Vanessa Robledo
Vanessa Robledo, president of Robledo Vineyards, has been selected as Entrepreneur of the Year by Latina Style Magazine. The award is given to Latina women who have distinguished themselves and their communities through innovative and dedicated business practices. Vanessa Robledo is the first Bay Area resident to win this award in four years.
As president of the fledgling Robledo Family Winery, Vanessa turned the tiny winery from a 100-case producer in 1997 into a very healthy and thriving business – doing 20,000 cases annually in 2007. She opened the first Mexican-American-owned tasting room in California, worked tirelessly to educate young Latinos about fine wine and championed pairing wine with traditional Mexican food.
When she found out about the award, Robledo said, “I was absolutely surprised and a bit overwhelmed to receive that type of an honor.”
“After an extensive review of very qualified entrepreneurs, we found Ms. Robledo’s personal story very compelling,” said Latina Style president and CEO Robert Bard, “Not only did she generate successful programs running her family’s winery operation, but she took things to the next level by going out on her own. This entrepreneurial dynamism is exactly what we are looking for.”
