Celebrating women in the world of wine!
Women are bringing new approaches, introducing wines with unique characteristics, and supporting more sustainable farming practices. Here's the story.
Women love to drink wine. They are new(ish) to wine-making, the province of men for way too long.
In the beginning, over 7000 years ago, gods turned grapes into wine. Or so people thought. In reality, men picked grapes and would unknowingly leave some, uneaten, in the bottom of urns or satchels. The grapes got squished, they fermented in the heat, and turned into a crude wine. When men drank that fermented juice, they thanked the gods for the blessing of becoming happier and more convivial..
Wine also caused less stomach distress than the water — another reason it was a blessing from the gods.
Once Jesus turned that nasty water into wine, wine’s consecrated status was official.
God’s emissaries on earth (aka the priests, the monks, the friars) took over the wine making. They owned the farmland, made and distributed the wine. Even Popes had skin in the game. In the early 14thcentury, Pope Clement V owned the vineyard that is now Chateau Pape Clement, the oldest vineyard in Bordeaux.
Kings perpetuated the male domination of wine making. They also owned vineyards and the means of production. They gifted productive land or particularly good vintages to favored nobles, who continued the tradition of passing land to political friends as well as first born sons.
Adding insult to injury, women weren’t even allowed in wine cellars because of a superstition that women’s periods could make the wine go bad.
Even in the 1970s, “women were still not allowed to step foot inside the wine cellars because people thought that whilst women menstruated, they would ruin the wine and reduce its quality.”[1]
Some vineyards in Switzerland and Jura still refuse to let female grape pickers into wine cellars, according to Schepens.
Women are now stepping up and standing out.
Women started stepping into the world of wine about 20 years ago and are slowly and persistently making their mark.
Jacqueline Pirolo, a sommelier and owner at Macchialina, a Miami Beach restaurant, told me that this story:
“When I came to Miami seven years ago, I’d go to wine events and I’d be the only woman there. But in the past seven years, I’ve seen so many changes. Women are becoming growers, wine-makers, distributors and sommeliers.”
That’s why she launched “Women in Wine”, as a way to celebrate the growth of women in wine.
Many of the women who are making wine in Europe are the daughters, grand-daughters and great-grand-daughters of wine-makers. They are mostly “badasses”, according to according to Jacqueline, women who are smart, confident, speaking their minds and supporting a lot of new initiatives.
These women are producing wine that evokes a place and a time.
Many of these women are turning to indigenous grapes and historical wine making processes. Indigenous grapes require less intervention, are kinder to the environment, and give you the chance to literally drink a piece of history and the true terroir. These producers are not succumbing to the 19th and 20th century trend of replacing the original grapes with cabernet sauvignon, merlot, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, popular grapes that have become brands in their own right.
Here’s what Jacqueline had to say:
Feeling like you might want to try one of these wines from women? Here are four you might try:
These four wines are from women producers. The recommendations come from Jacqueline, who picked for Macchialina’s Wine Club. If you try one, let me know what you think:
Muskateller is an indigenous Austrian grape from sandy, loamy soils. The wine is light, dry (with a touch of that Austrian sweetness) and eminently drinkable. Heidi Schrock, the maker, is from the historic village of Rust, known for its charming town center surrounded by vineyards. Heidi took over her family’s vineyard in 1983 and has been re-introducing and supporting historic varietals ever since. It’s a great for those who love a light and slightly fruity wine. It’s perfect on a warm night!
This wine is a light, bone-dry, acidic, low alcohol and totally enjoyable riesling from Detzem, an old winemaking village in the Mosel region that specializes in riesling. The winery itself is located on the only hiking trail on the Roman Wine Route that connects four wine-growing communities. Two sisters, Daniela and Julia Alten, run this winery. Their goal is to work with nature, not impose on nature. This is another great drink for warm spring and summer meals.
The grape here is mencia, also known as the Spanish Pinot Noir. Like Pinot Noir, the wine is fresh and perfumed; it’s got that cherry thing going and is easy to drink. I loved the wine and went back to Macchialinato buy several more bottles after tasting it. The winery is owned by two Galician women whose mission is make fresh and elegant wines.
Gaglioppo is indigenous to Calabria, which is in the “toe” of Italy. It’s hot and sunny there. I was expecting a full-bodied wine but what I got was something that looked a bit oxigenated (ie., brown) and drank more like a lighter wine. To be frank, it was confusing and not the favorite of the four. I’ll never know if the color reflected the wine (meaning this is the wine that was intended) or the particular bottle (meaning the bottle was spoiled). Regardless, I tip my hat to the Parilla family, a four-generation wine family. Since 2010, they have grown grapes organically in order to preserve the environment and the terroir of this grape. I’d like to give this wine another chance.
[1]Florent Schepens, a sociologist specializing in wine.
If you are interested in these wines, contact:
Jacqueline Pirolo
Macchialina
820 Alton Road"
Miami Beach FL 33139
305-534-2124
Thank you Anne . This was so interesting and inspiring me to move further along in my search for a career in the wine industry .
Anne, we met a woman vineyard owner in Provence. She is a cousin of a friend of ours. We had lunch and lots of wine there. Chateau de Saint-Martin. Rose was fabulous. I did not know that women were in the minority in wine making. Good reporting.