13 Incredible Leaders in the Wine World You Need to Know — Who Are Women
Did you know that some of the most renowned and sought-after wines are made by women — and have been for some time?
March is Women’s History Month, which celebrates the many ways women have impacted and contributed to culture, history, and society. According to History.com, the celebration actually grew out of an event organized in Sonoma, CA — a region close to the hearts of many wine lovers.
Here at Wally’s, we’re taking this opportunity to highlight some of our favorite female producers and leaders in the wine industry.
Did you think it was only sons who took over the leadership of generations-long family wine estates? Not a chance!
You may be familiar with some of these woman-led brands and their leaders, while others may offer a brand-new discovery for you. And some may offer a surprise when you learn about the long-standing female leadership that deserves its time in the spotlight.
Keep reading to discover a selection of female wine producers and leaders we love, from some of our favorite regions including Burgundy, Bordeaux, Piedmont, Tuscany, Napa Valley, and Sonoma.
While this list is by no means exhaustive, it offers a great selection of well-made, high-quality, and delicious wines that we highly recommend at Wally’s.
Open a bottle and toast to Women’s History Month with us!
France
Maison Louis Latour: Eléonore Latour
This highly-respected Burgundy house has been crafting elegant, balanced wines for two centuries. Today, it’s led by the 12th generation of the Latour family, Eléonore Latour. After finishing her law degree and spending some time outside the family’s business — as has been the tradition for all generations of the Latour leadership — Eléonore returned to succeed her father in leading the Maison. Since the 2023 harvest season, she has been training to be in a position to assume leadership before long.
Domaine Michel Niellon: Lucie Coutoux
At this well-known and influential Burgundy winery in Chassagne-Montrachet, winemaking has stayed in the family. To this day, the estate is still family-run and operated. After four generations, Lucie Coutoux, granddaughter of Michel Niellon, helms the winemaking now. Her Domaine’s wines are known for their balanced and complex natures, elevating the unique terroir of each vineyard.
Château Haut-Bailly: Véronique Sanders
Véronique Sanders grew up helping her grandfather work the vineyards at her family’s famed estate in the Pessac-Léognan region of Bordeaux. Although she went on to study literature in college, she ultimately ended up back home at the family estate. After working alongside her grandfather to learn how to run the property and operations, she took over as the director and ultimately the CEO. Now, as the fourth generation of her family in charge of the historic Château Haut-Bailly, Sanders leads the production of highly unique wines that display incredible finesse, structure, and aromatics.
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Hospices de Beaune: Ludivine Griveau
Dating as far back as 1459, the Hospices de Beaune has been a charitable hospital that was given vineyards to make wine sold at auction to raise funds for the organization. Ludivine Griveau is the first female winemaker of this historic estate. Unlike many other famous winemakers, she was not born into it. Instead, she studied food science and transformed her love of wine and gastronomy into a career as a winemaker, working hard to prove herself in the wine world. Now, she manages a team and the many premier and grand cru vineyard sites throughout the Côte de Beaune to create the famous blends of the Hospices de Beaune.
Château La Conseillante: Marielle Cazaux
Female leadership at this winery dates to when an influential merchant named Catherine Conseillan bought the land and built out the vineyards. The estate lies in Pomerol, on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. The incredibly unique location and terroir contribute to highly sought-after wines, which are known for their finesse and characteristic bouquet of violets and truffles. Since 2015, the wine at La Conseillante has been helmed by Marielle Cazaux, the managing director and winemaker. She began her career as an engineer and oenologist, working her way up from estates around Bordeaux before taking the lead at La Conseillante. Now, she oversees the beautiful vineyards and cellars, ensuring each vintage offers the complexity, smoothness, and finesse the estate is known for.
