Winemaker
Armando Hernandez
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Santiago Matatlán, Mexico
i. Biography
Armando Hernandez works mezcal at Mal de Amor in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico, in a line of practice shaped by inheritance, repetition, and care. For Hernandez, mezcal is family language: first learned alongside his father and carried further through techniques handed down from his grandfather. That lineage sits inside the work itself, with each step grounded in memory and in the discipline of repeating what was passed forward.
Where They Are Now
The technical base behind Hernandez’s work was built through formal schooling and long shop-floor repetition. He trained at Justin Siena High School, Napa Valley Junior College, and College of Alameda, then moved into work that demanded patience, focus, and mechanical fluency. He worked as worker at Inglenook Winery, followed by mechanic at Epps Chevrolet, mechanic at Ed Bozarth Chevrolet, mechanic at Jimmy Vasser Toyota, and mechanic at Bonanza Ford. The sequence is the point: competence accumulated through years of labor, with skill earned one task at a time. One is machine work; the other is mezcal, where tradition and touch remain inseparable. Taken together, they show a maker whose authority comes from practice, continuity, and inherited craft.
Career - Journeyman Technician — Waste Management Inc. - Maestro Mezcalero — Mal de Amor, Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico - Worker — Inglenook Winery - Mechanic — Epps Chevrolet - Mechanic — Ed Bozarth Chevrolet - Mechanic — Jimmy Vasser Toyota - Mechanic — Bonanza Ford Education: Justin Siena High School; Napa Valley Junior College; College of Alameda
Signature
Barril, Tobala, Sierra Negra, and Mexicano are the named signatures associated with Armando Hernandez’s mezcal work.
FAQ What is Armando Hernandez's current role? As of 2026, Armando Hernandez is Maestro Mezcalero. Where did Armando Hernandez train or study? Armando Hernandez trained at Justin Siena High School and Napa Valley Junior College. What is Armando Hernandez known for? Mezcal.
