I was chatting recently with Sheila Nicholas, the winemaker at Anam Cara Cellars, about whether, in 2016, “women in wine” is still a topic worth discussing. This far along in our evolution, is it still news that women are at the center of the wine business? The answer is yes. Sheila told me about the many times people come to Anam Cara’s tasting room and ask to meet the winemaker, only to be stunned when she appears. So, on International Women’s Day, I offer you this, my thoughts on the most important women in wine.
The Champagne Widows
Cheers to Champagne houses Veuve Clicqout and Veuve Pommery. (Did you know “veuve” means “widow” in French?) Upon their spouses’ deaths in the 1800s, both Madame Clicqout and Madame Pommery took over their husbands’ Champagne houses–and made them even more successful. If that weren’t enough, both pioneered significant innovations. In 1810, Madame Clicqout invented the process of “riddling,” which allows for the consolidation and removal of sediment while fermenting Champagne. Riddling is still used today by some of the finest Champagne houses in the world–including of course, Veuve Clicquot. Not to be outdone, in 1874 Madame Pommery created the world’s first Brut, or dry Champagne. As an aficionado of Brut Champagnes, my glass is raised to you, Madame.
The Firsts
California’s Northern California wine region was a boy’s club back in the 1970s (and one could argue that the famous Napa Valley still is since only 10 percent of its winemakers are female, but I digress). Some 40 years ago, three women began to change that. In 1973, MaryAnn Graf, the first female enology graduate from the prestigious program at the University of California, Davis, became the first female head winemaker at a major California winery, Simi. Next there was Milla Handley, another UC Davis grad (class of 1975) who became the first female winemaker to own her own winery. She opened Handley Cellars in 1982 and her daughter is running it today. And finally, here’s a shout out to Merry Edwards, another California winemaker who helped pioneer the use of grape cloning. By the way, she was the second female winemaker in the region to own her own winery, Merry Edwards Winery.
The Writers
The world would lack much in understanding wine if it weren’t for two writers who happen to be women. Jancis Robinson, from Great Britain, started writing about wine in the mid-1970s and also became a Master of Wine. In the 1990s, she authored The Oxford Companion to Wine 
, which many consider the most comprehensive wine encyclopedia in the world. She coauthored one of my personal favorites, The World Atlas of Wine
.
On this side of the pond, we have Karen MacNeil, the illustrious author of The Wine Bible
, the best- selling wine book in the United States ever. As if that weren’t enough, she has won many major wine awards. With a résumé like that, her style must be intimidating, right? Wrong. She’s a very approachable writer and so of course I am a big fan of The Wine Bible.
The Scientist
Dr. Carole Meredith is a grape geneticist who taught in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the UC Davis for 22 years. During her time there, she pioneered the use of DNA typing of Vitis Vinifera, the major grape species used in commercial winemaking. That gave us the lineage of key grapes, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chardonnay, which is critical information when it comes to cloning and growing grapes. Thank you, Dr. Meredith!
The Rainmaker
This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Heidi Barrett, the California winemaker whose Cabernet Sauvignons have received multiple perfect 100-point scores from arguably the most influential of wine critics, Robert Parker. He called her “the first lady of wine” (why not “the President,“ I ask you?) As if that weren’t enough, in 1992, Barrett started making wine for Screaming Eagle, whose wine set a world record for the highest price ever paid for a single bottle of wine. At the 2000 Napa Valley Wine Auction, that single bottle sold for $500,000. Wow.
Honorable Mentions
In no particular order, here are a few other women in wine who deserve a toast.
The Lucky Sperm Club: Though born into winemaking families, there are a number of women who have made names for themselves including:
– Veronique Boss-Drouhin: A member of the fourth generation of the fabled Drouhin family of France, Madame Boss-Drouhin is the winemaker at both Maison Joseph Drouhin in Burgundy and Domaine Drouhin in Oregon. Both produce highly lauded Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.
– Gina Gallo: The granddaughter of pioneering California winemaker Julio Gallo is the head winemaker at E&J Gallo, the second largest producer of wine in the US.
Have a Heart My favorite wine-related philanthropy is ¡Salud!, was cofounded in 1991 by the matriarch of Oregon’s Ponzi wine clan, Nancy Ponzi. She helped create an organization that provides healthcare for seasonal vineyard workers and their families. There is nothing else like it in the US agricultural industry, which makes you feel great as you are swilling wine and donating money at their annual fundraising gala.
The Other Champagne Widow Lilly Bollinger took over her husband’s Champagne house in the 1800s. While she didn’t create any radical innovations, she was highly quotable and left us with this famous nugget: “I drink it when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it—unless I’m thirsty.”
And with that, I raise a glass to toast all my sisters in the wine industry. Cheers and happy International Women’s Day!