In a world where tradition and innovation must live in balance, Maya Dalla Valle is refreshing Napa’s wine story with clear purpose and grounded passion. As winemaker and wine director at Dalla Valle Vineyards, Maya carries forward a multigenerational legacy while infusing it with new ideas, vision, and connection.

 

From her earliest days, Maya’s life has been intimately tied to the land. The same year she was born, her parents planted Maya’s Vineyard, a symbolic and literal marker of her family’s deep roots in Napa Valley. Raised among winemakers and immersed in the rhythms of the vineyard, Maya has long carried the conviction that wine is more than flavor,  it’s a narrative of place, people, and care.

 

Her formal training is as impressive as it is global:

Since joining her mother Naoko in 2017 and being named head winemaker in 2021, Maya has been advancing Dalla Valle’s commitment to quality, sustainability, and evolving expression of terroir.

 

While Maya embraces the responsibility of her family’s name, she is not afraid to push boundaries. Under her watch, Dalla Valle has moved further into biodynamic and organic viticultural practices, and experimented with more textural, expressive styles like aging in clay amphora, to highlight nuance over heavy weight.

 

The wines she helms, especially “Maya,” a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are lauded not just for power, but for harmony, tension, and elegance.

 

What makes Maya a natural partner for Meals on Wheels San Francisco is not just her reputation in wine, but her values. She understands that caring for the land is intertwined with caring for people. Her lineage is in stewardship, and her outlook is expansive, always asking how to push forward without losing heart.

 

What’s more, Maya’s personal ties to our community run deep: many of our donors and supporters have encountered Dalla Valle wines over the years. By lifting up her work, we celebrate not only a brilliant winemaker but someone who already resonates with our network.

 

As we step into this season, we’re honored to shine a spotlight on Maya Dalla Valle and on what it means when tradition meets new energy, and when vineyards remember their humanity.