Maria Calvert

Maria was born in Quito, Ecuador but grew up in Queens, NYC. Before transitioning to food & wine, Maria was the VP of Global Communications and Charity Committee Co-Chairman at a currency broker on Wall Street. After several years in finance, in 2018, she decided to follow her palate to the wine industry, joining a renowned PR agency in New York City, leading integrated communications campaigns for institutions and brands in food and wine worldwide. In September 2020, Maria co-launched Hispanics in Wine, a nonprofit dedicated to showcasing Hispanic/LatinX roots in the beverage and hospitality industries.

Today, Maria’s time is split between NYC and Washington DC, working as a Public Relations Consultant offering strategic communications services to start-ups and established brands in the wine industry. Maria is a WSET Level 2 candidate and a Marketing & Communications Level 2 mentor in the Bâtonnage Mentorship Program, an educational program for women-identifying people working in the wine industry. Her dedication to diversity and inclusion in the wine industry has been featured in national and international media publications, including recognition as 40 under 40 Tastemaker’s List by Wine Enthusiast, Wine Business Monthly’s Wine Industry Leaders, and Imbibe’s 75 People to Watch.

Oggi Maria si divide tra New York e Washington DC e lavora come consulente per le relazioni pubbliche, offrendo servizi di comunicazione strategica a start-up e marchi affermati nel settore vinicolo. Maria è candidata al WSET Livello 2 e mentore di Marketing e Comunicazione Livello 2 nel Bâtonnage Mentorship Program, un programma educativo per le donne che lavorano nel settore vinicolo. Il suo impegno per la diversità e l’inclusione nell’industria del vino è stato evidenziato da pubblicazioni nazionali e internazionali: menzioniamo i riconoscimenti della “40 under 40 Tastemaker’s List” di Wine Enthusiast, di “Wine Business Monthly’s Wine Industry Leaders” e di “Imbibe’s 75 People to Watch”.

How to Promote and Sell Your Wine Brand in the Hispanic Community in the US

In recent years, there’s been an industry effort to increase diversity in wine by creating pipelines for professional development and opportunities for BIPOC wine workers and entrepreneurs through community-driven organizations.

Within the BIPOC population, the Hispanic and LatinX community represent an ever-growing segment of society, with US census research showing it is the largest ethnic or racial minority group with a total population of 62.1 million. Brand alignment with Hispanic and LatinX wine trade professionals and consumers has never been more critical.

While wine consumption trends have recorded significant growth over the past decade, there are still plenty of untapped opportunities for wine brands to effectively sell their products and create long-lasting brand loyalty in this quickly-growing community.