Winery Turns To Brewing

The Ceja family, owners of Ceja Vineyards, has opened a craft brewing facility in Carneros, an area that stretches across the southern part of both Napa and Sonoma Counties. Pablo and Juanita Ceja came to Napa from Mexico in 1967. In the early 1980s, the family bought 15 acres in Carneros and planted vines. They are well known and respected vignerons in both Napa and Sonoma Counties.

Their five sons – Pedro, Armando, Jesus, Nacho and Manuel – are partners in a new venture, Carneros Brewing Company. Jesus is the brother with a beer background. He studied brewing at U.C. Davis and worked for a time at Coors in Golden, CO. A further degree in food biochemistry led to a career at Red Star Yeast Company in Wisconsin. He later joined Anheuser-Busch overseeing contract brewing partners in Canada, the Caribbean and South America.

You’ll find Carneros Brewing Company at 22985 Burndale Road, Sonoma. There are 2,400 microbreweries in the US but according to Jesus, only three are Hispanic owned.