huge pleasure. Let's talk about Avoitte because this organization is how I found you. I was talking to one of your colleagues, Rachel Adams from Assem Blage, and she mentioned this to me. And I started looking you up, and it's such a cool thing. The goal is to engage and encourage and support the Latinaks and Hispanic vineyard workers. We have virtually nothing like this program in Italy, and I, to be honest, I've never heard of anything like it in Europe. So I don't know where we're buying the times. I am always really shocked and saddened by the fact that, you know, a lot of our migrant workers who keep the vineyards healthy and harvest the graves and work in the cantina and do the bottling and stuff, all of these people are never even invited to taste the product they produce or learn about the sector that they keep alive How did I Boy come into being? What are you doing there now? This sounds really magical to me. Yeah. So, well, I Boy, I don't know. I'm I'm just gonna tell you a little bit more of the the the story. Right? It was cofounded by by, two other Latino winemakers and, we got together and then we start talking about our people. I will say that because I'm from Mexico as well. And And, and I just saw that there was a lack of connection between the vineyard stores. So we call them. Actually, it's India. We were trying to change the title for from a vineyard worker, labor, or, farmer a farm worker for, to be in your store. So, I think that's a great idea. And, again, it gives people much more, investment in in their position. I I really love that word, a steward? Yes. Yeah. Because it's, you know, they're really they're the stewards of the lands that our eyes are our our hands. They're they're they're the ones that they're they're in every day. You know? It doesn't matter if it rains. If it's hard, if it's cold. If it's they're always there. Where on their hands, right, if you wanna say so I think, that was, when I started my brand, started my brand Cromo C, I started with that term, and I we adopted it for for I Boy, And I will release spreading the word. And now lots of people here in the Willow Valley, they are using that term now to when they refer to our our vineyard stores. So, so we're trying to change that. It's changing. It's working so that I'm I'm happy that that is happening. So we changed that first, and then we start talking to them and kind of ask questions about how we could help them if they were going to school, if they didn't go to what they didn't go to school. So we found out that there was no, like, big access for them or a special program dedicated for them. And, and for those, for Jesus Miguel and myself, and now the the board members that we we were forming little by little. We thought that, education was the way to go. Right? Why was there no education available to them? There there's there's education, but being a being from another country, I think the lack of the barrier of language between a senior owner, one area owner that normally they speak English to tell them, like, why you don't go to this program? There's programs. And then there's there's programs and maybe they're completely in English. They're completely You're in Spanish, but like to guide them how to get to the college, how to register to the college, also the access to go in the morning. So so this program is very special, Cynthia. I mean, there's other programs, but enabled for you to go to school, you have to go after work. Right? Yeah. Exactly. And and then it costs money, and and they don't have the time, and they don't have the money sometimes. Right? And then Sure. And I'm often they're supporting a lot of other people. There's no extra change floating around. Exactly. And for example, maybe the the husband works in the morning and the wife works at night, and then they have to take care of the kids. Right? Exactly. So there's no there's no way. So, I mean, when we were asking these questions, and that's that's what I'm saying. Access to education in a special way so they can go because they're there there are programs, of course, that they can go. But I think I Boye is helping to break some of the barriers about the time, the money, and, and the language. Right? So this program is in the morning. So it's a seventeen weeks program. They go every Wednesday We partnership with Tameketa and Lynnfield University, Tameketa College and University, and Lynnfield University, and we developed the program for them to go to those two, colleges. Right? This is so amazing. I I think often, you know, especially in the US where there is a lot of funding for these kinds of programs, you know, our politicians get away with saying, oh, we developed twenty five new programs in our states, but if If nobody can go to them, right, it's still as exclusive and as impossible as if there were no programs at all. So Exactly. So that that's that's my point when I when I said there's no access to programs because it's hard for them to go in the morning. So I've already created this program for them to go in the morning. Instead of going to work, they're going to school. So we're not taking extra time from their family or from another job that they have maybe after they go in the fields because some of them, they have two jobs. Right? Absolutely. And more. And we pay them, so we pay a stipend, a flat fee stipend for them to go so they don't miss their paycheck for that day. Again, this is so important. I just this idea is incredible, understanding that, you know, money is really the way to to lift these people up. It's not good enough to to talk. Money has to has to be involved. And as you said, you know, there can be a big desire for education, but if there's no money, it's not gonna happen. Exactly. Yeah. So so I mean, we were trying to find ways, you know, to to set this program, and that was in two thousand eighteen when we start with this idea. The