Five of The Unstoppable Women of Temecula Valley Wine Country
Temecula Valley’s story isn’t just told through vistas and grape varieties. It’s built, sustained, and advanced by the people who do the daily work of making wine country such a singular place. The women featured here represent different parts of the ecosystem: winemaking, ownership, distribution, operations, and the front lines of hospitality. What connects them isn’t a single job title. It’s the way they lead — through steadiness, care, ambition, empathy, and resilience.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme, “Give to Gain,” surfaces in their responses in ways that lean more sincere than slogan: opening doors for colleagues, investing in teams, holding a long vision through uncertainty, and refusing to confuse kindness with weakness.
Across these stories, “giving” isn’t about self-erasure. It’s about building something bigger than yourself — and gaining confidence, clarity, and community in return.
Meet a few of the women shaping Temecula Valley wine country right now.
Aspen Mosby, Wine Club Coordinator, Altisima Winery
In a role where emotions can run high and expectations can spike fast, Aspen Mosby leads with composure and intention, and has the kind of steadiness that protects both guests and team culture. She describes a moment that would shake anyone: “When a member has yelled at me, there have been moments I’ve felt defeated.” Instead of reacting, she focuses on de-escalation and dignity. “What helps is pausing, actively listening, and making sure they feel heard instead of reacting emotionally.” She also credits support from her manager: “My manager, Sharon, also helps to ground and refocus me.”
Aspen is most proud of work that’s designed to be invisible: preparation, systems, and the unglamorous details that make a day feel seamless. “I’m most proud of my organization and preparation. Making sure everything is set up for the day saves time, reduces stress, and helps the team run more smoothly — even if it’s not always visible.”
Her perspective on strength is clear and modern. “You can be hospitable, efficient, and still remain humble and kind,” she says. “You don’t have to be harsh to be strong.” And her message to other women lands with the kind of simplicity you can build a whole month around: “I want women to know that you can be kind and still be powerful.” For Aspen, “Give to Gain” is about the real returns of showing up well for others: “When you give your time, support, and kindness to others, you gain growth, trust, and stronger relationships in return.”
Olivia Bue, Winemaker, Robert Renzoni Vineyards; Director of Winemaking & Co-owner, Truffle Pig Winery
Olivia Bue’s answers carry the imprint of someone building in multiple directions at once — career, family, and a long-term winemaking vision. She points to a season after her second child as one of the most challenging of her life. “Balancing a toddler, a newborn, a growing, high-performing winery stretched me in ways I never anticipated,” she says. “It was mentally exhausting, a heck of a lot of mom guilt, and there were moments I questioned whether I could continue at the level I expected of myself.”
What kept her going wasn’t a neat solution. “What kept me going was my sense of purpose,” she explains. “I had invested too much heart into my work, and I wasn’t going to let exhaustion take that from me. Bringing my kids to work with me, watching their excitement through the years as they come ‘help’ me work during harvest season, fuels me still to this day. I want them to grow up remembering a mom who built something meaningful, pushed through the challenging moments in life, and made it to the other side.”
She describes this as a pivotal perspective shift that had a major impact on her outlook: “Ultimately, that moment in life reshaped me, strengthened my resilience and gave me a deeper outlook and sense of pride as both a mother and a leader.”
Olivia is also proud of a less obvious part of winemaking: the moment the tasting room becomes a true extension of the cellar — when the team understands not just what a wine tastes like, but why it exists. “One of the parts of my job I’m most proud of, that people don’t always see, is when the tasting room team truly connects with a wine I’ve made,” she says. “That full circle moment means everything and it tells me the wine is doing what it’s meant to do.”
Her message to women is urgent in the best way — don’t wait for “someday.” “I want women to know that there’s no better time to pursue your career than now,” she says. “It won’t magically get easier if you wait. Build it while you’re in it. Live in the moment and make it happen.” And her “Give to Gain” is framed like a winemaker would frame it: the return comes from what you invest over time. “The more I pour into what matters most, the more I grow and the more purposeful my life becomes,” she says. “Whether it’s nurturing in the vineyard long before harvest or investing in the people who help bring our vision to life, the return always comes back stronger.”
Cassidy Wilson, Director of Distribution, Wilson Creek Winery
Cassidy Wilson’s leadership story is rooted in pressure — and what it means to keep showing up when everything feels unstable. She points to March 2020 as a moment that tested her sense of purpose. “I was working for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits in grocery stores throughout Los Angeles, and it was complete chaos,” she recalls. “We shifted to overnight schedules so we could stock shelves while stores were closed, and, at the same time, the city was experiencing protests and uncertainty. There were moments when I questioned why we were considered ‘frontline workers’ and whether I was truly making an impact.”
