Amplifying, Educating, and Empowering the Hispanic & LatinX Communities in the Beverage & Hospitality Industries
Board Members
Maria Calvert
Co-Founder
Maria was born in Quito, Ecuador but grew up in Queens, NYC - the most diverse place in the United States! Maria started to fall in love with food & wine while studying abroad in Spain and traveling to numerous cities, including Porto, Portugal, where she visited her first winery. Since that first tasting room, she has eagerly sought out new winemakers from close-to-home regions like Virginia all the way to the Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc hotspots of New Zealand.
Before transitioning to food & wine, Maria was the Vice President of Global Communications at a currency broker on Wall Street. Maria has always been committed to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives and was nominated Co-Chairman of the company's Charity Committee. Maria spearheaded initiatives to give back to the local community by securing partnerships with non-profit organizations in the tri-state area. After several years in finance, in 2018, she decided to follow her palate to the wine industry, joining a renowned PR agency in New York City, as a Senior Account Executive. During her time at the agency, Maria led integrated communications campaigns for institutions and brands in food & wine from all over the globe.
Today, Maria's time is split between NYC and Washington DC. She is a Public Relations Consultant who offers her expertise to start-ups and established brands in food and wine. Maria is committed to supporting businesses that share Hispanics in Wine’s mission of empowering women and amplifying the voices of the BIPOC, Hispanic, and Latinx communities.
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Lydia Richards
Co-Founder
Lydia has a Sommelier Certification from the Sommelier Society of America, and is currently pursuing her WSET Level 4 Diploma. Originally from Panama, she has worked in various areas of the wine industry, including retail, marketing, PR and events. In 2017, she founded her private wine education and consulting company, Vino Concierge.
Her expertise is frequently featured in renowned national, and international wine trade and consumer-oriented publications. An industry leader, Lydia was been included in the renowned 40 under 40 Tastemaker’s List by Wine Enthusiast, Wine Business Monthly’s Wine Industry Leaders, and Imbibe’s 75 People to Watch; she was also recognized by her peers as Hue Society’s Executive of the Year in 2023.
A proud Afro-Latina living and working in the United States, she is passionate about inspiring and mentoring the next generation of BIPOC, Hispanic and Latinx interested in working in the wine industry. Lydia was a former member of Les Dames d'Escoffier New York, a female collective of industry leaders in food, beverage & hospitality supporting aspiring professional women via education, advocacy & philanthropy.
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Gabriela Fernandez
The Big Sip
Born and raised in Napa Valley, Gabriela Fernandez’s experience in the wine industry has spanned well over a decade. She made her first imprint in the industry at the age of 15 when she kickstarted her career at Caymus Vineyards, transitioned in 2017 to spearheading the Marketing division for Felix Solis Avantis, and is presently the Supervisor of Trade and Events Marketing for The Duckhorn Portfolio.
In addition to building her career in the wine industry, Gabriela solidified her roots in the Media and Communications industry as the first Latina producer and host for Wine Down Media. Currently she is the Latina Producer and On-Air Host for MegaMix, Napa Valley’s first all-Spanish radio station, bringing equity to a community whose population is almost half LatinX. In 2017, Gabriela was named the Rising Latina Leader through the Napa County Hispanic Network—the oldest Latino non-profit organization in Napa County securing pathways for exceptionally promising LatinX students who have financial needs and academic aspirations. In 2020, Gabriela curated and launched “The Big Sip” podcast, which highlights and elevates black and brown individuals breaking barriers in the beverage, culinary, and arts. Industry. At the core of Gabriela’s heart-work is the desire to build community, one which models and reflects equity, inclusivity, and advocacy for marginalized groups. To help create and elevate a more equitable wine space, Gabriela also lends her talents and passion as a moderator, facilitator, speaker, and leader bringing support to organization’s event experiences such as Assemblage Symposium and The LatinX Wine Summit, the latter of which she co-created alongside Hispanics in Wine and Uncorked & Cultured.
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Team Members
Emilia Alvarez
Coordinator
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Emilia acquired an appreciation for wine early on from her family, who owns and operates a century-old importer and distributor of wine and spirits on the island. After graduating from Columbia University with a major in Comparative Literature and a minor in Business Management, Emilia entered the fast-paced art business world in Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art department.
During her tenure at Sotheby’s, Emilia managed marketing and content campaigns for multi-million dollar works of art in the Impressionist & Modern art auctions. She used her fluency in French and Spanish to research and write about works of art and assisted Sotheby’s clients around the world in buying and selling artwork.
Emilia's passion for wine was sparked in earnest via a recreational course at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York, and she has continued pursuing her passion for wine ever since. She currently uses her wine knowledge and experience to help local wine businesses in New York City and Puerto Rico with their digital strategies and content marketing. Emilia holds the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines with Merit.
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Roberto Rivera
HiW Uncorking Series
Roberto Rivera was born and raised in Lima, Peru, and discovered his passion for vino and the stories told during a wine tasting. Eager to learn more about vino, he started part-time at a local wine shop, and what began as a part-time job restocking bottles, moving cases, and doing deliveries, became a full-time passion, with the support of his familia.
Having completed the WSET Level 3 Advanced Course and moving onto the Diploma program, Roberto's dream is to become the first Peruvian-American Master of Wine and inspire more LatinX wine professionals to pursue the program.
Today he is one of the three vino tasters at one of the top wine shops in New Jersey, 56 Degree Wine.
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Advisory
John Reyna
John is the Managing Attorney at the Texas Hospitality and Non-profit Law Center, PLLC. John’s prior work experience in the hospitality and non-profit industries is the foundation for his passion for representing those who nourish their communities.
John’s hospitality management roles included Restaurant Manager, Sommelier, Banquet Manager, and Executive Steward. John holds a WSET Level 3 Award in Wines.
John’s non-profit experience is similarly varied. He has served as the Executive Director of a non-profit educational organization. John is on the Board of Directors of two hospitality-focused non-profits: Lift Collective and the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation.
Utilizing both his hospitality and legal background, John is a professor at the University of North Texas at Dallas. At the School of Business, he teaches Restaurant Management and Beverage Management courses.
John and his wife live in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex with their two dogs (Rhone and Tokaj) and their cat (Aura). John and his wife own a beverage consulting company, Teakwood Tavern Hospitality, LLC. They teach wine and spirit educational classes. They also create specialty cocktails and zero-proof beverages for individuals and events.
“El vino mueve la primavera, crece como una planta la alegría. Caen muros, peñascos, se cierran los abismos, nace el canto”
— Pablo Neruda (Chile)