Women Winemakers

Women have played an integral part in the evolving history of winemaking for centuries. Madame Clicquot took over her husband's Champagne house upon his untimely death. Her passion and risk-taking brought Champagne onto the international stage. Lalou Leroy defied conventional wisdom in refusing to use pesticides and chemicals. She stood her ground in 1993 despite mildew ravaging her vineyards, but she became the most lauded winemaker in the region. From Helen Turley to Cathy Corison, there are incredible stories of women who brought vision, confronted the standards, and rose to become pivotal leaders in winemaking. We are delighted to offer some of the wines from many of the women who are bringing new vision and helping modern winemaking evolve.

Filipa Pato branched off from her father's winery to explore her own work on sustainable winemaking. Luis Pato had already created a name for himself, and she had her own ideas. Her philosophy is 'authentic wines without makeup', and her efforts have shown a bright light on the region of Bairrada, Portugal. Her work includes finding ways to reduce the need for any additives, including making a sunscreen out of aloe for her grapes. She focuses on the native grapes of Baga and Bical. Pure flavors and wonderful balance.

Ariana Occhipinti has been passionate about wine since her winemaker uncle took her to a trade fair when she was sixteen. After studying viticulture and enology in Milan, she returned to her native Sicily to make wine on one hectare of vineyards, releasing her first vintage at age 22. She was a pioneer of biodynamic agriculture and minimal-intervention winemaking on Sicily and is now one of the largest biodynamic producers in the world (and one of the most acclaimed).

Rosalina Molina and her husband, Manolo Garrote, had a vision to revitalize winemaking in their native La Mancha. Starting small in the late 1990s, they have built an estate of 60 hectares. From the beginning, they have been committed to organic agriculture and traditional winemaking methods. Together, they share the labor of managing the estate, with Manolo in charge of the vines, and Rosalina running the cellar.

And there are more...Diletta Tonello of Cantina Tonello, Christine Netzl of Weingut Netzl, and María Rivero González of RGMX are just a few of the amazing women who have charted their own paths. Join us on Wednesday, March 12 from 4pm to 7pm to taste their wines and celebrate their contributions to the industry!

Tickets for our regular Wednesday tastings are $15, and the wines in the lineup are all 10% off during the tasting.