three of us, and then we start forming the the the board. And then I end up meeting, the wine director at that time is Jessica Cassandra. She was our program coordinator and our kind of person to connect with Tamekara. Right? And she was so excited about what we wanted to do. So she really helped us to to partner with them in a very, very easy way, and we started the program with Tamekara. So it's a program that that, the vineyard stores, they go and study from vineyard to, winemaking, to bottling, and to the business side, right, sell the wine. So they see the whole picture when before, Cynthia, there's programs, but all the program says, or you study this, or you study that, or you study this. So this is kind of like a warm, a program that can you can see the whole picture of the industry in seventeen weeks. It's a lot of information, but we wanted to let them know how many opportunities could be in the industry as as as as we kinda motivate them to have a career path in the industry. Absolutely. There's got to be there has to be some some sort of vision of moving up from an entry level job you know, where am I gonna go from there? So I think you're you're actually allowing people to to grow their dreams and to dream bigger than than they would have otherwise. I'm just wondering so you're giving them a three hundred and sixty degree program on sort of the whole nuts and bolts of of the wine industry, and and they're learning English as well. How are the wineries reacting to this? Are they are they resisting? Are they on board? I mean, you're taking their stewards away every Wednesday morning. Was what's been the reaction? So some of them, they're, like, excited. They're big supporters of the program. They they were saying, like, you know, reactions about, like, why we didn't have this program before? Right? What we didn't develop this program before? That was my reaction when I read about you. Right. And some of them, they're like, wait a minute. So I cannot lose Jose on Wednesday because he's my supervisor. Or I can know, you know, so that this is coming from the one area owner, senior owners, right, or the senior management companies. Right? Some of them are not oh, no. I'm I'm not gonna send anybody because I don't like, they're gonna leave me. Right? So they know they're gonna leave me. They're gonna go, try to go in another position. Right? It's so short sighted. Oh, you can you can keep your keep your stewards there, you know, as sort of a slave workforce, or you can It you can be the vineyard that that educates your stewards and they all leave you to get better jobs and more people wanna come and take their place to do the same thing. It seems obvious. That's the goal. That's actually the goal. But you know what? I understand too because it's such a new program that that they I think they didn't know how how this will work. And we were confused with a with a recruitment agency instead of, like, a education program, right, so some people they didn't understand in the beginning. So there were all kind of, you know, reactions, but mostly I will I will say positive reactions. Right? That's so good. That's really good to hear. I think Oregon has a special community too that that I don't think is, all that common all around the world. But I just wanna touch a little bit on on your cofounder, Jesus Guienne. I I know he started his winery in two thousand six with his wife, Yuliana, and he was named one of the top forty under forty pacemakers in two thousand eighteen by wine enthusiasts. And there was a documentary made that he took part in red, white, and black, the Oregon wine story about sort of all the minority winemakers in Oregon. I was really sad to discover that that Jesus passed away in two thousand and eighteen, but his spirit is living on clearly with his family and his work and with this program that you've put together. And in Oregon really is you know, it's doing so much. There's a lot, you know, it's happening and very active and supportive of BIPOC community and LGBTQ community. What what makes Oregon so diverse and inclusive and open to these forms of equity and development. Why do you think Oregon is so special this way? Well, I think we still have to do a lot of work. We are, you know, as I mentioned before, there's there's lots to learn from everybody. I think Oregon, it's the spirit is collaboration, and that helps. Right? So we share lots of information between owners. We share I mean, my success is their success, their success, my success, kind of a thing. So that's the way that we bring more people. I will say when we started, but we, we have to work a lot. See, I mean, there's no, like, a big, diversity still. There's, like, as we mentioned, we see lots of people of color normally, in the vineyard. Right? And not so much. Do you have any idea how many? How how many people of color make up the, you know, the Stewart force in in Oregon? No. I mean, maybe twenty from, you know, like, if there's no I mean, we have nine hundred veneers we have. If I if I'm right around seven hundred fifty tasting rooms. And if you go to one of each, you might find you you don't find any people of color in the tasting rooms that often? No. That's another that's another question altogether. Yeah. And you don't find absolutely very, very, I can tell me with my hands, people of color that I want makers being your owners like me. I mean, maybe we are total in the valley around maybe fourteen, fifteen. Wow. Out of nine hundred. Yes. Yes. So there's not, there's still not too much diversity. Right? Most people, they work in the in the vineyards, and that's why it is our passion with this program because we wanna I I think it's a very diverse. If you see the the the industry here in Oregon, as a whole, it's a very diverse, right? But if you if you see, like, most of the people that work in the premier, other are brown, So we wanted to