José Lopez was born in Mexico in a little town called Monte de Hoyos, located away from the big cities in the state of Guanajuato. He was raised working in the corn and wheat fields, always trying to learn from his grandpa and dad so that in the future he could produce good corn and wheat crops just like they did it. He never thought that his future was going to change.

At the age of 18, José came to the U.S. and his very first job was working for Allan Holstein at Argyle Winery beginning in June of 1996. During his two years at Argyle, José had the chance to work with Buddy Beck while he was the manager at DDO.

Still fascinated by the agriculture of vineyards, José decided to keep working in the wine industry, this time for seven years with the Stoller Group. In 2005, an opportunity was waiting for him at WillaKenzie State Vineyards. Daniel Fey, who was formerly the manager of WillaKenzie, gave him the opportunity to manage WillaKenzie's smaller site, located in the Dundee hills. It was a great experience.

José is currently attending Chemeketa Community College to improve his knowledge of viticulture and agriculture. In his free time, he and his wife Alma love exploring the Willamette Valley with their two sons Ivan, twelve, and Isaac two years old. José also loves coaching youth soccer at the community center, his way to have fun and give back to his community and its kids.

You can reach José at: jose@advancedvineyards.com