Wine is a Universal Language; Insights From A Winemaker Who Has Travelled & Lived Everywhere
(Part 2 of Juanita Diusabá’s winemaking journey)
“Do what you love. Struggle is good. Being afraid is good.
Do not feel different than others, you are just one more person in the world. Always, if you go to a new place, say hi and be grateful. That’s it. You don’t need to speak the main language.
If you know how to say hello and thank you, that will open doors for you in every place.”
Graduating in Walla Walla
Back in America, Juanita attended the Institute for Enology and Viticulture at College Cellars in Walla Walla, Washington.
“I have such great passion and respect for people in Washington. They helped me a lot with my professional career. It was two years of studying, getting to know many winemakers, and getting involved in the wine industry.” Through her education, Juanita had the opportunity to make wine at notable wineries such as L’Ecole No. 41 and Gramercy Cellars.
“The most fun part is to just get dirty, struggle, and make mistakes. It’s the best way to learn.” Juanita has fond memories of going to fancy restaurants with her classmates after a hard day’s work – hands dyed purple with wine and her work boots still on.
“It’s the same sensation as being a child.”
Juanita is a reminder to never let obstacles stand in the way of accomplishing your dreams.
“It took me years to speak English. It took me years to afford education in another country. Being myself, getting my degree in something that took so long, but is also something that I really love…seeing my mom and my brother and my friends there… [my graduation] was one of the most beautiful moments of my whole life.”
After graduation, Juanita had six months left in America before she lost her visa and she had to head back to the UK. She went to California and worked at Flowers on the Sonoma Coast. She is continuing to grow her career through new experiences, currently living the U.K. and working as assistant winemaker at Lyme Bay Winery.
The toll of travel
To travel and to move many times allows you to grow and learn more than you ever could by staying in one spot. It is beautiful, however it can be lonely, as you realize many different versions of yourself and know you cannot be all of them at once.
Through the years, Juanita has often found herself asking “Where do I belong?”
“If people ask me where I am from, I am from Colombia, my blood is Colombian. But my heart, the places where I have lived, the people who were my family, my community, the people who helped me on my journey – these people were home.”
“I don’t try to belong to somebody else’s place… but people in Colombia ask ‘why do you love wine? Why do you fish? Why are you crabbing?’ I like jazz music from New York. I have wine, art from Chile. I have dancing from Columbia. I have dining from London. Washington state was a whole adventure. There, I started skiing. I was hunting mushrooms in California. I was in the ocean, I was surfing.”
Now, at age 31, Juanita credits her travels for her individual approach to winemaking. “I think this is one of my best years yet. Even I have been struggling with all of my travels, it’s a beautiful struggle.”
Juanita's approach to winemaking
“I see wine in different shapes. I think that wine is not only wine, but something that people can call ‘terroir’, it’s a sense of place. I am not making another pinot noir or another chardonnay, I am making something that belongs to a place.”
To Juanita, to make unique wine that represents its origin, you must “get involved in it…walk the roads in the vineyards” and “talk to the vines to understand.”
“If I understand the sense of place, I can make a better wine, because I am allowing the grapes to express who they are.”
Connect with Juanita Diusabá on her instagram at @juanicultura – she is happy to be of help to anyone interested in getting involved in the wine industry.
“Do not be afraid. When you are feeling afraid, that is a good sign because it means that you are leaving your comfort zone and you are doing something that you have always wanted to do. Follow your passion, listen to your instinct, and be logical as well. When you say ‘I cannot do it’ it means you can do it if you want.”
Juanita Diusabá
Editor
Natalie is co-founder and editor of The Grapevine Magazine where she helps winemakers big and small tell their stories. She lives in Manhattan, New York City.
