The Women in Wine Issue
Dearest subscribers,
In honor of Women’s History Month I have prepared this special edition of SWP to celebrate some remarkable women in wine. From winemakers, winery owner-operators, oenologists, sommeliers, authors and entrepreneurs.
While this list is by no means exhaustive, even if it was, it would still be too short. Like almost every other industry, the world of winemaking, wine merchantry, wine writing and the sommelier profession has long been male-dominated. Women, especially women of colour remain underrepresented in the industry, particularly in senior positions.
What follows is a list, in no particular order, of women in wine that personally inspire me as I forge ahead in my own career in wine, an industry I love and hope to remain a part of as we do the work to create a more diverse and inclusive future.
Robin and Andréa McBride, Co-Founders, McBride Sisters Wines
Photo courtesy of McBride Sisters
The McBride Sisters founded and co-own the largest Black-owned wine company in the United States.
What’s more, their shared values of inclusivity, sustainability, and women’s empowerment show up in everything they do. From their Black Girl Magic collection of wines, described as their “…personal ode to their culture and story… inspired by the magic and resilience of Black women...”, to the She Can collection, a series of premium canned wines and wine spritzes developed in tandem with the “SHE CAN Fund” established in 2019 as a scholarship fund for women perusing careers in the wine industry.
If I worked as a product manager in New Word wines for the LCBO, I’d be in hot pursuit of listings of McBride Sisters wines. With no inside knowledge, all I can say is that it still baffles me how few black-owned wines are available at the LCBO.
Dr. Laura Catena, Catena Wines
Image courtesy of Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Dr. Laura Catena, is a Harvard and Stanford educated MD, fourth-generation winemaker at Catena Zapata, wine writer, and founding board member of the Catena Institute of Wine, established to promote and advance the study of Malbec around the world.
The LCBO carries several listings of Catena wines:
Jancis Robinson, Wine Critic & Author
Image courtesy of Financial Times
Jancis Robinson literally wrote the encyclopedia of wine. Not once, but four times! The Oxford Companion to Wine is considered the single greatest reference book in wine. I myself reference it for nearly every issue of SWP that I write.
The latest edition is comprised of 4,000 alphabetically-listed entries from abboccato, Italian for medium sweet (less sweet than amabile) or, literally, ‘palatable’ from bocca or ‘mouth’. to zymase, group of enzymes which encourage the conversion of glucose and fructose into ethyl alcohol during fermentation.
She’s brilliant, beloved, and legendary, and she’s quick to admit she’s still a student of wine despite her more than 40 years of experience as a wine writer and critic. She is also quick to praise her assistant editor, Julia Harding, and the hundreds of contributors to The Oxford.
The Oxford Companion to Wine would make an excellent gift for a wine enthusiast.
Tahiirah Habibi, Sommelier & Founder, The Hue Society & The Roots Fund
Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee, courtesy Wine & Spirits Magazine
Tahiirah Habibi is a US-based sommelier. She’s also the founder of The Hue Society, an organization created to develop and foster a wine community focused on celebrating and highlighting Black wine culture, and co-founder of The Roots Fund, a not-for-profit that provides scholarships, internships, and job opportunities to the BIPOC community in the wine industry.
Tahiirah was the first Black woman to appear on the cover of Wine Enthusiast Magazine, where she also appeared in last year’s 40 under 40 list.
She’s a sterling example of how true leaders lift others up.
I encourage you to follow her on Instagram @sippingsocialite
Renée Ary, Duckhorn Winery
Image courtesy of Duckhorn.com
Renée is the fourth and current winemaker at Duckhorn Winery in St. Helena, Napa Valley. With a degree in chemistry and art from Saint Mary’s College in California, it’s not surprising that her love for wine stems from its convergence of science and art. Her first job in wine was working in the lab at Robert Mondavi, she later went on to study winemaking at the prestigious UC Davis and Napa Valley College.
Her continuous study is inspiring, as is the story of how she worked her way up from lab manager to oenologist to assistant winemaker to associate winemaker to finally land the lead role.
These wines are currently available at the LCBO:
Susanna Balbo, Susana Balbo Wines
Image courtesy of Harvard Business School
I’ve featured both Susana’s Torrontés and Malbec in prior issues of SWP. I will forever have a fondness for her Torrontés as it was one of the first wines I was able to call blind during a pivotal wine tasting exam early in my career as a student of wine.
