We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Moret Brealynn Chavez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Moret Brealynn below.
Hi Moret Brealynn, so great to have you on the platform. There’s so much we want to ask you, but let’s start with the topic of self-care. Do you do anything for self-care and if so, do you think it’s had a meaningful impact on your effectiveness?
For self-care, I love to golf. It’s become a surprisingly powerful three-part anchor for my effectiveness as an entrepreneur and winemaker.
First, it reconnects me to nature. I’ve been lucky enough to golf in some of the most beautiful places in the world — from deer crossing fairways at home in Sonoma County to the sweeping views of Scotland to Pebble Beach. Stepping onto a course forces me to unplug, breathe, and simply be present. That alone restores my creativity and clarity.
Second, golf pushes me mentally. Whether I’m choosing the right club in the Kapalua wind or fighting through a stubborn bunker shot, it teaches resilience. When a drive goes sideways or a hole unravels, I still have to pick up the club and keep going — a mindset that carries me through long harvest days, unpredictable weather, and the constant problem-solving winemaking requires.
Third, the camaraderie mirrors the wine world. On the course, someone else’s great drive doesn’t diminish your own; you can both make birdie. You celebrate each other’s wins and wines, share tips, and elevate the whole group. We are all on the same battle ground, whether it’s a course or Mother Nature, both are tough enough, but we can uplift and encourage one another as we go through it together.
Golf is one of my self-cares because it refuels me physically, mentally, and through camaraderie — and that balance makes me far more effective in my work.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m a winemaker and the founder of Moret-Brealynn Wines, where I focus on small-lot, vineyard-driven bottlings made with a whole lot of intention. As a one-woman show, I’m the one walking the vineyard rows, updating the website with the tasting notes, designing the labels, shipping the orders, and connecting personally with the people who enjoy my wines. I want every bottle to feel like an invitation and insight to what I did all year to create the bottle, not just a product. What excites me most about what I do is the blend of artistry and precision it requires. Every vineyard, clone, and barrel brings its own personality, and I get to translate that into a wine that feels authentic to the vineyard and vintage that ends up on your table! Small Lot. Big Soul isn’t just a tagline — it’s truly how I work.
When I started Moret-Brealynn Wines in 2021 I was in one vineyard and now I’m in FIVE! It’s a really exciting chapter — lots of growth (400% to be exact). I make wine in Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma Valley, and the Santa Lucia Highlands. My husband, Adam Lee, and I are also cowinemakers for two wines called Busy Signal and Dial Tone from Santa Barbara County and winemakers & partners on a winery project in the south of France called Etienne Winery. We also make wine for a handful of smaller wineries in Napa and Sonoma County.
I am working on switching my website to a different platform so I can create a wine club! I’m very thankful that multiple people have asked for one so I’m looking into the costs and logistics of that. But I’ve also heard that everyone has too many wine clubs. So I sent out a survey to my mailing list asking them what they like and don’t like about wine clubs and whatever else they wanted to tell me. I hope to be able to create something that is a little more tailored to the needs of the wine community today but also stick with what makes sense for general shipping logistics and wine production. One good thing about owning your business is you can do whatever you want but a con about being employee one of one who is there to tell you “That’s a stupid idea!”?
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back, three qualities have been the most impactful in my journey: resilience, curiosity, and trusting my gut — especially when opportunity knocks before I feel ready.
Resilience has been essential. Winemaking and entrepreneurship both come with constant curveballs — weather, logistics, timing, people, tariffs. I learned early that you don’t succeed by avoiding challenges; you succeed by staying adaptable and determined, even when things get messy. If there’s an issue troubleshoot it as soon as possible rather than to avoid it. For example one year I could see my fermentation was starting to slow down which is an early sign of a stuck fermentation. And all the winemakers around kept trying to soften the blow and calling it softer words as if saying “stuck ferment” was Voldemort. Meanwhile, I’m going to Scotts Lab and buying yeast (I don’t normally inoculate) and started figuring out how to fix the problem.
Curiosity is where everything shifted for me. I didn’t start with a formal winemaking background but I’d be in the cellar and ask questions. In my winery roles, I worked with the owners and winemakers and watched, listened, asked questions. My advice: never pretend to know something you don’t. Ask. Learn. Absorb. That’s how you level up. I never felt dumb asking a question. I felt dumb pretending I knew what something meant when I didn’t. Because I didn’t ask, I never understood the conversation.
Trust your gut. Five years into winemaking, I’ve learned that I’ll never know everything — Mother Nature sees to that — but I do know when my instincts are speaking clearly. One of my recent lessons was in a new vineyard and every winery around me started picking. The natural reaction is, “Should I pick too?” I pulled a sample, ran the numbers, and while the metrics looked fine, the flavors weren’t there for my style. My gut said wait. The weather was holding, so I held. Two weeks later, the fruit was exactly where I wanted it, and the wine turned out fantastic. Maybe the other wines turned out great too — that’s not the point. The point is that your style, vision, and instincts matter. Don’t jump just because everyone else is jumping. Trusting your gut is a skill, and in this business, it’s one of the most valuable ones you can develop.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
Without question, the most influential person in my journey has been my husband, Adam. Back in early 2021, I was working for another winery and we were dating and we were tasting through some of his barrels. He noticed that when I tasted, I wasn’t just commenting tasting notes — I was tasting like a winemaker. A few days later, he showed up at my house with a lineup of unmarked bottles and asked me to blind taste them. I guessed them with surprising accuracy, and that was the first moment someone looked at me and said, “Have you ever thought about being a winemaker?”
I told him I loved the vineyards but couldn’t imagine starting over or going back to school. He simply said, “Then let me teach you what I know.” That offer changed the course of my life. I’d had many employers, but he was the first person who truly empowered me, who saw potential I hadn’t yet allowed myself to claim.
Now we’re married and deep in the trenches together — making our own wines, consulting for others, encouraging each other through long harvest nights and early mornings. There’s not a lot of downtime, but we get to do what we’re passionate about, side by side. I wouldn’t have it any other way. A lot of people ask if we’re competitive about our wines and ratings and which consumer likes which better and the honest answer is absolutely not. Of course my Mom is my #1 fan, but Adam is right next her. And I cheer him on and am right next to him on the sorting table for his wines. The golf course however, is a completely different story as we have high stake bets like loser washes dishes for a week, so there have been some quiet rides home a time or two.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.moretbrealynnwines.com
- Instagram: @moretbrealynnwines.com
- Facebook: moretbrealynnwines
Image Credits
Moret-Brealynn Wines, Richard Wood