connect the dots between why the industry has to be that divided instead of just one whole industry, right, and where we see people of color all the way around from soil to glass. Right? Exactly. Exactly. I I like that concept from soil to glass, and and they should be invited to to drink and to learn about what they're producing that goes in that glass too. So Some of the wineries that didn't buy them, maybe they don't want it, but, but I realized when we they're asking questions to be in your stores. Like, so how's your wine? Did you drink wine? And like, no, no, no, no, did you drink wine from the places that you grow? No, no. We don't. Right? Or it's just not affordable for them. Right? So That was the part that always sad for me. It's kinda like, well, if you're a chef and you don't taste your food. Right? Exactly. Yeah. So that was part of the that was sad and that was one of the things that motivated us also to do this and teach them how to rewind. And that and that case rooms are open for everybody, not just for for people that own businesses or people that come on vacation and, or, you know, like, it's open for everybody. Exactly. Exactly. Well, so you've been you've been running IVoice since two thousand eighteen. How many people have gone through the program? Yeah. We have total thirty five graduates by now. So we have in the beginning just a small group. The la last year, we have fifteen vigner stores that they join and we have four in a waiting list because we couldn't we couldn't have a bigger group. So, so every year, we're gonna try to grab our goal is to maybe have two groups one day, you know, at a time, But for now, I think we our our goal is to have at least a group of fifteen each year. That, as you can tell, it's very slow. Right? It's little by little, but I think the more little by little is how you get the job done, though. It's actually. Yes. And then, these people, you know, like, I mean, our senior students, our students, graduate, they when they finish this program, Cynthia, you won't believe how different they look, how different they even walk. How different they even, like, talk to you, they feel part of their drinking wine, you know, the ceremony. Sure. That's great. I mean, the self esteem must be amazing. The confidence just to hear how appreciated they are for us in the industry as their our eyes and hands, you know, in the And, of course, they're inspiring their families too, their children, their their siblings, so you're doing more than just reaching the people who are in your classroom. You're reaching their entire family, their whole community. Italian wine podcast. If you think you love wine as much as we do, then give us a like and a follow anywhere you get your pods. Yeah. We're changing lives. I think this is this is the program, you know. It's it's it's touching hearts. It's changing lives. I mean, can you mind how beautiful it would be? Like, these students, they go to school, their children, they know. His dad, their dad or their mom, they're going to school, and they're they're learning. And then later on in life, they're gonna say, hey, dad, I wanna go to wine wine classes, or I wanna go Yeah. No. Exactly. To that industry and where you belong. And then more generations come, you know, to this industry, normally, we talk about, oh, the second, third, ten generation of winemakers, you know, in a family, but there's no, like, senior stores, third generation, you know. Yes. So we wanna we wanna see that. Well, let's talk a little bit about your partnerships with the Jamaica University College and Lynnfield University. So how did you get you were telling me about how you got connected with them, but how are they supporting you? Are they are they helping you promote and publicize? Are they helping with funding? What are the what are the college partners doing to help the program succeed? Yeah. So I think, just having the the space, you know, having the space. They they helped me to find some of the instructors. We have different different subjects during during the weeks, and they helped me, to review the program every year and see we have to make some changes And then they're normally, they're super enthusiastic and helping me on that. The funds the funds is more like we we race funds through different events, right, and then we pay to make it up for the cost, or link field. Of the classes, but, obviously, I think it's, it's a it's a non credit program. So it's a little bit more affordable, you know, for for us to start. And then after, after this program, they can continue their education, and we can help them as well. And to make it a and Infio, and now, always, always you also were trying to find ways to, to help them to continue their education. And maybe plan some workshops, special workshops, you know, for them. Like, if they wanna be better at pruning, if they wanna be better at wine appreciation, that kind of stuff, that's kinda like how I vote is gonna evolve. And we have absolutely a hundred percent support from them. When we when we tell them, you know, this is what why I see this, the students in their survey at the end of the program, we we, ask them questions about the program and what what was good, what did work, and what it didn't work in. So, and then we go and get together with this, Chamekara, and then we try to, to improve the program. Right? And they're absolutely open for us. Just let us know what we can do and, you know, and they they, promote the program to, they talk about the program with other people they're trying to bring also Venus tours to the program with people that they know. So it's a it's a big collaboration. It's a partnership. Right? They don't give us the money, but they keep us the space and the help and the support. That's so useful. I I mean, I like I love IVoice mission. When you it says that you're committed to demonstrating that a community is