Our Founder, Peter Lopez Jr. is the son of Mexican immigrants. Peter was born in Los Angeles and has lived in Santa Rosa, CA most of his life. Peter has been working in the wine and beer industry for over 24 years. He began his work as a warehouse/stockroom worker, was promoted to a sales representative and became a wine & beer department manager at a locally owned supermarket chain. He has judged at various wine and beer competitions and has organized some of the most reputable beer festivals locally and worldwide. Peter was also a beer blogger for the Press Democrat for two years. In 2012, Peter co-founded the NorCal Beer Geeks, a like-minded group of craft beer loving enthusiasts who share information about new release beers, limited production beer and about upcoming events and festivals.  

 

After consulting for some time, Peter decided he wanted to create a family friendly place where his passion, love and knowledge of beer and wine would come together; a place where family, friends and the community could gather. In 2017, with the support of family and friends, Peter opened what is now known as Juncture Taproom & Lounge and he is the host of At a Juncture Podcast in Santa Rosa, CA.  

 

Peter knows firsthand the struggles and sacrifices that come with starting and operating a new business. As a new small business having never quite recovered from the impacts of the fires and power outages that began in 2017, he was now faced with another struggle; the pandemic that has severely impacting small and large businesses worldwide.

 

Peter felt compelled to do his part to ensure his local small business colleagues were still standing alongside him after the pandemic turmoil.  Peter says it often takes the right words or a small gesture to give someone a reason to keep going. It was his belief that a mini-grant from your community could make a world of difference when you don’t know how you are going to pay to keep the lights on. Peter used his $1,200 stimulus check to start a GoFundMe to raise funds and distribute mini-grants to small businesses in Santa Rosa with less than 15 employees. He called it the "For the Love of Rosa Fund." With the help of family and friends, For the Love of Rosa raised additional funds to disburse eleven $500 mini-grants and personal protective equipment kits.

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Peter reached out to family members and community leaders to share his vision and this nonprofit organization was created with the hope that together we can help those during difficult times. 

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