Celebrating the Women-Owned Businesses Behind the Azur Experience!
Did you know May is Small Business Month? For myself, it’s a meaningful reminder that the best things in life are crafted with care and intention. As a small, family- and female-founded winery, I understand what it means to create something from the ground up!
Chasing a dream might start with passion, but it grows because of community. I’ve been lucky to walk this road alongside other creatives—offering mentorship where I can, and always learning from those around me. For me, that spirit of collaboration is the heart of Azur. This Small Business Month, I wanted to shine a light on a few incredible entrepreneurs I’ve had the privilege to collaborate with—makers, artists, and entrepreneurs whose grit and grace remind me why I love what I do.
Kala Stein Ceramics: Art shaped by nature, resilience, and joy!
One of the artists who continues to inspire me is Kala Stein, a ceramicist whose work embodies intention, resilience, and a deep connection to the environment. Kala’s journey began in the Blue Ridge Mountains, raised by loving, free-spirited parents, where her first home was a teepee. That early grounding in nature and creativity lives on in every piece she creates.
Her ceramics, shaped by fire and earth, tell stories that echo the spirit of our wines—crafted with care and grounded in place. Kala writes, “Experiencing the wildfires in California motivated me to bring environmental topics into my work… backed by the quiet power of the handmade in a fast-moving, tech-forward world.” Her pieces speak to that tension between urgency and stillness, movement and memory—just like a great bottle of wine.
You can visit Kala’s working studio in downtown Sonoma, where she collaborates with architects and designers to bring site-responsive artworks to life. We’re proud to have her work featured at Azur, and even prouder to call her a friend and fellow maker!
Melvin Roy Apparel: Designs stitched with memory, meaning, and a dash of 70s soul!
From the first moment I met Courtney Vosmaer, I could feel the heart behind her work. Her brand, Melvin Roy, is more than just a fashion label—it’s a tribute to her father, to her childhood on the family farm, and to the expressive style of the 1970s. Each hat she designs carries a story, stitched by hand in her Sonoma home, with love and intention.
Courtney shared, “My first design ‘Hartke’ [pictured above] is our family name, and I’ve been drawing the basics of it since I was in grade school, as a way to not spell out my name, but to draw it.” That sense of personal history and bold creativity defines everything she touches. When she visited Azur in 2022 for a tasting, we instantly clicked. Since then, I’ve watched her embrace the ups and downs of entrepreneurship with incredible honesty and grace.
I encouraged her to share more of her journey—the imperfect, the inspiring, the real. She ran with that, and now her audience connects not just with her products, but with her truth. Courtney’s openness is what makes Melvin Roy resonate, and I’m so proud to be part of her story.
Come visit the Melvin Roy Pop Up Market at the Azur Wine Lounge on June 14th from 12–5.
With a gentle hand and generous spirit, Erin’s work turns moments into memories.
Erin E. Gennow’s story is a quiet, powerful one—the kind that reminds you how creativity has a way of finding its way back to you. After time spent in the corporate world and raising her children, Erin started turning her watercolor sketches into greeting cards and gifts. Encouraged by her mom to open an Etsy shop, she took the leap. Soon came pop-ups, workshops, and a return to teaching art in classrooms and community spaces.
That’s how we met—while volunteering for art in schools. Since then, she’s brought her talent to the Azur lounge with her Sip & Paint classes, which have quickly become a favorite tradition. As Erin puts it, “Sharing their space to host monthly Sip & Paints has led to so many connections—both personally and professionally.”
Her work radiates warmth, patience, and heart. Hosting her classes has not only supported her business—it’s helped us build a more creative, connected community here in Napa.
Our next Sip & Paint with Erin is June 1st: Reserve Your Spot!
Cope Family Center: A Shared Celebration of Care
Among the many meaningful moments this month, one stood out close to home—our community showing up in support of Cope Family Center during a recent fundraiser we hosted at the lounge. As a small, predominantly female-led nonprofit, Cope is doing incredible work to uplift families across Napa through parenting programs, early childhood support, and education.
It was a joy to see our space filled with purpose, connection, and generosity—values we share deeply. Supporting Cope felt like a natural extension of the spirit we’ve celebrated all month long: women who lead with heart, small teams building something big, and a community that believes in showing up for one another.
Welcome to the Azur Community
If you’ve made it this far, you’re not just a reader—you’re now part of the story. These collaborations part of the wine lifestyle we offer to guests who crave more than the ordinary; an experience we curate for guests who value beauty, intention, and authenticity. Thank you for being part of our circle!
And we’re looking forward to the next time you visit us! Whether you stop in for a tasting, join a creative class, or attend one of our curated pop-up events, you’ll experience firsthand how wine, art, and community come together here.
Visit exploretock.com/azurwines to see what’s on the horizon.