Like most industries, the wine industry has traditionally been male-dominated since its inception. However, over the years many visionary women have been responsible for shaping the industry, others have left a profound mark and so many others undertake that same path every single day. We need to celebrate these badass women in wine; women of yesterday and today, whose lives don’t cease to amaze and inspire us!

3 Badass Women Killing it on 3 Different Continents

EUROPE

Louise Pommery

The story of Madame Pommery is truly one of extraordinary grit and perseverance! She was born in 1819 in a small town in northern France, specifically in the region of Champagne. At just 39 years old and with two children, one 18 months old and the other of 17 years old, she devastatingly became a widow. In a world dominated by men, she found herself alone, with a family and a winery to support that she had inherited from her husband. The winery was in complete disarray, many people would simply give up when faced with a problem this dire.  But her response was to put up her sleeves and immediately get to work! 

She decided to keep the winery and to focus on producing exclusive Champagne of the best quality.  Madame Pommery was truly a visionary woman with a sharp eye for business. She studied in England in her youth and was very well accustomed to the lifestyle of the British, she knew that they liked Champagne but also that they regularly made comments about it being too sweet (in those years Champagne was produced in a luscious sweet style).  For the first time in the history of the region, against all expectations and all odds, she decided to produce the first “Brut” (dry) Champagne in 1874. This decision not only turned out to be a success for Louise and transform Champagne Pommery into one of the most successful wine houses of the region, but it also revolutionized and changed the world of Champagne forever.

In 1870 the Franco-Prussian war broke out and Reims, the city where Louise lived, was occupied. The German army appointed a governor for the region, who decided to settle in Louise’s residence. These were extremely difficult times for the region, but with her charisma and elegance, she managed to establish a cordial relationship with the governor and had a positive influence protecting her city and even saving many lives.

Louise was a hard-working, generous, and fair woman. She opened hospitals, orphanages and was the first businesswoman to offer her employees health and retirement benefits.  Madame Pommery lived to be 71, passing away in 1890. She was the first French woman to receive a state funeral, attended by more than 20,000 people, crowding the small town of Reims. Upon her death, the President of France changed the name of her hometown, Chigny, to Chigny-les-Roses, in honor of her favorite flower. Madame Pommery was truly iconic!

AMERICA

Laura Catena

Laura Catena is the fourth generation of winegrowers from one of Argentina’s most important wine families. The Catena family has been producing wine since 1902 in Mendoza, Argentina, leaving a lot for her to live up to.  Laura Catena originally did not follow in the footsteps of her family. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and subsequently obtained a medical degree from Stanford University in California, where she began practicing as a physician.

During a trip with her father (renowned winemaker Nicolás Catena Zapata) to an international wine fair, she observed that while the display table for Argentine wines was empty, the tables for French, Italian, and other European wine countries were full. This prompted her to take a decisive step in her life. In 1995, she decided to join her father in the family business with the sole purpose of promoting the excellence of Argentine wines.

That same year, she founded the Catena Institute of Wine with a clear vision of producing wines capable of competing with the world’s best. Laura also became the Managing Director of the Catena Zapata winery and founded her project, Luca Winery. For years, Laura divided her time between Mendoza, Argentina, and California, where she was a Physician at the San Francisco Medical Center.As if that weren’t enough, in 2010 she published her first book: Vino Argentino, An Insider’s Guide to the Wines and Wine Country of Argentina. And in 2020 she published her second book: Gold in the Vineyards.  Laura Catena is recognized worldwide as the “face” or ambassador of Argentine wine. Considering the rise of Argentine wines around the world, this is a tremendous compliment.  I profoundly admire this woman; her passion for her country’s terroir and culture inspired her to push boundaries and make a name for Argentine wine in the global market.

AFRICA

Ntsiki Biyela

Ntsiki Biyela was born in a rural town in South Africa in 1978. She was raised by her grandmother in a low-income neighborhood and started working at a very young age, performing a variety of different jobs to earn what she could (this included being a domestic worker). She was well aware of the fact that her only chance for a better life would come with an education. For this reason, she signed up for as many scholarships as she could find, without even paying attention to what studies the scholarship was for. This is how in 1998, without ever having tasted wine, she was accepted as an enology student at Stellenbosch University. One of the details most surprising about her schooling is that the University taught classes in the local language, Afrikaans, which she did not speak or understand! This however was not an obstacle for her to continue advancing. Ntsiki managed the language barrier to study enology and in 2003 graduated from Stellenbosch University. Upon graduating, she was hired as a winemaker for Stellekaya Wines, making her the first black winemaker in South Africa. Just six years later in 2009, Ntsiki Biyela was named South African Winemaker of the Year. In 2016 she left her job at Stellekaya Wines to open her own winery under the name Aslina, named after her late grandmother. What an example of perseverance!