What brought her through was community and her team. “We leaned on each other through long nights, unpredictable demand, and constant change.” It changed the way she defined leadership: “It stopped being about individual brands or personal wins and became about showing up for one another and serving our communities.”
Now, she’s proud of the long, dedicated work behind relationships and growth — the years of trust that sit beneath any one big moment. “People often see the finished product … but they do not always see the years of trust, communication, and problem-solving that go into it.” As part of a family business, she carries the dual responsibility of honoring the past while moving forward: “That means having hard conversations, listening first, and showing up consistently even when no one is watching.”
Her message to young women is liberating. “I hope they see that you do not have to fit into a traditional mold to be successful,” she says, pointing to her own non-linear career path. “I left a volleyball scholarship, moved across the country, worked in music, started at the bottom in distribution, and eventually found my place back at our family winery. Each step shaped the leader I am today. I want young women to know that confidence is built through experience, not perfection.”
She also underscores that leadership doesn’t require becoming someone else: “You can be warm, collaborative, and authentic while still being strong and decisive. Leadership does not have to look one way.” And her “Give to Gain” is about momentum: “Giving your time, knowledge, or encouragement does not diminish your own growth. It expands it.”
Carrie Peltzer, Co-owner, Peltzer Farm & Winery
Carrie Peltzer has helped build a Temecula institution by doing something a lot of people romanticize, but few can sustain: holding a vision together for years longer than expected. She describes the tasting room design and entitlement process as a stretch that nearly broke her resolve. “It became clear that our two-year timeline was quickly reaching five or six years,” she says. “It was exhausting, uncertain, and at times overwhelming. There were many days that I figured we would not reach the finish line.”
The turning point was the kind of support women remember for life — encouragement from local owners and winemakers who helped her keep going. “I was lucky enough to have met many local business and winery owners, along with local winemakers, who gave me the encouragement and guidance to persevere,” she recalls. “This is something I will never forget and will pass forward to any newcomers to the Valley.”
Carrie’s pride lives in the behind-the-scenes work that most guests never notice, but every guest benefits from. “The part of my work I am most proud of is something people don’t always see: the steady, behind-the-scenes concepting and continued building of this dream.” She names the invisible labor too — the emotional weight of staying consistent through uncertainty: “The emotional labor of holding a vision together during uncertainty, growth, and change — and continuing to show up with consistency, care, and resilience.”
Carrie cites a mentor who opened a door for her when she was in her early twenties, and helped lead Carrie into design, marketing, and ultimately owning a business, as playing a role in how she manages others today. “She showed up for me – offering encouragement, sharing hard-earned wisdom and reminding me of my own strength when I doubted it,” she says. “Because of that, I try to lead with an open heart. I try to share what I’ve learned, be honest about the struggles, and create opportunities for others. Not because I expect anything in return, but because I know firsthand how life-changing that support can be.”
For Carrie, “Give to Gain” is a statement of values — not scarcity, not competition, not gatekeeping. “It means believing that there is enough room for all of us to succeed and that when one woman rises, she makes space for others to rise also.”
Karena Leon, Director of Operations & Marketing, Oak Mountain Winery; Founder, SOM Program
Karena Leon’s work lives at the intersection of business and service — running the operational engine of a winery while also building nonprofit impact through the SOM Program. She describes seasons where the weight of juggling it all felt intense: “There have been moments when balancing nonprofit leadership, family, and a growing business felt overwhelming, especially when resources were limited and expectations were high.”
What kept her moving wasn’t ego; it was purpose. “Purpose has always been my anchor, and knowing that others were depending on me pushed me forward even when the path felt uncertain.” She’s proud of what she describes as quiet impact — the connective work that doesn’t always get credit but changes outcomes. “I’m most proud of the connections I help create behind the scenes,” she says. “Seeing those relationships grow into long-term impact is incredibly rewarding, even if it’s not always visible.”
She credits mentors and community leaders for believing early, and she’s intentional about giving that same kind of support forward. “They offered guidance, trust, and opportunities to lead,” she explains. “I try to do the same by mentoring young leaders, advocating for nonprofits, and creating space for others – especially women – to step into roles where they can grow, be seen, and succeed.”
Her message to women is direct and affirming: “Their voice matters, their vision is valid, and they don’t have to choose between success and kindness.” For Karena, “Give to Gain” is a lived philosophy: “When you give your time, your knowledge, and your heart to others, the return is far greater than anything tangible.”