stronger when every person feels empowered. And you're committed to building a community that seps and respects and values, racial, cultural, and national differences. And we can all succeed in creating a better future when these principles are covered. So it sounds like you're you're two universities are really buying into that. I'm wondering, are you planning to roll this out to more universities across Oregon? It's such a great model. Yes. Yeah. I think so. I think, you know, there's people from, you know, Washington. They reach out to us. And But that we want this program here, how we can do it, and then California as well. Actually, one of the the, yeah, the culture of I Boy, it's, Samara, Samara, so Napa thrives. It's a big event in Napa. Yes. Yep. They hear about this program as well. And then they invited us to participate in an event down there in Napa. And, Sam Parac, he has roots with, with California in Napa Valley. So we asked him if he could go and represent Iboi in this, panel. It's a panel about social justice, and they invited Iboi to talk about the program. So and and they're like, we need this program. And and also New York, they said, I How can we build this program here? Right? So I think we're gonna get there. We're gonna expand. We just have to make sure, we have the support and the money to do it. So how do we if our listeners are getting excited about this, like I know I am, How do we get involved? How do we donate? How do we support you? How do we help I void grow? Yeah. I think, being a voice, and I like the name of your podcast. Being a voice, I think is is one of the first steps talk about the program, spread the word to other other, people. And just to talk about IVoice in general, so people start getting to know more about us. Another thing that you can do is just to go to the website and we have, a button in where you can donate. So that this led section is donate, and then people can donate directly to to us to the organization. We also have, you know, we have never done this, but I will be kind fun. If you know somebody in Italy that would like to donate an experience, you know, like a trip over there and stay over there and go visit some wineries and things like that if they can donate something like that. Oh, that's an amazing idea. Well, how have to look in to see what we can develop with that. Right. That will be amazing because people will love those kind of experiences, and they can if you donate that if you know somebody wants to donate experience like that or a trip like that, we can put it in our in our one of our events as an option. You know, experience? That's a great idea. So if they wanna do that, you know, just just like that, I think, can help us with ideas if you have any ideas and send them to me. Okay. Well, we'll be sure that we put all the information about your website on our podcast notes. So anybody who's interested can can go on there. But before I let you go, I wanna talk about you for a minute because you, yourself, are a pretty cool person. A very busy person outside of Iowa with your own story, and you were recently appointed to the Regional Solutions Advisory Committee, the Mid Willow Valley, by Oregon State governor Kate Brown. So how are you juggling your own winery? Your work for IVoice, your committee appointment, your family life? What is a day in the life of Sophia like? How, you know, how would you give advice to a young Latinina woman wanting to enter the wine industry. Well, you have to have the passion, you know, like all the things that I do. I do them because I have the passion for, you know, my business, of course, my families, my passion, you know, my two kids, my husband, try to juggle all that in between, you know, our business and and building community. I just love to to help the community. I mean, since I was young, I always wanted to be, an active a member to change things that they were wrong. I'm suffering about, well, not like the world that is not fair. And my mom, I remember too. It's like, honey, you're gonna suffer your whole life because life is not fair even if you wanna help. But at least, you know, I have kinda like that. That a passion, you know, to help each other in some way. So I think it's just when you're gonna do something, do it because you have love for that and your passion. And then if it's work, of course, but it doesn't feel like work. You know? It's like something that you're very enthusiastic, to do it, you know. And, yeah, I mean, I sometimes I don't even know how I do it, Cynthia, because there's so much. I mean, that committee, I'm I'm done with that with my term on that committee, but I joined, the Willow Valley one of his association, in the on the board, and then, Wine Foundation, the Willow Valley One Foundation as well. So, obviously, like, yeah, I have to I have to pay attention to because and and be careful with what I say. Yes. I'm start saying no, lots of no's because, there's not many people of color in these positions. Right? So there's not that many. So I have lots of requests from people that they won't invite me. Sure. Sure. I think I think that's really, you know, one of the lessons that we learn as we grow older as women to say no when it's appropriate. And and I I always try to follow it with a thank you. No. Thank you. But, it's it's very hard to say no, especially when, you know, as you said, you're so passionate about what you do. And you are, you know, morning noon and night working so hard to serve the community as a whole. And I know you told me privately, you get up at six thirty every day. So I don't know when you go to bed because it sounds like you have twenty four hours of things to do on your plate, but, It's it's an amazing commitment, and I think it's very inspiring for people to hear. You know, you changed industries, you changed countries. You, you know, you're you're running your own winery