Not that we've conducted serious analytical research on the topic, but lately as we've perused our aisles, we've noticed that our shelves have been graced with quite the plethora of impressive bottlings from talented women winemakers. Now we won't enter into the debate over whether women really do have superior taste-buds and olefactory sensors (although there is some evidence to support the theory of "female supertasters"), and we won't get into the glass-ceiling politics behind women on this career path as opposed to that.But we will say that more than a fair share of our own favorite wines are being produced by winemakers with two X chromosomes, and we think these ladies may be on to something. So in celebration of women and all their super-tasting ingenuity, we've selected a roster of wines made exclusively by women this month, from all regions and all walks of life. From pioneers in Cigale, Spain to an Argentine mother and a few California trailblazers, these are the women at the forefront of the wine industry today: scientists, artists, cultivators and culinary masterminds wrapped into one.
We couldn't think of a better month for this lineup than the one in which we honor our mothers, so be sure to share a glass with your mother or your lady, and tell her what great taste she has. Cause you know she does. And because she does, she's gonna love these...
If you're familiar with Merry Edwards and her notoriously short-supplied wines, I'll give you a minute to finish jumping up and down. If you're not, begin jumping now. I'll give you a minute.
Though we covered the whole "green thing" last month, it would be difficult to talk about Spottswoode winery and the ladies who run it without talking about their nature-loving ways. If there's one humble phrase you hear a lot when speaking with the Novak women of Spottswoode, it's "stewards of the land." This family counts themselves truly lucky to take care of this special piece of property, if only for a few generations, and as such they see it as their duty to take good care of their little corner of the earth. They've been farming their vineyards organically since 1985, earning their California Certified Organic Farmers certification in 1990.
If you think Karen Culler's good with Syrah (and she is), then wait until you try her Cabernet. The fruit is sourced from Ladera's two estate vineyards, the Lone Canyon Vineyard in the western foothills of the Mount Veeder, and one in the higher elevations of Howell Mountain, where Ladera's winery is located. The former vineyard receives sun-drenched days (being closer to the valley floor) and a shorter, more dynamic ripening season, while the latter, situated above the fog line, benefits from cooler (but still sunny) days and warmer nights, allowing for longer hang-time.
Though there's certainly no shortage of women winemakers, particularly in California, we decided to go out on a limb and highlight two different wines from the same winemaker for this month's Cellar Club. While many winemakers have their "go-to varietal", the one they make really well, and then perhaps dabble in another grape or two, Karen Culler does an absolutely phenomenal job with both Syrah (produced under her own Culler label) and the Cabernets that she produces for Ladera.
This find is the collaboration of not one but two visionary women in wine. Winemaker Ana Martin paid her dues learning to make great wines in the Ribera del Duero and her home appellation of Txakoli de Bizkaia during the 1980's -90's. But in 1998, while interning at a local cooperative, Ana met Maria Pinacho, whose family owns a vineyard in the Cigales appellation, just west of the Ribera del Duero.
While so many wineries have jumped on the organic bandwagon in recent years, the family-owned Lolonis vineyards have been certified organically grown in the Redwood Valley for many years. Organic farming practices began for the Lolonis family in the 1950's, when they decided to use ladybugs, beneficial predators of pests that eat grape vines and leaves, instead of spraying pesticides in the vineyards..
The great thing about selecting the very smallest and most special lots of wine for a premium bottling is that there's a lot of great juice left over when they're done. Knowing that she had lots of great grapes left over after crafting and nurturing her more expensive Susana Balbo wines, Susana Balbo had the idea to create a second bottling under the Crios label. "Each harvest," Balbo explains on her label, "I try to create the grandest possible Susana Balbo wines. To achieve this, I make a rigorous selection of the finest barrels prior to making the final blends, dividing them into the parents (Signature wines) and offspring or Crios. Wines under my Crios label display ripe and vibrant fruit flavors, excellent balance, and are meant to be enjoyed in their vibrant youth.