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Italy
Antinori: Alessia Antinori
With 600 years of winemaking in her family, Alessia Antinori comes from a long line of innovators in Tuscany. She leads the Antinori winemaking operations with her sisters, making them the first women to lead the winery in 25 generations of the family-run business. Alessia grew up joining the grape harvests each summer and eventually studied winemaking and vineyard management. She has helped lead her family’s winery which is known for its innovative spirit. For example, Antinori was the first winery in Tuscany to include international grapes and create the first so-called “Super Tuscan” that revolutionized the wine world. Today, Alessia focuses on showcasing beautiful expressions of Sangiovese for Antinori’s Chianti Classico labels.
E. Pira: Chiara Boschis
With the title of the first female winemaker in Piedmont’s wine region of Langhe, Chiara Boschis has overcome her share of hurdles. After taking over the E. Pira winery in the 1980s, she ran the estate on her own for twenty years and is now known to be one of the most prestigious producers of Barolo. Her wines are famous for their purity of flavor, structure, and vineyard expression.
Gaja: Gaia Gaja
This winery in Piedmont, Italy, produces highly coveted bottles of Barbaresco, in addition to other fantastic labels. Leading the fifth generation of Gaja winemakers today is Gaia Gaja, whose father and grandfather have established one of the most celebrated wineries in Italy. Her early role at the winery involved promoting the wines to importers, and she gradually mastered the Gaja winemaking distinction and took on a larger role in the family business. Today she travels the world to share the Gaja family wines with wine lovers everywhere.
Marchesi di Barolo: Valentina Abbona
Valentina is the sixth generation in her family to head the Marchesi di Barolo winery. The historic winery is famous for being the originator of today’s style of Barolo by revolutionizing the winemaking process and still creating some of the greatest Barolo wines of today. Valentina grew up hearing legends of the woman who put the Nebbiolo grape, and Barolo, on the map, and was inspired to take part in her family’s wine business. Now, she travels the world managing the export and marketing of her family’s prestigious wines.
California
Amuse Bouche: Heidi Barrett
Heidi Barrett grew up in Napa Valley among a winemaking family, spending her summers in wineries and vineyards. After earning her degree, she worked her way through many prestigious wineries and as a consulting winemaker for renowned brands such as Buehler Vineyards, Dalla Valle Vineyards, Screaming Eagle, and more. Now, she has her own label, Amuse Bouche, where she creates limited-production Pomerol-inspired Merlot. Her wines are sourced from some of the best vineyards in Napa Valley, even rivaling the greatest Bordeaux blends.
Cathiard Vineyards: Justine Labbé
Cathiard grows its estate vines right on the slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains — one of the most special places in Napa Valley. The wines from this unique location express the beautiful power and finesse of this region. Cathiard boasts the same owners as the famous Château Smith Haut Lafitte and Cathiard’s winemaker Justine Labbé worked multiple harvests at the Château before moving to Napa. In 2021, she took over Cathiard’s historic Napa property as the general manager and head winemaker. Now, she works to identify the unique properties of the vineyards to bring out the most captivating and beautiful wines possible.
Dalla Valle Vineyard: Naoko & Maya Dalla Valle
Led by a mother-daughter team, Dalla Valle makes some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc available. Since 1986, Naoko has been building the vineyards into a legendary and highly respected estate, and in 2017 her daughter Maya joined the family business. Together, they produce wine from the famous hillsides of Oakville in Napa Valley. They're also joined by acclaimed consulting winemakers Andy Erickson and Michel Rolland. Dedicated to organic and biodynamic farming, their wines display extraordinary character and complexity.
Ramey Wine Cellars: Claire Ramey
Ramey Wine Cellars produces high-quality and terroir-driven Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Sonoma County. Founded in 1996 by David and Carla Ramey, this winery is truly a family affair, with the second generation stepping in as co-presidents of the operations. Daughter Claire Ramey was originally considering interior design, but when the winery needed help one summer, she stepped in to provide temporary relief and has been working there ever since. She learned from the ground up, from the cellar to the vineyards. Now, she leads the viticultural operations and manages the estate vineyards and winegrowing partners.
Whether you're looking for a new discovery from France, Italy, or California, you can't go wrong with a bottle from these incredible, female-led producers. Shop their selections or discover more great bottles at Wally's online collection.