Celebrating Great Wine by Great Women

It’s always exciting to have an opportunity to celebrate innovators in the world of wine, and even more so when they’re also opening doors for others.  I was recently brought on by a major media company to host just such a celebration.  The event, ‘Great Wine, Great Women,’ was a toast to seven women winemakers who have helped break down the gender barrier that has for too long existed in the world of winemaking, and are turning out some amazing products.  From the legendary to the up-and-coming, these women winemakers present a force to be reckoned with.  And our wine tasting proved that their products do, too!

The presentation, to a group of female executives, linked key attributes of these pioneering women winemakers, which have contributed to their success, and which can serve as a model for anyone reaching for success and breaking new ground in their field.  I am always thrilled to be involved in events like these, so please get in touch if you have a group in mind that could benefit from this kind of experience.

Before we have a look at these seven extraordinary women, some facts about women in the wine industry…

• 57% of the wine in the US is purchased by women, but until recently, women made up only the smallest portion of managerial positions in the wine business.  This has gradually begun to change, beginning in the 1960s, and more quickly in the past two decades.

• In fact, it was not until 1982 that a female California winemaker, Milla Handley of Mendocino, had her own name on a wine label,

• In that state, which provides a good barometer for trends in the industry, 10% of wineries have a woman as their made or lead winemaker, a small but rapidly growing figure.  In fact, in Sonoma and Napa, between 20 -30% of wineries fit that category, which many estimate is double to triple the number in 1990.

• And it’s not that these women are making inroads only at smaller wineries.  In California, approximately the same percentages of male and female winemakers work at wineries that produce less than 1000 cases, and more than 500,000 cases annually.

• It has long been held that women drink the majority of wine, but production and marketing was the domain of men, with women relegated to lesser positions in the field.  But even long time holdouts on gender front in winemaking have begun to realize that a growing group of bold women have been making innovative and important strides in the field.

• While it may be some time before gender parity exists in the winemaking business, the unwavering commitment of these women winemakers to their craft is shaking up the paradigm.  In fact, since the mid 1990s, women have made up nearly half the students at the viticulture and oenology department at the University of California Davis, a statistic which points to continued growth for women in the winemaking field.

And now, without further ado, a look at seven women winemakers, past and present, who have offered the world great wine, as well as inspiration to anyone reaching for success…

Winemaker: Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin

Madame Clicquot Ponsardin was a true innovator, not only establishing Veuve Clicquot as one of the world’s premier Champagne houses, but also developing a new bottling process that would revolutionize the product. Born in Reims, France, in 1777 to an aristocratic family, her life underwent it’s first upheaval early when France’s own revolution broke out, forcing her family to break from the Aristocracy to save their lives and their fortune – a move which at a young age taught Ponsadin the importance of adaptability.  At 21, she married a wealthy textile merchant named Francois Clicquot, who ran a side business in wine distribution.  But once again six years later, when she was just 27, trauma struck when her husband died suddenly of typhoid.  Instead of settling into the unhappy life of a young widow, Clicquot upended all convention by convincing her father in law to allow her to run her late husband’s business, and fearlessly focused the company on wine production at a time when international relations were not conducive to wine trading success.  Her commitment paid off.  By 1815, Veuve Clicquot (which translates to ‘widow Clicquot’) was in tremendous demand, and as the trading situation improved, so did the company’s fortunes grow.  As if all this wasn’t enough, Madame Clicquot now turned her attention to an issue that had plagued Champagne producers since the beginning.  Up to this time, the second fermentation of the wine would leave sediment from the yeast in the Champagne to the point where the final product was cloudy in the bottle.  In her cellars, Clicquot cleverly developed a process whereby the fermenting wines were upturned and the yeast allowed to settle at the cork.  Once the sediment had fully collected, the wine near the cork and the temporary cork itself were frozen and removed, resulting in a product that was as clear as the Champagne we enjoy today.  And her product remains, some 200 years later, one of the most beloved and desired Champagnes in the world.

