Original Post Date: September 2020 | Updated: September 2026
Since 1988, Hispanic Heritage Month has been celebrated in America. From September 15 to October 15 is celebrated nationwide as National Hispanic Heritage Month. It traditionally honors the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans as we celebrate heritage rooted in all Latin American countries.
Back in 2020, amidst a global pandemic and a massive cultural reckoning around racial disparity, I sat down and asked a burning question: Where are the Latinos in the wine industry?
Six years later, the landscape looks different but not remarkably.
They told us wine belonged in quiet cellars, behind velvet ropes, and bound by someone else’s rules. We brought it to the sobremesa. There are many more winemakers and Latino owned wineries have more visibility than before. However, there is still much work to do. We need more accessible wine and spirits education. Wine credentials like WSET, Sommelier certifications, and specialist titles still carry high price barriers, particularly for those working in hospitality. The commitment to mentorship, accessible resources, and elevating our community’s presence at every tier of the industry remains as urgent as ever.
In an industry long built on old-school gatekeeping, our community is doing something revolutionary: we are making wine feel like home. We’ve always been here, tending the soil, mastering the harvest, and bottling liquid heritage. But today, we aren’t just working the fields. We’re leading the rooms, educating the next wave, and proving that our palates are undeniable.
Our palates were trained on fire, citrus, deep spice, and family tables long before anyone handed us a crystal glass. We didn’t wait for a seat at an outdated table: we set our own, and the flavors are louder than ever.
When Latinas Wine Club started, the goal was simple: empower, educate, and elevate. Over the years, that mission has remained the same but the vision has changed. While I have always hosted large educational classes with Latinas Wine Club and shared foundational wine basics, my focus this year has been an upcoming book release: Keep an eye out over the coming months for exciting book release and collaborative projects created to celebrate and directly support Latino wine professionals.
During the pandemic, we had many business to business requests, while nowadays we are focused on business to consumer and we continue to expand our horizons. Being an entrepreneur in the beverage industry has been challenging but rewarding. The community and safe space that we have created is really our motor.
However, there are many more latino wine businesses out there that needs our support. Aquí: The Accountability Movement is launching the second annual BUY LATINO campaign — a 31-day national push urging consumers, institutions, and corporations to support Latino-owned businesses (LOBs) and close the equity gap in America’s economy.
This year, Buy Latino carries added weight: it is both a celebration of Latino economic power and a coast-to-coast act of community resilience. “Buy Latino” remains part of Aquí’s “Somos América” campaign, which uplifts Latino economic power, demands accountability, and celebrates community strength. Sign-on and support latino!
As a solo-professional I have expanded strategically into corporate America, for the past three years I have been hosting private events. I am bringing curated, culturally rooted tastings directly into corporate spaces, challenging mainstream corporate culture to diversify its suppliers, its palates, and its executive events. Reach out if you or your company are interested in the below services:
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month to the hands in the dirt, the voices shattering old narratives, and everyone pouring without apology. To my fellow wine professionals, let’s raise a glass to our roots, our hustle, and the table we’re building together. ¡Salud!
Martha Cisneros Paja is an Engineer, Cava Educator and WSET Level 2 certified, founder of Latinas Wine Club Inc. and author of Mexican Wines: A guide to Fall in Love with Wines of Mexico . Read more about one of the most hard-working Latinas in Wine here.
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