Meet Christopher Camorlinga Rivera | Your friendly wine guy

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christopher Camorlinga Rivera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christopher, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Essentially I saw a need for a brand of traditionally made wine that was welcoming for the Latino community. I had been making wine in Lodi, Ca for 8 years dead set on never starting my own brand but I frequently had experiences where I’d go to a tasting room in various California regions including my own and could feel that the wine industry and tasting rooms weren’t especially welcoming to people of color. It wasn’t not outright disrespect but it’s a cold reception, lack of attention and a subconscious dismissive attitude. I’m not easily offended but it happens enough that the common denominator in these situations was that we were a group of Mexicanos. We were there to enjoy, engage and purchase so I believe equal treatment wasn’t too much to ask. I rarely brought up that I’m in the industry so I was experiencing wine culture like any other person and I came to realize if a group goes out and receives the same cold or indifferent treatment then they are way less likely to return and much less likely to bring friends/family. I saw a need for a wine that can create that welcoming, equitable and educational experience so I started Seis Soles. I want to see more brown and black folks enjoying what we create so I got to work.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

Winemaking for me hinges on that moment where you convert a wine-skeptic into someone that is looking forward to trying more wine. Although the numbers are climbing, black and brown folks don’t engage with wine like we do with beer and spirits and I’m looking to influence the diversification of wine culture. I’m crafting my wines to exist where a new wine drinker and an experienced wine lover intersect and IT”S TOUGH!

I have always appreciated art and felt I lacked a way to express my creative side. I can’t draw, paint or dance(sober) so I welcomed the chance to create once I stumbled across winemaking. I make decisions in the vineyard and cellar that can completely shape and change a wine. Then I choose what to express on the labels and curate the way I present the wine so I have found my creative outlet. Some wines take 5 years from vineyard to your hands so it’s a long process that I can shape as I go.

This hasn’t been easy but my biggest challenge is learning to know who to trust and who not to trust. Just because someone looks like me doesn’t mean they have my best interests in mind so I look for relationships with good people and engage in good business. I’m always ready to collaborate but I keep my feet grounded and my head up.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I like to outdoors so we’re hiking in Griffith park. We’re going to Santa Monica peer, We’re catching games at Crypto.com and Dodgers stadium. All of it. Then it’s catching the food scene at all the food trucks, resteraunts in Los Feliz, Grand Central Market and San Pedro Ports O’ Call. Top it off by we’ll get some culture at the L.A. Phil.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to the Felton and Jolley family at Klinker Brick Winery and especially Joesph Smith, the head winemaker. I cut my teeth and learned my craft during 9 harvests at Klinker Brick under the generous guidance from Joseph Smith. Joseph is from Belize and experiences life in America as a black man so I feel he helped lay the foundation for folks like me to thrive by breaking barriers.

Website: www.6soles.com

Instagram: 6solesvino