Wine: Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin – Champagne, France

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin is dry and rich with notes of fruit, toffee, and yeast. It manipulates the palate with a slowly growing spiciness.  It’s a classic at any celebration, but also pairs just fine with breakfast!

Winemaker: Kris Curran

Kris Curran of California’s D’Alfonso-Curran wines, grew up in that state’s San Ynez Valley.  After briefly trying out a career as a veterinarian, she quickly realized her passion for wine, assisting at Cambria Estate Vineyards and Winery, and then Koehler Winery, where she prepared her first release.  After helping turn Sea Smoke into a major success, she turned to her own work and launched D’Alfonso-Curran with her husband, Bruno Alfonso.  Working in California, where a dramatic shift has occurred – with 15-20% of winemakers now being women, where that number was near 0% 20 years ago,  Curran has strong feelings not only about the image of women both as winemakers, but also as wine consumers.  Commenting on release by wine giant Beringer of a line of low-calorie, low alcohol wines called “White Lie”, targeting women with messages like “it’s my natural color” and “I’ll be home by 7”, Curran stated, “I find it demeaning.  It’s implying that woman don’t have as sophisticated a palate.”  And so, Curran unwaveringly continues to produce bold wines that defy expectations of the women who make them, and who enjoy them.

Wine: Curran Grenache Blanc – Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara County’s San Ynez Valley, with mountains to the north and north, provides a unique geographic location for growing certain varietals of grape, including the Grenache Blanc.  The marine fog with passes through the valley each night creates peak conditions for this grape, and the Curran Grenache Blanc is a fantastic example of geography influences taste.  Rich in fruits, including peach and apricot, and with hints of citrus, this crisp, low acid wine, makes it a great pairing option for seafood, grilled vegetables, and a wide variety of cheeses.

Winemaker: Veronique Drouhin

Veronique Drouhin grew up in a family with a long and storied winemaking tradition.  Joseph Drouhin started Maison Joseph Drouhin in the Burgundy region of France in 1880, and the company is now in its fourth generation of family ownership, with Veronique in charge as head winemaker, nimbly crafting wines across two continents, as they have recently begun producing wine at a new vineyard in Oregon.  Drouhin’s credentials, aside from her lineage, are impressive to say the least.  She received her National Diploma of Enology from the University of Dijon, and an advanced degree for her work on pinot noir.  It was Veronique who vinified the brand’s first Oregon vintage of Pinot Noir, and named it after her daughter, Laurene, with whom she was pregnant at the time.  Now, with three children, and a booming business, she cites her frequent travels between the growing Oregon winery and her growing family in Burgundy, as her greatest challenge as a female winemaker.  Despite the challenges, she continues to flourish, creating wines for the legendary Maison Joseph Drouhin.

Wine: Drouhin Chambolle Musigny 1er, 2010 – Burgundy, France

While much of Drouhin’s work is in Oregon, she has not neglected the family tradition of crafting wines in Burgundy, and the Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru from their French vineyard is an intense yet charming red that display’s her commitment to her work.  Full of dark fruits and spices, the wine comes on sweet, but finishes firm with a mineral-driven acidity.

Winemaker: Noemi Marone Cinzano

Countess Noemi Marone Cinzano comes from another winemaking family, but it was not until later in life that she decided to try her hand at the family business – the results have been wonderful.  Her bold entry into winemaking came with her 1992 purchase of the Tuscan Argiano estate, which has been producing wine since at least the 1500s.  Here, she honed her craft and excelled, earning rave reviews.  Earlier this year, she shocked the wine world when she announced she was leaving Italy altogether to focus on a new venture, producing Malbecs in the unforgiving climate of Patagonia, thus becoming yet another fearless female winemaker to conquer two continents.

Wine: Argiano Non Confunditor – Tuscany, Italy

The Argiano Non Confunditor is red of distinct character, influenced by the vineyards enviable microclimate of cool summer nights, moderate rainfall, and warm winds. A powerful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Sangioevese, this wine is alive with black currant and cedar flavors that will develop depth over time.

