{"id":3037,"date":"2023-03-03T15:29:19","date_gmt":"2023-03-03T15:29:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rosemurraybrown.com\/?p=3037"},"modified":"2023-08-17T20:02:17","modified_gmt":"2023-08-17T20:02:17","slug":"celebrating-women-winemakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rosemurraybrown.com\/celebrating-women-winemakers\/","title":{"rendered":"CELEBRATING WOMEN WINEMAKERS"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Rose Murray Brown MW\u00a0 \u00a0Published in The Scotsman 4 March 2023<\/h3>\n

My pick of a dozen top female winemakers from across the globe in South Africa, Spain, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Portugal, Germany, Sicily, Bulgaria and Hungary.<\/strong><\/p>\n

South Africa: CHARLA BOSMAN \u2013\u00a0Sijnn Wines<\/a><\/strong>
\nTalented winemaker Charla Bosman (pictured above) makes superb wines from low vigour bushvines on a remote farm near Malgas on the Breede river.\u00a0 She has been key to Sijnn\u2019s success, a vineyard and winery set up by pioneer David Trafford who discovered this isolated spot with its stony alluvial and weathered shale.\u00a0 Enjoy the pure berry fruits and deep slate minerality of her Syrah\/Touriga Nacional\/Trincadeira blend\u00a0Sijnn Red 2016 (\u00a330 Raeburn Wine)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Spain: PAOLA MEDINA SHELDON \u2013\u00a0Williams & Humbert<\/a><\/strong>
\nPaola Sheldon (pictured below) is one of the new generation of sherrymakers pushing boundaries in the historic Jerez region.\u00a0 She joined traditional bodega Williams & Humbert in 2010 and is now master blender and technical director; on my recent visit she conducted an incredible tasting of statically-aged single vintage sherry highlighting Jerez\u2019s terroir \u2013 but also oversees the W&H range.\u00a0 Try\u00a0Don Zoilo Dry Amontillado 15 year old (\u00a317 The Wine Society)<\/strong>\u00a0: delicious candied fruit, caramel and savoury nutty notes.<\/p>\n

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Germany: DOROTHEE ZILLIKEN \u2013\u00a0Geltz Zilliken<\/a><\/strong>
\nWith her father Hanno, Dorothee Zilliken (11th generation to run the estate) makes exquisitely fine Rieslings in previously unfashionable Saar valley south of Mosel.\u00a0 Working their 11 hectares on impossibly steep south-facing slate-strewn Raush vineyard must be hard work \u2013 but pays off with her beautifully taut minerally spine-tingling Rieslings \u2013\u00a0Rausch Riesling GG 2021 (\u00a337 Howard Ripley)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Hungary: ZSOFIA KOVESDI \u2013\u00a0Jammertal Wine Estate<\/a><\/strong>
\nThis young dynamic winemaker is raising the bar in Villany region in southern Hungary.\u00a0 Hungarian-born Zsofia worked in Australia, Portugal, California and New Zealand and aims to keep the Villany traditional style with some New World influence \u2013 with a keen eye for experimentation with others grapes like Alicante Bouchet or Touriga Nacional.\u00a0 Her Chardonnay, Syrah and Kekfrankos are impressive \u2013 but I particularly liked her\u00a0Koh-i-Noor Cabernet Franc 2012 (n\/a in UK)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Sicily: ARIANNA OCCHIPINTI \u2013\u00a0Occhipinti<\/a><\/strong>
\nArianna comes from a famous Sicilian wine family and first began making wine when she was 16.\u00a0 She has now branched out on her own working with biodynamically-grown Frappato and Nero d\u2019Avola grapes in Cerasuolo di Vittoria.\u00a0 Try her fresh vibrant cherry-fruited, plummy\u00a0SP68 Rosso 2021 \u00a324 BuonVino<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 named after the SP68 road where her winery is based.<\/p>\n

