Since today is International Women’s Day, I looked back to recall how many remarkable women winegrowers I have met and written about. I have never gone out looking for “women winegrowers”. I simply looked for the best among artisan winegrowers making terroir wine naturally, and an unusually large percentage are women.
Historically, grape growing and wine making have been predominantly male occupations, but these women are evidence of how that is changing particularly among artisans, who make wine with natural methods. One male producer said to me recently: “Making this kind of wine is feminine. It requires intuition.” I would add that it requires feminine qualities of courage, patience and the ability to create trusting relationships with the land, the plants, the grapes that arrive in the cellar and all the people, who help in the process….not to mention a good sense of humor and a lot of flexibility and resilience.
I raise my glass high to them for their pioneering work as outstanding artisan winegrowers and as women…and there are many more that I will be writing about. Cheers…Cin-Cin!
Elena Pantaleoni of La Stoppa in Emilia Romagna
Elisabetta Foradori of Foradori in Trentino-Alto Adige
Arianna Occhipinti of Occhipinti in Sicilia
Erika Ochsenreiter of Haderburg in Trentino-Alto Adige
Charlotte Horton of Castello Potentino in Toscana
Marinella Camerani of Corte Sant’Alda in Veneto
Elisabetta Fagiuoli of Montenidoli in Toscana
Isabella Pelizzati of Ar.Pe.Pe. in Lombardia
Giovanna Tiezzi of Pacina in Toscana
Serena Palazzolo of Ronco Del Gnemiz in Friuli Venezia Giulia
Silvana and Cora Forti of Le Due Terre in Friuli Venezia Giulia
Maria Grazia Parilla of Tenuta Del Conte in Calabria
Daniela De Gruttola of Cantina Giardino in Campania
Paola Conciliis of De Conciliis in Campania
March 8, 2016
