Alejandro Tovar

When Alejandro told me that he wanted to make a difference in the world, I believed him. I saw it in his eyes. Alejandro emanates generosity. He has sincere interest in wanting to help other people. He says it’s a blessing, but it can also be his Achilles’ heel.

Alejandro Tovar is the tasting room manager for Madrigal Family Winery in Calistoga. He grew up in the Hispanic culture. “I’m a Mexican and I am the first generation in my family to grow up in the United States.” He says it has been extremely difficult to be the first one in his family to fully except the culture here. Being the first one to move out of his mom’s golden circle was not easy. He loves her more than life itself! When he talks about her, he just lights up.

His mom is a traditional Mexican mother. He says she worries about everything. I responded that I’ve never known a mother who doesn’t worry.

“Moms definitely worry”, he said. “But mine worries a little extra.”

Alejandro spoke about the challenges growing up in San Pietro, Long Beach. “It was tough.” He says with a reluctant honesty. “There were gangs. There were drugs. There were a lot of influences that could get you going down the wrong path.”

Alejandro ventured down this path, but by the grace of God, only for a short while. He was in elementary school. “Gangs were the cool thing. It was something to do. I didn’t know. I was just looking for things to do.” During that brief time, he saw how much emotional stress this was causing his mom, and he made a decision not to continue down this road.

“It was a combination of seeing what my mom went through and how it negatively impacted my brother’s life, that got me out of that.”

He remembers being around family growing up, especially in Mexico. “The unity, hard work, pride, and pure energy between one another was powerful. My grandfather was very silent. It only took a couple of words and you knew what he meant. I respect him. He came here during WWII and worked in the fields of California, New Mexico, and Texas.” He was my idol and had all these wonderful stories. I loved the way he composed and cared for himself. He was always willing to give of himself. If he had an extra shirt and someone needed it, he would give it away freely. He was so generous. I respect him so much.”

Alejandro was the first in his family to graduate high school and college.

“If I never made that decision to venture out and see the world, I wouldn’t be here now. I had to break the bubble. For me, starting my own business is the first step. It’s important that I continue to challenge myself and to set goals because I want to make a difference in this world!”

His vision for his future is to help educate the Spanish speaking culture in the wonderful world of wine.

“I want to make it fun, easy, and approachable! Wine should be approachable. It brings people together and it’s a great conversation piece. It’s a labor of love too. It takes a LOT of energy and thought to make a great bottle of wine; from the farming in the vineyards, to the winemaking practices, all the way through the aging process.”