Lawrence Cortez and Romel Rivera emigrated from the Philippines with their families in the late 1970's. They came in search of new opportunities to improve their lives; they came for the American dream, where hard work is rewarded and everyone has a chance to succeed. Although they initially arrived in different areas of California, these two men began a friendship in the Napa Valley town of Calistoga where they both worked in a vineyard tending the grapes. They even became family with the marriage of Lawrence to Romel's cousin Nieves!
In 1996, Romel and Lawrence began to experiment with making their own wine, drawing upon their many years of experience and their intimate knowledge of grapes and wine production. After a few years of experimentation, family, friends and business associates urged them to create and sell their own wine. Lawrence and Nieves decided to invest in themselves and their family. The name Corté Riva pays homage to the winemakers, Cortez and Rivera.
Both winemakers have exacting tastes and they demand quality. They prefer grapes from the Napa region because the volcanic soil stresses the vines in just the right amount resulting in small, tight, well-structured berry clusters filled with concentrated flavors. Lawrence and Romel choose only the best available fruit. Having lived and worked in the Napa Valley for so long, they are very knowledgeable about the variations in the Napa Valley terroir which includes climate, soil make-up and terrain.
Family, friend and business associates continue to play a major role in the Corté Riva Vineyards label. The friends and family are always on hand to help with delivery, technical advice, miscellaneous assistance and, of course, tasting, particularly tasting! Pride Mountain Vineyards, where Romel is employed as assistant winemaker and Lawrence is a cellar master, and Pride's head winemaker Bob Foley have been instrumental in the success and growth of Corté Riva. They have offered years of advice and valuable contacts to the new businessmen.
The wines that have been created by Lawrence and Romel have been very successful. In 2003 the label offered their first release, 350 cases of 2001 Merlot which was named "Top Red of the Year" by Hi-Time Wine Cellars. Their next release, 600 cases of 2002 Merlot, which was rated at 91 by Wine Spectator, and 400 cases of 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon. This year's release included 600 cases of 2003 Merlot, 400 cases of 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, rated a 91 by Wine Spectator, and a 200 cases of 2003 Petite Syrah. Lawrence and Romel have realized their American dream, they, and their families, have worked hard and they are beginning to see the results.
