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APA VALLEY, CALIF. – September 8, 2021 – Bravante Vineyards is pleased to announce the appointment of Mabel Ojeda to the position of winemaker. Ojeda brings a decade of global viticulture and winemaking experience to her role at Howell Mountain’s family-owned Bravante Vineyards, having worked at wineries in Australia, Austria, Chile, France, Switzerland, South Africa and Napa Valley. As the winemaker for Bravante Vineyards, Ojeda joins a team that includes renowned consulting winemaker Phillip Titus, and will oversee all aspects of production for Bravante’s acclaimed estate-grown Bordeuax-varietal wines.
Founded by George and Nancy Bravante in 1996, Bravante Vineyards features two acclaimed Howell Mountain estate vineyards planted by Viticulturist Peter Murphy: the Stone Ridge Vineyard, which was planted in 1998 and is the home to the Bravante Winery and Cave, and the Black Oak Vineyard, which was planted in 2000. Together, these two sites are planted to all five of the red Bordeaux varieties, as well as the Sauvignon Blanc Musque clone, and are the source for all of Bravante’s estate-grown mountain wines.
“What the Bravantes have created on Howell Mountain is remarkable,” says Ojeda. “It is thrilling to be able to work with such exceptional fruit from one of the world’s most unique and important AVAs.”
Born in Chile, Ojeda earned her bachelor’s degree in food engineering from Universidad Austral de Chile, and worked her first harvest in New Zealand in 2011. Eager to gain a global understanding of winemaking, Ojeda spent several years honing her craft in wineries throughout Europe and in the western hemisphere before moving to Napa Valley in 2014, where she worked as the assistant winemaker for Clos Du Val until joining Bravante Vineyards.
“Mabel is the perfect fit for our family-owned winery,” say George and Nancy Bravante. “Not only is she an incredibly accomplished young winemaker with a decade of experience working with world-class Cabernet Sauvignon, she is an energetic and inspiring leader who understands the quality-driven values that define Bravante Vineyards and our small-production, estate-grown wines.
About Bravante Vineyards
Our vision for quality starts in the vineyard, extends to the cellar and culminates with our gracious approach to hospitality in our Estate Tasting Room & Cave. Our commitment to “quality over quantity” means that we apply the finest vineyard practices, grow our wine grapes with minimal intervention, and artfully allow them to express the best qualities of the unique terroir of Howell Mountain. To learn more, visit www.bravantevineyards.com.
