Margarita’s first culinary influence was her grandmother, who taught her the ways of cooking in Margarita’s childhood home of Michoacán, Mexico. Now a grandmother herself, Margarita still loves to cook, both as Chef and Kitchen Manager at V. Sattui and for her family (husband, three sons, and a granddaughter) and friends in Napa.

She started at V. Sattui doing kitchen prep work in 1996, when the kitchen was very, very small and the staff consisted of only two employees. Over the years, she grew her culinary skills by learning from the many esteemed winery chefs that passed through the V. Sattui kitchen. By experiencing different management and cooking styles, Margarita gained confidence and knowledge, and is now an accomplished chef herself and expertly oversees a kitchen team of eight. Today, she appreciates the food, wine, and people at V. Sattui, and loves getting to explore many different types of culinary projects in the kitchen.