Jose Luis Lopez, Vineyard Foreman
Born in the town of Zamora, Mexico, Jose is the eleventh of twenty-one children! He came to the United States in 1971 when he was seventeen and began working at Spottswoode in 1982. Jose is responsible for overseeing many projects and employees, as well as for implementing the tasks that need to be done in the estate vineyard and grounds. Although we keep him extremely busy, he never appears ruffled and is always helpful, calm, and meticulous.
Trino Manzo Llamas, Vineyard Crew Chief
Jose Trinidad Manzo, “Trino,” was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. He moved to Napa Valley in 1996 with his family, and worked in the vineyards under Luis Ochoa, learning his trade. He joined the Spottswoode family in 2000. He says, “Here everyone is treated very well, and they are great people, creating a healthy and enjoyable work environment.” Trino now lives in Vallejo with his wife, Dunia, and their three children, Vanessa, Angel and Paloma.
Jose Mora, Winery Foreman
Jose moved with his family to Napa from Zamora, Mexico when he was just 15 years old. He now lives in Napa with his wife and four children. Prior to working at Spottswoode, Jose held positions as a crew foreman, a vineyard supervisor and a cellar master at a smaller winery. Jose joined Spottswoode in 2008 as our Cellar Master. His experience, optimism, and positive attitude have been a wonderful addition to our team.
Jaime Gutierrez, Tractor Driver & Vineyard Worker
Jaime was born in Mexico City, Mexico and moved to the United States after finishing high school. He moved to the Napa area in 1990. Jaime and his wife, Victoria, have two daughters, Jennifer and Daniela. Jaime’s mild-mannered disposition, considerable grape growing experience and intelligence make him a valuable member of our team. He is one of our primary tractor drivers and has recently become our primary horseman as we begin to trial working with draft horses in the vineyard. In his free time he enjoys visiting with his family, watching and coaching soccer, and of course, relaxing from a hard day’s work.
“I’ve worked at Spottswoode for over 25 years. I like it because they’re good people—good bosses. I’ve seen a lot of change. The first year, the crop wasn’t very good. We went through and adjusted the pruning—really improved it—and the next year’s crops were better. When I started, we worked in Mary’s cellar—it was a very small place. Now we have the winery. It’s a lot of change but it’s good—it makes everyone happy.”
