The wine world has long been a male-dominated realm, but a revolutionary shift is uncorking as more and more women shatter that crusty old cellar ceiling. From pioneering vineyard mavens to up-and-coming young winemakers, an intoxicating wave of female visionaries steps into the limelight to disrupt an age-old industry with their bold artistry. Crafting world-class wines that dazzle the senses and yet challenge antiquated notions, these vinous vanguards are living proof that the future of wine is gloriously female.
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Caroline Moro of J.Denuziere
Caroline Moro finds herself in Northern Rhône after joining J.Denuziere back in 2014
Originally from Burgundy, Caroline Moro has spent plenty of time in Euporean vineyards across Spain and Switzerland, and, of course, France, specifically the Loire and Provence. At present, she finds herself in Northern Rhône after joining J.Denuziere back in 2014. The storied winery, established in 1986, has been an integral part of the wine-growing landscape in the Rhône Valley, handcrafting vintages renowned for being fresh and elegant yet harnessing great ageing potential.
Since detaching herself from her “cartesian” tendencies, Moro has successfully encapsulated the beauty—and bounty—of the Northern Rhône region, as observed in her expressive wines, with her minimal intervention approach and emphasis on gentle extraction.
Vanya Cullen of Cullen Wines
One of the Margaret River greats, Vanya Cullen’s reputation precedes her. Following in her parent’s pioneering footsteps, where they single-handedly raised Margaret River into a world-class wine destination, Cullen has been the chief winemaker of Cullen Wines since 1989. In the late ’90s, she blazed the trail with her commitment to sustainable winemaking practices by adopting biodynamic farming principles. Besides producing wines that reflect the best of the region’s terroir, Cullen has also achieved carbon-neutral certification where she taps into renewable energy sources to power the winery.
Today, her wines enjoy internationally acclaimed status, particularly the Cullen Vanya cabernet sauvignon—widely considered the greatest example in its class—making her a beacon for the Australian wine industry and female winemakers around the world.
Federica Boffa of Pio Cesare
Federica Boffa is confident that Pio Cesare will remain one of the leading wineries in the Barolo region
When Federica Boffa took over the now 140-year-old winery, she quickly realised that winemaking isn’t so much of an “old man’s world” anymore. Pio Cesare, being one of the last foundational families of barolo, still operates entirely from its original location in Piedmont, Italy since 1881.
Since her ascension, the fifth-generation winemaker came into her own, firing up all cylinders of the business. She has since beefed up areas such as branding and social media marketing; hired new and skilled labour to tend to the vineyard alongside her; and even successfully experimented with planting timorasso—an indigenous Piedmonte grape with roots tracing back to the Middle Ages—in the Colli Tortonesi region. Despite all odds, Boffa is able to maintain the artisanal approach, ensuring the continuity of her family’s long-standing winemaking style in the appellation of barolo and barbaresco.
In case you missed it: Pride of Piedmont: What is next for Federica Boffa and the illustrious Pio Cesare winery
Helen Keplinger of Keplinger Wines
Trading a future in medical science for the greater grape, Helen Keplinger’s winemaking journey brought her to southern Australia and the valleys of Santa Barbara County. But it was in Priorat, Spain, where she truly came to appreciate the impact of terroir, which developed her terroir-driven winemaking when she returned to Napa Valley, California.
At present, besides consulting for a couple of boutique wineries, she is also the owner-winemaker of Keplinger Wines, which she founded with her husband in 2006. The winery hones in on single-vineyard Rhône varietals—grenache, syrah, petit syrah—and sources its grapes from steep, rocky vineyards in the Sierra Foothills region. Her minimalistic winemaking approach, one that earned her plenty of praise, ensures that the terroir of each vineyard is naturally reflected in her powerful yet elegant Rhône-style wines.
Susana Balbo of Susana Balbo Wines
Dubbed the “Queen of Torrontés”, Susana Balbo was Argentina’s first female winemaker when she earned an oenology degree at Don Bosco University in 1981. Having earned her stripes at wineries such as Michel Torino and Catena Zapata, she established her own winery in 1999 in Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza. Her innovative winemaking techniques include fermenting wines in egg-shaped concrete fermenters, wild yeast fermentations, and experimenting with various barrel sizes and ageing regimens.
But it was the Torrontés—a native Argentinian white grape—that Balbo carved out a name for herself, pioneering the modern fresh style without the overly bitter finish. Today, the eponymous Susana Balbo winery is a family business, joined by her two children José and Ana.
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