As Winemaker at Delicato Family Vineyards, Ashley Maniti embodies the delicate balance between honoring established styles and embracing innovation. Over her twelve-year journey, starting from her early days in Delicato’s laboratory, Ashley has carved out a distinctive creative path, blending bold personal expression with the consistent quality that Delicato is known for. In this conversation, she reveals her approach to fine-tuning each wine to match evolving consumer tastes, her role in incorporating sustainable practices, and her perspective on supporting women in the wine industry. With Delicato’s expansive portfolio and international reach, Ashley’s winemaking philosophy merges Californian authenticity with global resonance, making her a key figure in the brand’s continued success.

Ashley, as the Winemaker at Delicato Family Vineyards, how do bring in your own creative vision?

Coming into a role where the majority of my programs are well established in terms of style and quality expectations among consumers, it’s critically important that the style is consistent but also can adjust when consumer preferences change.  Whether that’s higher or lower sugar, alcohol, or oak profile.  When I get the opportunity to make those minute changes to keep the programs successful, that’s when I get excited about leaving my vision with the programs.  However, when we start new projects and I get to build the style and quality of the program, it’s what I imagine it feels like when you’re painting your next masterpiece for the world to see.  I do find myself leaning more towards bigger and bolder styles, which I find ironic because I don’t find myself to have a very big or bold personality.  Maybe that’s my subconscious way of sharing my vision through what I create instead of the words I speak.

Being deeply involved in both the vineyard and the winery, what are some of the unique challenges you encounter when ensuring that Delicato's diverse portfolio maintains consistent quality across the board?

It is quite a diverse portfolio, isn’t it?  We always say it starts in the vineyard, but the challenges could continue through bottling like any other winery.  What’s unique about Delicato is the amount of internal customers each of the Winemakers is serving.  We’re structured by varietal, which means the Zinfandel, Merlot, Petite Sirah, or Pinot Noir that I’m responsible for making actually can go to programs that support a dozen other Winemakers inside Delicato.  Managing the inventory in a way that everyone’s program demands are met, while also being flexible enough to pivot for new projects or external customers at any given time, is quite the challenge!  It reminds me of a crossword puzzle where all the words have to fit just right, or you have to back up and try a different option.  I can’t say it enough though, the style and quality are of the utmost importance in every aspect of the Delicato portfolio.

Image: From Left Steven Kukesh, Senior Winemaker - Research and Development, Ashley Maniti, Winemaker, and Tania Holman, Analytical Lab Manager at UOP Spring 2023 Internship & Job Fair.

With Delicato's strong global presence, how do you manage to create wines that remain authentically Californian, yet resonate with an increasingly diverse international audience?

I’ve learned over the years that not everyone will appreciate the same wines, and that’s okay.  The differences become opportunities to make the style a little different from the other and leave my own mark.  We’re fortunate enough to have a solid footing on our grape supply that supports the wines in quality and consistency, so we’re able to provide the consistency preferred in the international market while maintaining the flexibility to respond to the changing consumer interests of the domestic market.  For example, the big and bold zinfandel trend in the US might not be what it once was, but it is still holding popularity in Europe, and we’re able to create different wines that are still the Californian style but with different attitudes.

Looking back, is there a particular vintage at Delicato that stands out to you? What made it special, and how has it influenced the way you approach future harvests?

Every vintage is unique in its own way between the heat, the cold, the fires, the frost, the rain, or any other curveball that Mother Nature feels like pitching at the moment.  Harvest 2023 is where I felt the most personal growth as a Winemaker, and was very proud of what I had achieved in terms of the quality of the wines I created.  The last harvest was the first year I was responsible for making Pinot Noir and Petite Sirah, and they are two very different varietals that each have their own nuances.  At the beginning of that harvest, I was worried I’d fail at successfully delivering on these two new varietals on top of the Zinfandel and Merlot that I was already making for the past few years.  However, when all was said and done I created the best quality I’ve ever achieved and took the biggest sigh of relief at the end of November.  My trust and confidence in myself and my abilities from that harvest have really encouraged me to see what else I can do next.  Going into this harvest I had a strategy in place to be efficient in my programs, was deeply familiar with each of the vineyards my grapes come from and how they perform and develop the fruit, and was confident in every processing decision I made throughout the harvest.  I’m excited to see how the wines continue to develop over the next few months, and can’t wait to share them with everyone!