Winemaker: Maria Jose Lopez Heredia

For Maria Jose Lopez Heredia, who, with her sister and father, run the 136 year old Lopez de Heredia Vineyard in Rioja, Spain, leading tour groups on their estate is just as important as tasting the wine itself.  As she puts it, ‘it’s impossible for people to understand the soul of a wine if they don’t know how the grapes are grown.’  While Heredia is widely considered to be one of the most conservative and traditional of Spanish winemakers, Maris Jose Lopez Heredia’s style is anything but – a charming, witty spokesperson for her family’s brand, she has brought new life to Heredia name while carrying on the family tradition of superb winemaking.  Her passion and commitment to her craft, and the joy she takes in sharing her stories with visitors and with the media, surely dispel any notion that a woman could not be in charge of this very traditionalist and acclaimed winery. As she says ‘for us, making wine is a way of life, not a way to make a living.’

Wine: Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Reserva, 2001 – Rioja, Spain

Lopez de Heredia’s wines are known for their wonderful long term aging, and the Tondonia Reserva 2001 is coming along nicely.  Fermented, like all their wines, in 140 year old oak barrels in an even more ancient cellar, this is a rich and very dry wine with firm tannins and a good balance.  This wine is a blend, heavily in favor of Tempranillo, with Garnacho, and Graciano and Mazuelo as well.  The year this grape was harvested came very close to disaster, with an April frost endangering the plantings, but in the end, the quality of the wine that resulted was actually above the winery already high standards.

Winemaker: Diana Snowden Seysses

Diana Snowden Seysses’ experiences show that even coming from a winemaking family is not necessarily enough to overcome the prejudices faced by women trying to make their way in the wine business.  The son of winemaker Scott Snowden, she cut her teeth at the the Robert Mondavi winery in California where, she says, ‘women were not allowed in the winery,’ and she could not advance beyond picking grapes for tasting.  But she was not to be deterred, and continued to gain experience at vineyards around the world until taking the position of winemaker at her family’s Snowden vineyards.  Another woman in charge of plantings on both sides of the pond, Snowden divides her time between her family’s California winery and the winery she runs with her husband, Jeremy Seysses, in Burgundy, France, where she also raises her young son, Aubert.  She is currently working on a major replanting project at her hilly Napa Valley vineyard, which is only accessible by 4X4, to continue to improve viticulture on the land.

Wine: Snowden Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, 2009 – Napa Valley, California

Snowdon Seysses has a strong winemaking philosophy of exercising restraint, to let nature do what it will with the geography and climate of her vineyards, in order the let the site speak for itself through the wine.  And in the case of the Napa Valley Snowden Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, it is a voice that is full of volume.  This is an intensely powerful wine with flavors of dark fruit, tobacco, and licorice, a blend of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, with smaller shares of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.  The year, 2009, provided challenges in form of flooding October rains during harvest, but the work was well worth it.

Winemaker: Anne Le Naour

Anne Le Naour is a prolific young  woman in the wine business, who oversees production at five different properties in Bordeaux as technical director for Credit Agricole in the region.  We’ve heard stories stories of several innovative women working with family wineries, but Le Naour’s case may be even more rare, as she oversees a vast portfolio of vineyards owned by a financial institution, another traditionally male-dominated field.  Le Naour says these challenges often mean she needs to do more to prove herself than others in her highly competitive field, but loves her job, which she calls ‘the crossroads of science and culture.’  She trained in agronomy as an engineer, specializing in oenology, and then spent seven years at the renowned Bernard Magrez Connection, before rising to her current position in 2009.

Wine: Rayne Vigneau, Sauternes, 2003 – Bordeaux, France

The 2003 Rayne Vigneau, Sauternes, comes from a vineyard under Le Naour’s direction, on land that has been growing grapes for with since at least the 17^th century.  This wine begins with aromas of apples and dried pineapples, It’s an exciting and lively wine, with intense sweetness and texture, and an extraordinarily long finish, composed of lemon and richness.