Susana was Argentina’s first female oenologist, (oenology is the science and study of wine and winemaking.), she is a three-time, past-president of Wines of Argentina, and in 2018 she was named one of the 10 most influential women in wine by The Drinks Business. (A highly regarded trade publication.)
Her wines are serious and yet quaffable, accessibly-priced and expertly made. I love the Torrontés on hot summer afternoons and I keep the Malbec on-hand regularly. All three of these wine are currently available at the LCBO:
Jordan Salcito, Sommelier & Founder, Ramona
Photo by Alec Kugler courtesy of coveteur.com
Jordan Salcito is my idol of idols. Founder of Ramona, and NYC-based sommelier, she developed the first-ever certified organic wine spritz, proving you don’t have to trade quality for the convenient portability of her highly- glamorous Italian wine spritz in a can!
She’s also a loud voice in support of other women in wine, politics and business,. An early supporter of Vice President Kamala Harris, and The Roots Fund, and what’s more, she celebrates women every day through the Ramona IG account. It’s really fun, I suggest you check it out, @drinkramona
Ramona is available for purchase in Ontario through Brix + Mortar Wine Co.
Elena Adell, Irene Pérez, Elena Suárez, Winemakers, Campo Viejo
Image courtesy of Decanter.com
Pictured from left, Elena Suárez, junior winemaker, Elena Adell, chief winemaker, and Irene Pérez, senior winemaker, of Campo Viejo.
Each native to Spain, Elena Adell the grandaughter of a grape grower brings decades of her own experience in the wine industry, Irene grew up in La Rioja where she developed an early passion for wine and Elena Suárez, the junior member of the team earned her degree in Oenology at the University of La Rioja.
Uniquely qualified to understand the terroir and Spanish wine culture, this all-female wine-making team are responsible for producing one of Spain’s most recognizable wine brands.
Campo Viejo Rioja and Tempranillo are delicious, affordable table wines and these favourites are always available at the LCBO:
Victoria James, Sommelier, Author, & Partner, Cote NYC & Miami
Image courtesy of nataliemaclean.com
Victoria James who at 21 became the youngest sommelier of a Michelin-starred restaurant is the author of Wine Girl: The Obstacles, Humiliations, and Triumphs of America’s Youngest Sommelier. She is also a partner at Cote, with locations in NYC and Miami.
In her book she speaks plainly about the grotesque male figures who dotted her path to success; the customer who raped her, the managers and wine-school instructors who used their position to intimidate and silence her in the face of sexual violence and harassment. Simultaneously she tells the story of the man who taught her the spirit of hospitality, her love for wine - the lands from which they come, the people who make them. In the end, it’s an inspiring, if sometimes wrenching story of a woman in wine determined to make her own way.
Recently, she, along with 21 other women came forward with claims of sexual harassment against the prestigious Court of Master Sommeliers. The New York Times broke the story. Subsequently, several of the board members were removed, including Fred Dame, Drew Hendricks, Robert Bath, Matt Stamp, and Matthew Citriglia. Geoff Kruth who had already resigned was the central figure in the investigation and was “…accused of everything from inviting women to taste wine in his hotel room and opening the door naked to asking Master Sommelier candidates what their favorite oral sex positions were in a Facebook post.”
Victoria is owed high praise for coming forward with her story, for shining a light on the seedy underbelly of the industry, and for calling out some of its most egregious perpetrators. As many women know, when you’re working to build a career in any industry, that’s not an easy thing to do.
Ontario-Based Female Winery Owner-Operators & Winemakers
Celebrate Women’s History Month and support the local wine industry with a glass of wine from one of these female winemakers or winery owner-operators.
From top left: Mackenzie Brisbois, Winemaker & Vineyard Manager, Trail Estate Winery, Maggie & Caroline Granger, Winemakers & Owners, The Grange of Prince Edward, Lydia Tomek, Head Winemaker at Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery, Emma Garner, Winemaker, Thirty Bench, Ann Sperling, Director of Winemaking and Viticulture at Southbrook, She also owns and operates Sperling Vineyards in Kelowna, BC, Louise Engle, Co-Founder, Featherstone Estate Winery, Sherry Karlo, Co-Founder, Karlo Estates, Catherine Langlois, Founder, Sandbanks.
Like what you read here? Have a comment or queston? I’m at your service! Post in the comments box below or send me an email @ ashley@sommwinepicks.ca
