Rachel Martin, Oceano Wines

Job Title: CEO and Founder
Location: Healdsburg, CA & New York City 

My Background in Wine:
My formative years were spent between California and Virginia and I built my family's winery, Boxwood Winery  in Virginia, starting in 2001, completing the winery in 2005.  My wine studies included Viticulture and Enology at Napa Valley College, and a Diploma in Sensory Evaluation from the University of Bordeaux’s School of Enology in France. I was the sole petitioner to establish Middleburg, Virginia, as the state’s seventh American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 2012, a milestone for Virginia wine.
Meeting my husband. Kurt Deutsch in 2014 changed the course of my career. He introduced me to Henry Warshaw, a family friend and owner of Spanish Springs Vineyard in the San Luis Obispo Coast AVA. Henry invited me to visit his vineyard and I immediately saw the potential. I contracted six tons of Chardonnay, and Oceano Wines was born in 2016 from my vision to produce Coastal Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that was lithe and pure in style.
We launched our first luxury alcohol-free wine, Oceano Zero 2022 Pinot Noir, followed by a 2023 Oceano Zero Chardonnay - both sold out within four months of release. We also launched a reduced-alcohol 2023 Oceano Syrah, and a 2023 Chardonnay in the coming months. Wines are all sourced from the sustainably-certified Spanish Springs Vineyard along the San Luis Obispo Coast.

My Top Three Challenges to Wellbeing:
1. Innovating requires you to be ahead of everyone else and for a bootstrapped founder that means taking on most of the work yourself.

2. Writing. I am not a writer, and it takes me 10 times longer than most people to articulate my ideas on paper. I failed miserably at typing class and high school was torturous for me. I still need to look at my keyboard. I learn by doing mostly. Never a good book student but very quick to grasp concepts and execute on an idea. 

3. My work ethic is so strong that I often deprive other parts of my life to pursue a belief, a vision. I am impatient and want to achieve things as quickly as possible even if it means isolation from friends. I often isolate myself in order to progress at a pace that is comfortable for me to reach my goals.

 My Three Things to Maintain Wellbeing:
1. Connecting with nature is what recharges me and cleanses my mind. I take every opportunity to do that.
2. Spending time with my partner and choosing intimacy over building my business.
3. Getting out to share ideas with other wine industry leaders and business founders

What I Drink When I'm Not Drinking Alcohol:
Non-alcoholic wine (yes I drink my own wine, I love it) coffee, tea, and sparkling water.. 

What People May be Surprised to Know About Me:
I have always questioned authority. I had a mohawk at age 14 and have never fit in with the established status quo. I have always had a punk attitude that went against the grain. I'm a spiritual person without following a god concept. I try to use my mind as a tool, and have realized that my mind is not my being. It is a powerful tool, but must remain in check because it will run away with you if you let it.

One Thing I'm Looking Forward To:
When no- and reduced- alcohol wines are easy to find on restaurant wine lists. Please dear god! I want to drink a delicious wine with my meal that contains little or no alcohol. 

My Weirdest Wellness Hack:
Sleep. 

What Inspires Me:
Providing a solution that improves the lives of consumers. 

A Quote I Love:
"The fact that everyone else is doing it doesn't make it any less insane." ~ Eckhart Tolle

You can connect with Rachel online at Instagram  @rachel_oceano and LinkedIn Rachel Martin Oceano and online at oceanowines.com