Rosa “Rosie” Fierro exudes an insatiable curiosity for the entire winemak- ing process, from choosing the small-lot vineyard grapes for her “big, bold, beautiful wines for beautiful people,” all the way to documenting the entire process. The Danville resident’s other creative outlet is photography, and her vivid shots capturing the unique patterns of wine grit left on the bottoms of stainless steel tanks can be seen on Rosa Fierro Cellars’ labels and the walls of its tasting room.

“When you’re taking a photograph, you’re putting together in your mind what you want to capture and then trying to replicate that,” she says. “Winemaking is similar: You’re trying to imagine what the wine is like when it’s finished and figuring out what to do so that it ends up that way. It’s just a lot more complicated to produce.”

Figuring out wine production has been an ongoing fascination for Fierro, who spent years studying, practicing and learning the ropes from other local vintners in her spare time from working full time as a legal assistant in San Francisco. She took the plunge in 2020, officially launching her winemaking facility and tasting room amid an urban-style hub of wineries and breweries on the eastern end of Livermore. Fierro has a direct hand in everything at her 100 percent women-owned operation. Most days, she can be found behind the counter of her tasting room pouring sips of Savvy 2021 sauvignon blanc, 2016 “Call Me a Cab” cabernet sauvignon and the other fruits of her labor. It’s there, after all, where the picture she first envisioned in her mind of running a winery comes into the sharpest focus.

“I love meeting new people and talking in the wine room,” she says. “I can share my passion for my wines, see how customers feel about them and just have a great time.”