From a love of wine, an entrepreneurship opportunity rose for the Lopez family. Bacchus Landing, founded by Al and Dina Lopez and their children Francisco and Monica, is a collective of different wineries in one location situated at the crossroads of three of Sonoma County’s wine regions.
Monica Lopez, general manager at Bacchus Landing, said her family has always had a love for wine which is why they now work together in unison. Lopez is in charge of running the facility and managing events.
Bacchus Landing “is a wine tasting destination,” Lopez said.
The area has Mediterranean-style architecture; it features a large piazza, five different tasting rooms and a large patio. The purpose is to highlight food, the arts and boutique-style shopping.
“Bacchus is the Roman God of wine and it was already the street name, so it made a lot of sense considering we are a collective of different wineries,” Lopez said about the chosen name.
Bacchus Landing, according to its website, is built on the same foundation that the Lopez’ hold dear: togetherness.
“We want to recreate an experience for our guests that’s rooted in the same values we put on our gatherings with family and friends,” the Bacchus website states. “Wanting to always stay close, every Sunday our family gets together to laugh, eat and drink wine.”
A history of winemaking
The Lopez family’s winemaking history goes beyond the opening of Bacchus Landing.
Her father Al Lopez planted his own vineyard in 1999. Lopez said all of their cabernet sauvignon is sourced from the family’s vineyard.
Lopez and her brother Francisco have always been involved to some degree, she said.
“My dad was making cabernet in the garage and would make small amounts for himself, but for about a decade he sold it around the county,” Lopez said.
In 2012 Lopez and her brother decided they wanted to launch a label called Aldina after their parents Al and Dina. The name was to honor their roots and they had a soft launch in 2018.
“We love wine because it’s delicious. I think our love for it stems from the artistry and the creation of wine. If you’ve met my father or mother, they love the artistry of winemaking more so than just mass produced wine,” Lopez said.
Lopez grew up in Los Angeles and moved to Sonoma County in 1998 with her family.
“We have not always been in the wine industry — we have been in it for the last 23 years. Before that they were definitely doing different things,” she said about her parents, who ran a publication prior to moving to Sonoma County.
Once they sold their publication, the couple sought a more relaxed life and wanted to relocate either to Napa Valley or Sonoma County. Lopez said upon arrival she noticed major differences between her old home and her new one.
“From a Latino perspective, I think there is not as much diversity as I’d like from Sonoma County. I think growing up in Los Angeles you see Latinos in all spectrums of life. They could be a governor, a lawyer, I think the perception of Latinos in Sonoma County is different but I think it is changing. Latinos are becoming business owners here in our county but it is not as progressive as somewhere as Los Angeles or other bigger cities,” she said.
“Over the last 20 years I have absolutely seen a difference,” Lopez said, unsure of what in particular has caused a local shift, though she attributes it to potential generational change. “Every generation is always going to impact differently. I think that probably is at the top of my head of what I think is happening, but I am not exactly sure,” Lopez said.
Bacchus Landing is open and is located at 14210 Bacchus Landing Way in Healdsburg.