Since you made it here…

Interesting Wines to try

2019 Bouchaine Hyde Vineyard Merlot Carneros – Napa Valley

• The legendary Hyde Vineyard unveils a brilliantly structured Merlot
• Ripe tannins dominate, yet irresistibly approachable in its early evolution
• Sarsaparilla, cola spice, and cigar humidor dance with black licorice
• Layers of plum sauce, blackberries, cassis, and black raspberries unfold
• Scrubby herbs emerge with perky acidity, keeping the experience lively
• Immerse yourself in the world of wine with Hyde Vineyard’s masterpiece
• Elevate your tasting experience with this captivating Merlot

2019 Chappellet Merlot Napa Valley

• Inky richness, bursting with toasty cacao, espresso, and grilled vanilla
• Silky mouthfeel framed by sweet, integrating tannins
• Spiced plums, cassis, and bright acidity lingering through a blueberry-kissed finish

2019 Cuvaison Arcilla Merlot Los Carneros – Napa Valley

• Pure evocation of strawberries with evolving tea-like tannins
• Flavors of blackberry, black raspberry, and smashed blueberry
• Notably savory with hints of carob, mineral, black licorice, and plum sauce layers

2019 Duckhorn Three Palms Vineyard Merlot Napa Valley

• A beautiful expression with sweet tannins and well-integrated oak spicing
• Hoisin sauce, cassis, violets, and candied orange peels
• Sandalwood, floral peppercorns, espresso beans, warm vanilla, and loam

2019 L’Ecole No. 41 Merlot Walla Walla Valley, Washington

• Estate-grown brilliance structured for mid-term aging
• Ripe red berry fruit and cherries finding counterpoints in dusty tannins and carob
• Minerality pulsing through each sip, delivering a brilliant wine experience

2019 La Jota Vineyard Co. Howell Mountain Estate Merlot Napa Valley

• A classic effort from winemaker Chris Carpenter with astounding mountain-grown grapes
• Age-worthy tannins allowing notes of licorice, granite, cacao nibs, and well-steeped tea to shine
• Cardamom and violets lingering through the long, elegant finish

2020 Macari Vineyards Merlot North Fork of Long Island

• A spicy and fascinating expression, dominated by crushed peppercorns
• Remarkably translucent, revealing red cherries, raspberries, and toasted fennel seeds with oak spice

2018 Meeker Winemakers’ Handprint Collection Merlot Sonoma County

• Lifted and well-delineated, expressive of black raspberries, ripe cherries, and goji berries
• Loamy earthiness, sarsaparilla-dusted tannins, and a bay-leaf note creating an intriguing wine experience
• Elegant yet powerful, structured for cellaring or enjoying now with grilled meat

2019 Mt. Brave Merlot Mt. Veeder, Napa Valley

• Toasty, rich, and brooding, a wine rewarding patience
• Notes of blackberry liqueur, kirsch, cassis, purple plums, and cardamom promising complexity
• Impressive balance and structure with graphite-like tannins and singed laurel nuances

2019 Northstar Premier Merlot Columbia Valley, Washington

• Velvety texture, ripe with a counterbalancing punch of acidity
• Crushed blackberries and mulberries, vanilla, clove, and toasty oak through the finish
• A stellar example of what the wine variety does best in the Columbia Valley

2019 PlumpJack Estate Winery Merlot Napa Valley

• A toasty, modern, crowd-pleasing beauty with rich, chocolatey notes
• Plums, blackberries, and cassis lifted by candied violets
• Aging potential of five to seven years, but delightful fruitiness makes it enjoyable now

2019 Ridge Vineyards Estate Merlot Santa Cruz Mountains

• Shining with the character of the venerable Monte Bello Vineyard
• Cedar, incense, brambly berries, elegant balance, and beautifully calibrated acidity
• Promising another ten to fifteen years of life ahead

2019 Rutherford Hill Winery Merlot Napa Valley

• Silky and herbaceous, less fruit-forward than typical Napa Merlot
• Layers of black and red raspberries, cherries, and chocolate with lively mineral finish
• A solid value delivering a unique wine experience for less than $30

2019 Seavey Merlot Napa Valley

• Estate-grown Merlot marked by toasty oak, cafe mocha notes, and woodsy spices
• Silky tannins, density, and underlying pulse of minerality providing real energy
• A captivating wine experience with impressive aging potential

2020 Seven Hills Winery Seven Hills Founding Vineyard Walla Walla Valley, Washington

• Fruit-forward Merlot from a vineyard planted in the early-1980s
• Underlying bergamot note with nuances of sage, oregano, and cracked peppercorns
• Sweet tannins lingering through flavors of red and purple plums and huckleberries

2018 St. Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery Rutherford Estate Vineyards Merlot Napa Valley

• Rich, chocolatey aromas of hoisin sauce and spiced blackberry liqueur
• Balanced acidity with minerality, hint of dried herbs, and fantastic kirsch finish

2019 Vérité La Muse

• One of the most intriguing and appealing new-release Merlots
• A balance of perfume and depth with red currants, raspberries, cherries, plums, graphite, and hints of tobacco and sandalwood

Find out more about our experiences.

You may also want to check out our gallery for past events.