Rebecca Remmenga - Co-owner, Alapay Cellars Inc.

By Raven Railey

Alapay Cellars Inc. co-owner Rebecca Remmenga turned 40 on Jan. 8. She moved to Avila Beach in 2001 to “slow down,” trading her career as a hip hop radio station sales manager in Fresno for a job baking pies at Avila Valley Barn.

Then she met Scott Remmenga, who was looking for someone to help him sell 500 cases of wine. Their business partnership turned romantic, and after opening a tasting room in April 2002, they married.

“She has been instrumental in building a business from the ground up and can easily adapt to the many ‘hats’ that are required,” her husband said.

Their boutique winery has expanded to more than 5,000 cases a year, and its new tasting room has been a visible part of Avila’s redevelopment.

Remmenga has served the Avila Beach Civic Association, the Avila Business Association and the county’s task force to address parking in the town. The mother of 3-year-old Tiffany, Remmenga’s goal is “to ensure that everybody’s going to come back to Avila because they have a great experience with the business owners.”