with your husband, but you're also helping the stewards of all these other wineries to become better and bigger and and dream bigger than they thought they could. Yeah. Yeah. I'm I'm not doing this job just by myself. I have, you know, an amazing board members, you know, we have maybe a little bit more Hispanic members, but it's like diverse also because we wanna hear different backgrounds. And and they're all in most of all of them in the one industry on education. So it's it's a lot of work that we we've been doing. I couldn't do it by myself, you know, even that I have that. It's just too much work, but, yeah, we'll collaborate. Yeah. I think And and it's amazing. It's amazing work, and it sounds like it's going so well. So what are what are your dreams and your sort of goals, your ambition for Ivy over the next sort of, you know, year or two? Yeah. I would like, where I go to get a little bit bigger group, maybe two groups. At a time, I would like to get more women involved because we have in the whole in the three cohorts, we have only around six women. Why do you think that is? Are they are they uncomfortable of joining with the men? I mean, maybe should there be a woman's coat cohort all by itself? We were thinking that. Yeah. You you you nail it. Yeah. So we're thinking that too because I think they feel uncomfortable to go to other guys, you know, especially their merry you know, just to go and and be in the class with all the guys. You know, like, our culture, right, sometimes kinda. And I think women feel guilty too. If they if they're doing something for themselves, they feel guilty. They're not at home with their children. They're not at their job. They're not looking after their husband. Think women tend to feel guilty when they do something for themselves. That's really an obstacle we have to overcome. Yes. Yeah. Especially, you know, with some communities, like Hispanic is mostly that way. You know, no. It's okay. I'm gonna tell my husband to go. You know, it's what they said sometimes. So I'm like, no. You come. You do it. I was like, no. No. No. It's okay. You know? And it's like, so we need to bring more more woman to the program that's my my dream, you know, to have, kind of half a half if if it's possible. But, I mean, I'm happy we have students, right, but mostly, men. And I think there's more men working in the dinners as well than women, but and expand extend the, the program to other states. Yeah. That's that's kind of my dream. That's amazing. Yeah. To make it more like, you know, when you have a certification in in, you know, biodynamic certification, organic certification, maybe do it as as as as a program that has to be certified if you own a farm, you know, and get your Well, that's a great idea that you have to put your stewards through through this. Yeah. That's a very good idea. Require it requires owning, you know, the the issue by the winery owners. They can't just overlook it or brush it aside. If they if they have to address it, that's probably a good way to go about it. Yeah. And my biggest dream is like the government could see this program and says, yeah, this is something that we need for farm, farm owners, you know, from workers. It's necessary. It could be a mundane kind of a thing. I wish. Right? I mean, you're talking about dreams. Well, that would be for me. But That that's yeah. That that's a huge dream in light of everything happening politically in the US at the moment. I I'm gonna go light a candle for you on this one because that's That's a beautiful dream, actually. Yeah. But, I mean, little ballero. I mean, I think we're we're doing a a good job kind of spreading the word and bringing people together. And even, like, business owners, binary owners, you know, they're sponsors. All our amazing sponsors that we have, you know, they support this idea. I mean, I just want to give a talk to somebody. They were just traveling. They have an agency, and then they they give us money, you know, just because they find out about the program. And they were like, this is a program that my zone will love to to donate money and the zone is already passed away, but it's kinda like as a legacy, I wanna give that to to your program. The mom is the one that sent me that email. Right? It was just it's just a beautiful program. So all the sponsors, and all that. Those are kinda like little dream that come true, you know, when we start thinking about developing a program like that. So there's lots of people. Well, it's like it's like growing a vineyard. You have to you start with a teeny tiny plant and and eventually you get a vineyard. So, I think it fits. I think it fits really well. And it's a lot of hard work. It doesn't happen overnight just like a vineyard. No. It doesn't. Yeah. You have to work a lot. Yeah. Sometimes my husband is like, I think you have to shut down the computer, you know, or, let's go watch a game, bigger boys, you know, I love to go watch a game. So lots of it's a lot of jokes, but, yeah, it's just I committed to do this, and I'm happy to, you know, with what we've been doing together as as more Well, I'm so so happy that you came on voices today to talk about this, and I I won't keep you on on your computer any longer, than I need to. So just thank you so much, and I really wanna give a big shout out to Ivoi we'll put all the information on our show notes as I said so people can go on your website and see more about what you're doing. But it was just wonderful to talk to you and hear it, you know, from your own perspective, how it's going, and I'm so grateful for your time. Thank you so much. Thank you so much, Cynthia. Take care, and I hope to see you and I will love my value. One of these things. Me too. Me too. Alright. We hope you enjoy today's episode brought to you by the wine to wine business forum twenty twenty two. 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