Portugal: MARIANA SELVADOR \u2013\u00a0Textura da Estrela<\/a><\/strong>
\nA new face in the remote Dao, a region often overshadowed by neighbouring Douro.\u00a0 This new Dao winery \u2013 founded in 2018 \u2013 focuses on low intervention fresh fruity styles using local Dao grapes with Mariana Selvador as winemaker.\u00a0 Mariana\u2019s favourite is local Jaen grape which she expertly blends with Touriga Nacional and Alfrocheiro grown on granite in\u00a0Textura de Estrela Tinto 2018 \u00a318.68 Justerinis<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\nArgentina: SUSANA BALBO \u2013\u00a0Susana Balbo Wines<\/a><\/strong>
\nI first met the indefatigable Susana Balbo in Mendoza in early 1990s when Argentina\u2019s modern wine industry was in its infancy.\u00a0 Today she is the most celebrated women winemaker in the country, with an outstanding range.\u00a0 She has a particularly good feel for the coaxing freshness and vibrancy from the tricky aromatic Torrontes grape \u2013 and is a trailblazer for Argentina\u2019s flagship white variety:\u00a0Signature Barrel Fermented Torrontes 2021 \u00a317-\u00a322 Noble Green<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\nAustria: HEIDI SCHROCK \u2013\u00a0Heidi Schrock & Sohne<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rust-based Schrock (pictured below) runs her small family winery on the west side of Lake Neusiedl in eastern Austria; best known as one of the leading producers of Zweigelt and Blaufrankish reds in Neusiedlersee region.\u00a0 She has also gained a reputation as one of the few Austrian growers of Furmint (usually found across the border in Hungary).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Heidi Schrock Furmint \u00a319 Lockett Bros; Fine Wine Musselburgh<\/strong>\u00a0has baked apple fruit and minerally depth.<\/p>\n

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\nAustralia: VIRGINIA WILCOCK \u2013\u00a0Vasse Felix<\/a><\/strong>
\nWilcock is chief winemaker at this Wilyabrup-based pioneering winery in Margaret River, Western Australia (Virginia is pictured here pouring wine to guests during my Australian wine tour).\u00a0 She makes the best Chardonnay in Australia from Vasse Felix\u2019s Heytesbury vineyard:\u00a0Heytesbury Chardonnay 2020 \u00a350 Specialist Cellars<\/strong>; Lay & Wheeler is a masterclass in restraint and elegance with its fabulous dense texture \u2013 but for a cheaper option try\u00a0Filius Chardonnay 2021 \u00a312.99 Majestic Wine\u00a0<\/strong>as introduction to her style.<\/p>\n

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\nBulgaria: DESI HITOVA \u2013\u00a0Orbelia<\/a><\/strong>
\n47% of Bulgaria\u2019s wineries have female winemakers, significantly higher than any other country.\u00a0 Hitova is one of the new young band of women winemakers here.\u00a0 She worked for Two Hands in Barossa Australia before returning home to Orbelia estate (pictured below) where she still consults, experimenting with everything from Pet Nat fizz to fine-tuning the Melnik 55 grape (an early ripening cross created in Bulgaria in 1980s).\u00a0 Try fleshy super-ripe\u00a0Melnik 55 2020 Orbelia \u00a315.50 The Old Cellar<\/strong>\u00a0which tastes similar to New World Merlot.<\/p>\n

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\nHungary: KATA ZSIRAI \u2013\u00a0Zsirai<\/a><\/strong>
\nA leading winemaker in Tokay in north east Hungary, Kata and her sister Petra (pictured below) took over their family estate which their father founded in 2005.\u00a0 Her dry Tokajis are particularly good \u2013 with a steely Riesling-like Furmint from her cool-sited Kozephegy vineyard and rich honeyed intense part barrel fermented\u00a0Zsirai Harslevelu Dry Tokaji 2016 \u00a315 Jascots Wine<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\nNew Zealand: HELEN MASTERS \u2013 Ata Rangi<\/a><\/strong>
\nMasters has been Ata Rangi\u2019s winemaker for 30 years and with her superb Pinot Noirs has helped raise the profile of Martinborough \u2013 but she believes there is also great potential in Chardonnay in the region too.\u00a0 For a good introduction to her style and quality, try\u00a0Crimson Pinot Noir 2019 \u00a322 Laithwaites; ND John Wines<\/strong>: she recommends matching with savoury umami flavours of Japanese cuisine.<\/p>\n

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Join Rose\u2019s Fine Wine Dinner in Prestonfield House Hotel, Edinburgh on 18 May\u00a0www.rosemurraybrown.com<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3038,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1941,1929,1950,1946,1959,1939,1945,1933,1947,1936,1943,1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rosemurraybrown.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3037"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rosemurraybrown.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rosemurraybrown.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rosemurraybrown.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rosemurraybrown.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3037"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/rosemurraybrown.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3037\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3091,"href":"https:\/\/rosemurraybrown.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3037\/revisions\/3091"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rosemurraybrown.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3038"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rosemurraybrown.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3037"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rosemurraybrown.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3037"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rosemurraybrown.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3037"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}