7 Woman-Made Wines to Try Right Now
Supporting women in the wine industry is important to me because: a) I am a woman in wine and love to support my fellow badass ladies; and b) we’ve been underrepresented in the industry for so long and it’s time to change that.
According to a study done by Santa Clara University in 2020, of the almost 5,000 wineries in California, about 14% of them reported having a woman as their lead winemaker. This is just a snapshot of the industry, but with California as the fourth largest producer of wine in the world, this stat is pretty eye-opening.
Women are great at making wine and you can support equality in the industry just by enjoying their wines...easy enough, right? Also, March just happens to be Women’s History Month, so there’s no time like the present to branch out and try some new wines from these female winemakers.
Here are some of my favorite wines from female-owned wine brands that you should seek out.
7 Woman-Made Wines to Try Right Now
This list could go on forever, but I’ve narrowed it down to just a few for now. These wines have stuck out to me over the past several months, and I just had to share them with you.
You’ll notice almost half of this list is composed of Pinot Noir…which happens to be one of the most difficult grapes to make into wine. It’s temperamental, picky about vineyard conditions, and can be hard to work with in the cellar. I think that alone just speaks further to how talented these winemakers are.
Here are some of my favorite woman-made wines, plus why they’re special and what to pair them with.
By the way, one of my favorite wine tasting themes is “Women in Wine”. Book a virtual or in-person wine tasting with me for your next bachelorette party or girls’ night, so we can raise a toast to the ladies.
Sutro Wine
warnecke ranch
Sauvignon Blanc
alexander valley
Sonoma county, ca
Winemaker: Alice Sutro
Alice Sutro is an artist, writer, and winemaker based in Sonoma County. Her philosophy of minimal intervention winemaking expresses itself through terroir-driven, one-of-a-kind varietal wines.
This wine is unlike any other California Sauvignon Blanc. It’s mineral-driven, with refreshing acidity and bright pops of fruit like unripe honeydew, kiwi, and lemon. I love that this wine is balanced and not a fruit-bomb like many other California Sauvy B’s. It’s more Old World in style, in my opinion.
You can obviously enjoy this bottle alone, but I like to pair this wine with goat cheese, sushi, or citrus-forward salads.
Ser winery
Rosé of Grenache
MONTEREY, CA
Winemaker: Nicole Walsh
Owned and operated by Nicole Walsh, Ser Winery is a Santa Cruz gem. Nicole specializes in Old World style wines produced with minimal intervention.
Inspired by the ocean, Nicole moved to California in pursuit of making wines with grapes sourced from coastal vineyards. She works with vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Cienega Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands, and Edna Valley.
This Rosé of Grenache is one of my favorite rosé wines of all time. It’s luscious and smooth, with intense strawberry, cherry, and watermelon flavors. Enjoy a bottle on its own or pair it with spicy Thai food.
Note: This bottle is sold out at the moment, but you can still try this wine in the form of Maker Wine cans, A.K.A. the best canned wine on the market. I’ve tried the rosé from the bottle side-by-side with the rosé from the can, and they taste exactly the same. Maker Wine is also a female-owned wine brand.
Use code LEXI at checkout for 15% off!
Kelley Fox Wines
mirabai Pinot Noir
Dundee Hills, Oregon
Winemaker: Kelley Fox
Kelley Fox started her small Willamette Valley winery in 2007, producing just 100 cases of wine. She produces wines in a minimal intervention style using grapes from biodynamic vineyards. Kelley works entirely hands-on throughout the winemaking process, and this careful approach is expressed in her thoughtful wines.
What a stunning wine this is, inside and out. It’s got everything you’re looking for in an Oregon Pinot - red fruits, balanced acidity, spices, and earth.
If you put a light chill on this, it’s the perfect wine for a warm summer evening. You can also pair this with grilled veggies, chicken, or salmon.
Anaba wines
Las Brisas vineyard
Pinot Noir
carneros, ca
Winemaker: Katy Wilson
Located in the Carneros region of Sonoma, Anaba produces some of my favorite Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of the area. Their talented female winemaker, Katy Wilson, is able to portray the unique climate of Sonoma so beautifully.
I fell in love with this wine at Anaba’s tasting room, paired alongside their woodfired mushroom pizza and sweeping views of Sonoma County. This Pinot is in perfect harmony with red and black fruits, sweet spices, herbs, and an elegant structure. I highly recommend pairing this with any mushroom dish.
Blagden Wines
sangiacomo roberts road
pinot noir
Sonoma coast, ca
Winemaker: Catherine Blagden
Catherine describes her wines as having both grace and power, which I wholeheartedly agree with. This wine has a perfumed nose of violets, black fruits, spice, and earth, and the palate is flavorful, yet delicate at the same time.
This Pinot Noir has bright acidity that allows it to stand up to food - try pairing a glass with herbaceous dishes like roast chicken or herby goat cheese. I paired this bottle with takeout Chinese food, and honestly, it worked.
Catherine holds back her wines to allow them to age, which they do exquisitely. I recently tried a 2012 expression of this Pinot and it was truly one of the best I’ve had.
Warr-King wines
Mouton Noir
Royal slope, washington
Winemaker: Lisa Warr-King Packer
Lisa Warr-King Packer founded her boutique winery in Woodinville, Washington, in 2013. Her minimalist approach to winemaking allows the wines to express the truly unique terroir of Washington State.
Lisa’s wines are bold and intense, with just the right amount of fruit and spice. I’d recommend any of her reds as your new Netflix wine, but the Mouton Noir (or “Black Sheep”) is the one that stood out to me, as the name suggests.
This 50/50 blend of Syrah and Petit Verdot from Columbia Valley is chocolatey and rich, without being too much. The black cherry cola and spiced plums on the palate would pair perfectly with your next binge watch, or some smokey cheeses.
Gonzales Wine company
cecchini family vineyard Malbec
contra costa county, ca
Winemaker: Cristina Gonzales
After her travels through South America, Cristina Gonzales was inspired to create accessible, high-quality wines in an Old World style.
Cristina takes a natural approach to winemaking, using native yeasts and minimal sulfur; and she sources fruit from organic, sustainable vineyards in California and Oregon.
This is not your average Malbec. With only 11% alcohol, it’s balanced and elegant, with the perfect amount of fruit and earth. Its high acidity makes it the perfect food-pairing wine - try a glass with grilled seafood, hard cheeses, or BBQ.
That’s my list for now. I hope you grab a few bottles and feel good knowing that you’re supporting women in wine. Let me know in the comments if you discover any tasty food and wine pairings!
P.S. Did you know that my virtual and in-person wine tastings are completely customizable? If you want to learn how to wine taste while supporting women in wine, book a wine tasting with me or check out our upcoming virtual and in-person events here.
If you enjoyed this blog post, you might also want to read about this delicious linguine with clams + rosé pairing.
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