my story
Dalia Ceja is a Latina in love with sharing lifestyle tips and trends focused on fashion, travel, food, drinks and fiestas. She hopes to inspire people to follow their passions and add a little spice to their everyday life.
Surrounded by wine, food and travel her entire life, Dalia may have grown up in a blessed 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, hard work 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 2010 she brought her expertise to Ceja Vineyards as the Sales and Marketing 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.
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 blog and website, www.daliaceja.com. She highlights her own passions to creatively focus on wine, fashion, food, travel and fiestas! In 2012 she partnered with NakedWines.com as a consulting winemaker and launched her own wines under the La Tapatia wine label exclusively selling a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and is currently on her 5th wine vintage.
“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 M.B.A. in Wine Marketing and Business. With her personal flare and her passion for fashion, wine, cooking and travel, Dalia is set to leave her mark. Ole!
learn about my wines
press highlights
GEV Magazine Cover Girls: Amelia and Dalia Ceja
By Annabelle Pericin & Tamara Gorman; Photography by Vincent Gotti, Gastronomique En Vogue - May 8, 2015
March is typically a month where rain is part of the forecast but on this particular sunny Sunday, GEV is shooting their first mother daughter cover featuring Amelia and Dalia Ceja at Ceja Vineyards in the Napa Valley.
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Traveling Napa Like a Local: Dalia Ceja
By Risa Wyatt, Wine Enthusiast Magazine - June 2016
“I’m a native Napkin [Napa resident] in all regards. I went to Vintage High School—our mascot was a grape crusher.”
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Napa Valley's Next-Generation Wines (Video)
By TODAY.com - January 3, 2015
A new generation of winemakers are sprouting across Napa Valley, and two twenty-somethings are leading the charge with wines developed with millennials in mind.