| Women make the world go ‘round. Here at Vine Arts we’re lucky to have many amazingly talented, insanely knowledgeable women on our team. While the world of wine has historically been dominated by men, (or course, this isn’t to say there haven’t been extremely influential women throughout the ages) it has been fabulous to watch more and more talented women become leaders in the industry. This year we’ve chosen 6 bottles made by female producers who are helping to redefine the way we think about the booze industry as a whole; all leading personalities in the world of naturally produced beverages, these six women are making delicious wines and ciders while keeping sustainability and their impact on the world around them at the forefront. Learn a little about these amazing women below - and try their products for 10% off from Monday March 7th - Friday March 11 2022 |
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Christina Zweigelt Göttlesbrunn, Austria |
Christina Netzl and her family have been living and farming in the same village in Austria since 1650. Raised helping out on her family’s farm and vineyard, Christina knew she wanted to become a winemaker when she was just five years old. Christina learned conventional winemaking at her fathers knee, but when she worked with a London-based wine importer, she became enamoured by the vivacity of natural wines. In 2013 she converted the whole vineyard to organic farming and began using low-intervention winemaking methods. She now has her own line of wines which are perfectly represented by this juicy, lively Zweigelt. Drink it gently chilled; ruby red with flecks of purple, this is a kirsch and sour cherry explosion in your mouth. |
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Birgit Braunstein Rosé Pur Burgenland, Austria |
With a family history in winemaking stretching back to 1632, Birgit Braunstein works 22 hectares of vineyards on the western flanks of Lake Neusiedl in Burgenland. Birgit slowly became more involved in running the winery at her father’s side. She continues this tradition by teaching her twin sons about the balance and harmony needed in both the vineyard and the cellar to craft her pristine, elegant wines. All the wines are fermented naturally and neither fined nor filtered. The vineyards are lush, not a monoculture of vines, but rather filled with various flowers, grasses, and bugs which all contribute to a balanced, healthy environment. This rosé is a blend of Blaufrankisch and Zweigelt. It is pale peach with flavours of wild strawberry, nectarine, and grapefruit. Instant refreshment in a glass. |
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Dormilona Tinto Margaret River, Australia |
Josephine Perry, winemaker and proprietor of Dormilona is one of the hardest working women in wine. Working both a harvest in the Southern Hemisphere (January- February) and harvest in the Northern Hemisphere (September-October) she has gained an abundance of knowledge of winemaking. She received the nickname Dormilona “Lazy Bones” working in Spain as she preferred to wake up early and therefore would be falling asleep at the dinner table. She thought that this nickname suited her winemaking style perfectly- the less she has to do the better. Meaning she believes in very few manipulations to any of her wines. |
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Creek & Gully Pink Lady Cider Naramata, British Columbia |
Creek & Gully’s ciders are made from Naramata orchards that have been tended by Annelise Simonsen’s family for 5 generations. The orchards have been organic for more than 30 years. Annelise and Kaleigh Jorgensen first fell in love with fermentation through baking. Alyssa Hubert joined the team in 2020 bringing her winemaking experience to the cidery. She is obsessed with bubbles and is happy to make bubbles from whatever fruit source she can get her hands on. We talk a lot about finding a sense of place through wine, and the Creek & Gully ciders do exactly that, but with orchard fruit as the base material. The Pink Lady cider is made of Creek & Gully’s very favourite variety. Pink Lady apples are high in malic acid which makes for a cider that is refreshingly tart with a fleshy roundness and piles of juicy flavour. |
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Lightning Rock Viognier Okanagan Valley, British Columbia |
Jordan Kubek and her husband, Tyler Knight, started Lightning Rock Winery in 2017. Jordan and Tyler have been making wine in the Okanagan since 2011. They both formerly worked at the Okanagan Crush Pad where Jordan was the sparkling winemaker. Tyler farms the vineyards, while Jordan makes Lightning Rock’s spectacularly electric wines. She has her winemaking certification from Washington State University. Lightning Rock is named for the granite rock found on their property that is cleaved down the middle - the rumoured result of a lightning strike. Here she can follow her passion- making pure, juicy, varietally specific wines from holistically farmed grapes.
**current vintage is 2019, not 2018 as is pictured above** |
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Cantina Marilina Currivu Rosso Sicily, Italy |
Sisters Marilina and Federica took over from their father to run their family’s winery, Cantina Marilina, in Sicily. They take a minimal approach in the vineyard and farm according to organic principles. Almost half of the estate is dedicated to polyculture in order to create a well balanced environment. While Marilina used to spend the majority of her efforts in the cellar, over time, the focus has shifted to time spent in the vineyard, understanding that great grapes make great wine. The Currivu Rosso is made of Nero d’Avola that has been destemmed and fermented on the skins for about a week before being pressed into concrete tanks. Marilina and Federica are part of a new wave of female-led wineries who are making a big impact in Southern Italy. |
