Tonya Pitts

Sommelier, Wine & Food Consultant, Speaker, Writer

An industry changemaker and compassionate role model, Tonya Pitts is known globally as a multi-talented wine professional who catapults wineries, winemakers and brands into the mainstream. Equally important, she is a leader who champions diversity and inclusion in the hospitality, food and beverage industries. Tonya has been a judge for the San Francisco International Wine Competition for five years in a row, a speaker at Culinary Institute of America Summit for Beverage Professionals, a tasting panelist for Wine & Spirits Magazine and an advisor for the Fine Minds4Fine Wines think tank in Europe. In 2017, she was named to the Top 40 African American Tastemakers (Under/Over) 40 list. Of special note, Tonya has been instrumental in the annual Wine Spectator list for more than a decade, including receiving awards for her expansive and inclusive wine program.

Tonya has been featured in numerous news and industry publications, including CBS This Morning , ABC 7 News “Sips with Spencer,” Cherry Bombe, Daily Beast, Grape Collective, Janis Robinson, Wine & Spirits Magazine, Somm Journal, Tasting Panel, Where Traveler, Wine Searcher, Wine Stream and Wonder Women of Wine.

Evyn Cameron

Winemaker, Crocker&Starr

Evyn Cameron originally hails from Wyckoff, New Jersey and attended Boston University where she played soccer and graduated with a degree in Hospitality. Her career began in Manhattan, where she worked Front of House for Thomas Keller’s Per Se, but she longed for a career in wine, so in 2009 she moved to Napa to pursue winemaking. Evyn worked all over the Napa Valley and a stint in New Zealand before being hired as Cliff Lede’s oenologist, where she remained for four years before being named Assistant Winemaker at Anaba Wines in Carneros. After Evyn learned of the opportunity to work with highly respected winemaker Pam Starr at Crocker & Starr, she jumped at the chance and the rest is history. She likes all Crocker & Starr wines for different reasons, adding, “This property is so versatile and that shows in each of our wines.” In 2019, Charlie and Pam promoted Evyn to Winemaker. When she’s not in the winery, Evyn enjoys tending her large backyard garden, cooking, playing with her Springer Lab/Queensland Heeler mix Pepper, and exploring nature with her wife Cari.

Chelsea Barrett

Winemaker, Materra, Cunat Family Vineyards

Chelsea Barrett grew up in Calistoga and began working in vineyards and wineries from a young age. She attended UC Davis and graduated in 2010 with a degree in Viticulture and Enology. After college, Chelsea interned at Mayer am Pfarplaz (Austria), Two Hands (Australia), and Opus One (Napa Valley). She started as enologist at Joel Gott wines in 2012, where she was promoted to assistant winemaker a year later, then to winemaker in 2017. She also joined Heidi Barrett as co-winemaker for Amuse Bouche, Au Sommet, and Aviatrix. She became winemaker at Materra in 2019. Chelsea lives in Calistoga with her husband, two young daughters, and a husky-german shepherd mix

Dalia Ceja

Director, Ceja Vineyards

Dalia Ceja has been surrounded by wine, food and travel her entire life. She may have grown up in the wine industry but she comes from very humble beginnings. In the late 1960’s her grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico, worked in the vineyards and settled in the Napa Valley. With her parents as her role models, hardwork and education have been the forefront of Dalia’s drive to excel.

In 2008 she graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in Marketing & Communications. After graduating from college she departed on a six month “Study Abroad” backpacking journey through South America, learning, exploring and enriching her career with real life experiences. This became the anchor for a blog that she would later launch in 2011.

In 2009 she brought her expertise to Ceja Vineyards as the Marketing and Sales Director, “a lot of minority wineries are developing their own style,” she says. “For us, it’s been about family and taking wine to a new level.” And for Dalia, being a Ceja means being part of that evolution, which includes promoting awareness of authentic Mexican cuisine and its subtle, complex flavors—the perfect companion for pairings that yield a new wine experience.

“Technology and social media have been a great way to expand our presence,” she says of the tweeting and blogging she does regularly. It is, however, cooking and the Ceja approach to wine and food that continue to be the biggest factor in opening doors. Dalia’s growing role in the culinary world is reflected in the expanding presence of food on the winery’s website, www.cejavineyards.com, and on YouTube, where she has published cooking demonstration videos.

Though she and her mother, Amelia Ceja, share many of the same talents and responsibilities, Dalia’s dynamic energy marks the young woman as an identifiable presence and distinctive representative of Ceja Vineyards. It was Dalia’s honor to be chosen for the role of co-host in the Napa segment of MSN.com’s “Rediscover” web series in 2010. In 2011 Dalia was named 'Woman of the Year" through the Napa Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for her entrepreneurial leadership and charitable contributions. In May of 2011 she launched her own lifestyle blog and website at DaliaCeja.com. She highlights her own passions to creatively focus on fashion, travel, food, drinks fiestas!

“You’re never too young or too old to explore your passions,” says Dalia, who is grateful to her parents for encouraging her to do just that. In 2014 she graduated from Sonoma State University and received her Executive MBA in Wine Marketing. With her personal flare and her passion for wine, cooking and travel, Dalia is set to leave her mark!

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