Born in Madrid (Spain), from a very early age José Ignacio Cuenca combined an international upbringing with his passion for the arts. In 2005 he moved to Los Angeles, where he has established himself as one of the leading international entertainment critics and journalists, frequently collaborating with the International Publicity departments of Apple TV +, Warner Bros., Disney, Universal, Sony, Amazon, and Paramount, writing articles and interviews for them, as well as conducting press conferences and TV interviews for their global releases. In 2011 José was awarded in Hollywood the International Media Award (48th Annual ICG Publicists Awards).

Known as a Renaissance man and a fervent lover and connoisseur of food and wine, following the birth of his only son Mateo in 2008, José decides to make a Californian Pinot Noir named after him, initiating his personal and dedicated journey into the winemaking world.

In the spring of 2017, an 8-year-old Mateo was chosen to introduce the song “Barquito de papel” in front of a large audience during the 135th anniversary celebration of the UCLA Lab School that he attended. This traditional Cuban children’s song tells the story of kid that makes a little boat which he pushes out into the ocean with the hope that it will bring peace to the world.

When they got back home, José asked his son to draw a little boat, which became the artwork and the inspiration to create his definitive wine project in Sonoma, following a trip with his friend and distributor Mike Miller where he met vineyard owner Brad Alper and winemaker William Knuttel, with whom he teamed up to make the wine of his dreams: little boat.

Today, little boat is a well-respected boutique brand that is carried on the wine lists of some of the most prestigious chefs in the world like the late Joël Robuchon, Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Keller, Alain Ducasse, Daniel Boulud, Gabriel Kreuther, Eric Ripert, José Andrés, Masa Takayama, Dani García, Julian Serrano, Jean-Georges Vongerichten or Michael Mina, amongst many others.

With the invaluable support of an extraordinary team of sommeliers and the experience of a winemaker like Knuttel, these balanced and elegant easy-to-drink wines represent a passionate and  refined gastronomical bridge between the Old and the New World. In that sense, and after teaming up with the prestigious Spanish winery La Rioja Alta, in Rioja, José has released barquito, a very personal and special project that brings him back to his roots. This, his first European wine venture, has been followed by the Sancerre Mateo made with Jean-Pierre Vacher & Fils in France. Mateo is also the label of a special new Pinot Noir release from Russian River Valley. Hence, this dream-come-true story continues…