Women Winemakers Changing the Industry

A History Hidden in Plain Sight

The narrative of wine history has traditionally centered on men — the patriarchs of Bordeaux chateaux, the monks of Burgundy, the master blenders of Champagne. But women have been central to winemaking for far longer than the industry acknowledges.

Madame Clicquot (Veuve Clicquot) invented riddling, the technique that makes modern Champagne production possible. Madame Lily Bollinger ran the Bollinger Champagne house through World War II and built it into one of the most respected names in wine. In the Middle Ages, the nuns of German convents maintained vineyards and cellar records that form the basis of our understanding of Riesling terroir.

Today, women lead some of the world's most respected estates and are driving innovation in viticulture, winemaking, and sustainability. This is not a trend — it is a correction of a long-standing imbalance.

Pioneers and Leaders

Lalou Bize-Leroy — Burgundy, France

Lalou Bize-Leroy is arguably the most influential figure in modern Burgundy. Co-manager of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti until 1992, she then founded Domaine Leroy, where she farms entirely biodynamically and produces some of the most profound and expensive Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the world.

Her approach is uncompromising: yields are sometimes as low as 15 hectoliters per hectare (a fraction of the regional average), and every vineyard decision is guided by biodynamic principles. The resulting wines are intensely concentrated, extraordinarily complex, and virtually impossible to acquire.

Bize-Leroy proved that biodynamic farming could produce wines of the highest quality, paving the way for the movement's acceptance across Burgundy and beyond.

Anne-Claude Leflaive — Burgundy, France

Anne-Claude Leflaive (1956–2015) transformed Domaine Leflaive into one of Burgundy's greatest white wine estates by converting the entire domain to biodynamic viticulture in the 1990s. At the time, many considered her decision eccentric or even reckless.

The results silenced skeptics. Domaine Leflaive's Puligny-Montrachet and Batard-Montrachet are now among the most sought-after white wines in the world, with a purity and precision that many attribute to the health of the biodynamically farmed vines. Her legacy continues under the management of Brice de La Morandiere.

Elisabetta Foradori — Trentino, Italy

Elisabetta Foradori took over her family's estate at age 20 after her father's death and has since transformed it into one of Italy's most admired wineries. She single-handedly revived the Teroldego grape — a native Trentino variety that was in danger of extinction — and demonstrated that it could produce wines of international quality.

Foradori farms biodynamically and has reintroduced ancient Georgian-style qvevri (clay amphora) fermentation to some of her wines, producing Teroldego of remarkable texture and individuality.

Helen Turley — California, USA

Helen Turley is one of the most influential winemakers in California's history. As a consulting winemaker in the 1990s and 2000s, she crafted wines for Marcassin, Colgin, Bryant Family, and Peter Michael that redefined expectations for California Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Her approach — low yields, natural fermentation, minimal intervention — was radical at the time. Robert Parker called her the most talented winemaker in California, and her influence shaped an entire generation of California winemaking.

Vanya Cullen — Margaret River, Australia

Vanya Cullen converted her family estate to biodynamic viticulture and carbon-negative operations, proving that sustainability and world-class quality are not just compatible but mutually reinforcing. Cullen's Chardonnay and Cabernet-Merlot blends are consistently ranked among Australia's finest wines.

She was among the first Australian winemakers to achieve carbon-negative status, offsetting more CO2 than the winery produces — a standard that the industry increasingly aspires to.

Arianna Occhipinti — Sicily, Italy

Arianna Occhipinti represents the next generation. Starting with just one hectare of vines in southeastern Sicily at age 22, she now farms 30 hectares organically and produces some of the most exciting natural wines in Italy.

Her Frappato and Nero d'Avola wines — fresh, vibrant, and full of character — have attracted a global following. Occhipinti has become a standard-bearer for the natural wine movement while maintaining a level of consistency and quality that many natural wine producers struggle to achieve.

Egly-Ouriet: A Family Partnership

While Francis Egly is the named winemaker, his daughter and the women in the Egly-Ouriet family have been integral to maintaining this estate as one of Champagne's most respected grower-producers. Their Champagnes, fermented in barrel and aged extensively on lees, represent a philosophy of winemaking where patience and family knowledge are paramount.

The Current Landscape

By the numbers

The wine industry has historically been male-dominated, particularly in cellar and vineyard management roles. Recent surveys suggest:

• Women make up approximately 10–15% of head winemakers globally, though this number is rising
• In wine education, women now represent over 50% of students in sommelier and wine business programs
• Women own or co-own an estimated 20% of wineries in the United States
• The Master of Wine program has seen increasing female representation, with women now accounting for roughly 40% of new MWs

Barriers that persist

• Physical assumptions: Winemaking involves heavy lifting, long hours during harvest, and cellar work in extreme temperatures. Some hiring managers still assume women are not suited to this work, despite abundant evidence to the contrary.
• Investment access: Women-owned wineries may face greater difficulty securing financing, particularly for new ventures.
• Visibility: Wine media and critics have historically focused on male winemakers, though this is changing rapidly.

What is changing

• Mentorship programs: Organizations like the Women of the Vine & Spirits Alliance connect women across the industry for mentorship, networking, and professional development
• Industry recognition: Awards programs and media coverage increasingly highlight women winemakers' contributions
• Consumer demand: Wine drinkers actively seek out women-led estates, creating market incentives for visibility
• Education: Wine programs at UC Davis, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), and other institutions have achieved gender parity or near-parity in enrollment

Emerging Voices

Andrea Mullineux — Swartland, South Africa

Andrea Leon Mullineux (originally from the USA) has become one of South Africa's most celebrated winemakers. Her Mullineux wines — Syrah, old-vine Chenin Blanc, and Straw Wine — have earned international acclaim and helped establish the Swartland as one of the world's most exciting wine regions.

Ganevat — Jura, France

While Jean-Francois Ganevat leads the domaine, his daughter Anne Ganevat is increasingly involved in one of the Jura's most celebrated estates, ensuring the continuation of a tradition that produces some of France's most singular wines.

Sarah Marquis — Switzerland

Sarah Marquis at Domaine de la Ville de Lausanne is crafting exceptional Chasselas and Pinot Noir in the Lavaux UNESCO heritage vineyards, demonstrating the extraordinary potential of Swiss wine to international audiences.

Why It Matters

Diversity in any field produces better outcomes. In winemaking, the increasing presence of women has coincided with:

• Greater emphasis on sustainability and environmental stewardship
• More diverse wine styles and less reliance on formulaic winemaking
• Better integration of viticulture and winemaking decisions
• More inclusive industry culture

This is not to suggest that these improvements are exclusively driven by women — many men in the industry share these values. But broadening the range of perspectives in any creative field enriches the field itself.

Supporting Women-Led Estates

The most meaningful support is straightforward: buy their wines, visit their tasting rooms, and share their stories. The women profiled here — and the many more working across every wine region — do not need special treatment. They need the same opportunity that their male colleagues have always had: to be judged by the quality of their wine.