Can you tell us more about the sustainable initiatives you’ve implemented at Delicato?

The sustainable initiatives mostly began long before I joined Delicato, but I’ve been able to work with our suppliers to decrease and minimize waste on the oak and ingredients purchased.  All the winemakers are responsible for various programs maintaining sustainability in different forms and certifications.  As a company, there are many sustainability initiatives from the bald eagle nest protection at our San Bernabe Vineyard, to the solar power and electric tractors put into use at our Black Stallion Winery, to many of our contracted vineyards maintaining their sustainability certifications.  It’s a full-picture approach from every angle to embrace sustainability practices throughout Delicato Family Wines.

Image: (L-R) San Bernabe Vineyard, Monterey, and Black Stallion Estate Winery.

You’re a member of Women of the Vine & Spirits, a powerful community supporting women in the industry. How has being part of this group influenced your approach to winemaking and being a good networking and support network?

It was through Women of the Vine & Spirits that I realized the industry has come a long way in terms of supporting women, but that it also has more work to do.  I came into the industry at a company where it was never a question, and things didn’t ever feel or appear to be anything less than supportive of every employee regardless if they’re a man or a woman.  I’ve been able to connect with women in other parts of the country through the global event I attended back in 2018, and without that, I wouldn’t have learned about the networking opportunities online or been able to hear the stories of other women in the industry.  

How do you see the wine industry evolving in terms of gender inclusivity and representation?

I’ve noticed it continuing to evolve and grow with each year, and can only see that continuing.  My hope is in the near future we see more women propelling into the C-suite level.  As intimidating as that endeavor may appear, it is one that is as rewarding to accomplish as it is to witness another woman accomplish, and I hope more women realize they can get to any level of their careers that they strive for.  

In your recent panel talk at IBWSS, you touched on mentorship in the wine industry. Who have been your key mentors, and how do you approach mentoring the next generation of winemakers?

There’s been one major moment from that talk that has stuck with me, and it was during the questions at the end when a dad of three daughters pointed out to us that just ten years ago a stage of women speaking at a wine-focused conference wouldn’t have been likely to happen.  It wasn’t until he shared that reminder with us that I realized how extremely lucky I am to not have made that observation myself, and reinforced with me the importance of supportive mentors.  Within the twelve years of being in the industry, I’ve had influences and mentorships from many people of different levels, companies, and industries.  Of course, my manager, Alicia Ysais, is a natural mentor, but I’ve also had mentorship from Scott Jones who taught me everything I needed to know to be successful at making Zinfandel and who taught me the ropes for recruiting interns, and the importance of continuing to build a network, Lorna Bordenave who taught me the basics of winemaking and has been a constant supporter of my career since I began at Delicato, and everyone along the way that I’ve had heart to heart conversations with about how I want to grow my career and how to work collaboratively and cross-functionally.  It’s actually a really long list of people, and I would truly need a couple of pages to name each and every person who has mentored me in one way or another.

Image: IBWSS 2024 - Winemakers Discussion with Women of the Vine & Spirits. 

Looking ahead, what do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges for Delicato Family Vineyards, particularly in a rapidly changing global wine landscape?

It’s hard to predict the future of anything, but being flexible and able to respond to the rapidly changing wine landscape is key to the success of the wine industry as a whole.  

Conclusion

Ashley Maniti’s story is one of continuous growth, both personally and professionally. Her ability to merge the technical intricacies of winemaking with a clear creative vision has positioned her as an influential voice at Delicato Family Vineyards. Whether it’s navigating the challenges of a diverse portfolio or fostering sustainability, Ashley’s passion for her craft is evident in every bottle she produces. As she looks toward the future, her commitment to mentorship, inclusivity, and innovation ensures that Delicato will remain at the forefront of the evolving global wine industry, all while staying true to its Californian roots.

In conversation with Malvika Patel, Editor and VP, Beverage Trade Network

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