The wine industry like many industries is reshaping itself to be more inclusive of everyone. For many years it was a male-dominated industry, but now things are changing and for years more and more women have entered the wine world. Females have a great palate and nose for wine, which gives us the ability to take the industry by storm! I joined a bunch of amazing women in wine, as well as female wine writers for a Zoom wine tasting. We were hosted by Dr. Laura Catena who also featured Anne Trimbach of Trimbach, Laure Colombo of Jean-Luc Colombo, and Alessia Collauto of Travaglini.
These wineries are female-led and are thriving. This is the next generation of women in wine, and they shared some great insight into the industry. I have written about these wineries numerous times over the years as they come out with their new vintages. Laura explained that when she started working in wine, all of the top positions were filled by men, and even women in wine school usually went into the business side after, not top winemaking positions. This was not good, and Laura wanted to do something about it, including equal pay for men and women doing the same jobs.
As mentioned before, we were joined by other iconic females in the wine industry including 13th Generation Anne Trimbach! I have always loved Trimbach wines since my days of studying in Sommelier school. These wines are well known and sold almost everywhere you can think of, from small retail shops to top restaurants, and they’re wonderful. We tasted the Trimbach 2017 Reserve Riesling which is one that you can drink for brunch, lunch, or dinner. It’s a stylish wine with nice acidity and ripeness. Notes of tropical fruits and green apple, combined with the Alsatian minerality are just so pleasing about this wine. It’s a great wine for the fall and upcoming holidays like Thanksgiving!
We also had the opportunity to taste with Laure Colombo of Jean-Luc Colombo Winery in France. Laure’s parents founded the winery in the northern Rhône Valley, which is where her passion came from. She now has joined the family business and produces wine for the family winery as well as her own! The wine Jean-Luc Colombo “La Belle de Mai” 2018 is an expressive white wine made from Roussanne and Marsanne grapes. This wine boasts floral notes as well as citrus fruit and is really quite a pretty wine. This wine is perfect with cheeses, seafood, and light salads.
Another one of my favorite wines from the tasting is Travaglini Gattinara, from Piedmont, Italy. Back before the Pandemic, I had the opportunity to meet Alessia Collauto and taste the wide portfolio of their wines. We tasted the Travaglini Gattinara 2016 which is a number one seller! It’s medium-bodied and full of floral aromas, spice, earth, and black fruit. On the palate it’s smooth and elegant; overall it’s a wonderful wine.
Laura Catena joined us again, to tell us about the last wine in which we tasted the Bodegas Caro. Bodegas Caro is a partnership between Catena Zapata and Bordeaux’s famous Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite). This 2017 Caro is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec and is a delicious wine from Argentina. Blackberry, vanilla, spice, cloves, and cherries fill the nose and follow through with plenty more fruit and chocolate on the palate. This wine is young and can benefit from aging a few years, however, if you enjoy it now, I recommend Duck or Roasted Lamb!
These wines are all readily available online as well as in retail and are ideal for your fall and holiday gatherings. Always remember, eat what you like and drink what you love. Please pair responsibly!
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