Ace Cruz gives insight into what it's like running Ojalá Wines, a sustainable wine growing company
Ojalá Wines is a local wine business operated by Ace Cruz since 2008. Cruz co-founded the company with a Wall Street background and a passion for business. The company has thrived on producing sustainable wines and having some of the best wines in its category. Cruz believes this all comes from the careful selection process and quality control implemented.
Cruz discovered the vineyards he partners with by researching and meeting people face to face. Using his entrepreneurial spirit, Cruz took many trips to California. He discovered some of the best vineyards in Santa Clara County and Monterey Bay California. These locations were home to many family-owned vineyards. Generations of winemakers in these families had been harvesting the land for generations.
“We make a better product because we give it more tender loving care versus the big corporations that just do it for the sake of the profit”
Ace Cruz
This is why he decided to work with the family-owned vineyards to get the grapes for Ojalá Wines. He believes there is a deeper connection with family businesses.
Ojalá Wines changed distributors a few years ago. The new and local distributor is Mazel Tov Beverages, who Cruz says is “an absolute pleasure to work with.” This was one of the first big changes made to Ojalá Wines. Other changes include increasing efficiency and widening their digital footprint.
These changes are contributing to the company's uptick in sales. Soon, Cruz hopes to expand the business into key cities that he and his team have studied for a while. They believe these cities could spark a lot of growth for Ojalá Wines.
An aspect of Ojalá Wines that makes the business stand out is that they make sustainable wines. There are over 200 factors that they take into consideration when making wine. Such factors include water conservation and energy efficiency. Others are responsible pest control and paying workers respectable wages as well as environmental stewardship.
“Sustainable wine refers to the farming and winemaking practices that winegrowers follow”
Ace Cruz
For example, where Ojalá Wines sources its grapes from no pesticides are used. Instead, ladybugs eat the insects to prevent damage to the grapes and if there are rodent problems, owls are introduced to feed off the rodents.
“It’s an entire habitat that’s feeding off each other,” said Cruz. “Sustainable wine growing is definitely the way of the future, and it’s already here.”
These sustainable vineyards produce the company’s four types of wine. They have Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and White Zinfandel. The grapes for the two red wines come from Santa Clara County, the Chardonnay and the White Zinfandel come from Monterey Bay.
"The typical customer of Ojalá Wines is not a pretentious person, it’s everyday wine for the everyday drinker.”
Ace Cruz
Cruz puts his background as a financial advisor to use each day. With it, he has established a brand that he is both passionate about and proud of. The name “Ojalá” means “hopefully”, which he believes any customer is able to relate to.
To order from Ojalá Wines or find a retailer, visit www.ojalawine.com. The delivery app Drizly delivers Ojalá Wines to your door in less than 60 minutes.
For more information on the company, follow their Instagram, @ojala_wine. You can also find them on Facebook at Ojalá Wine.
