Women behind the skin

8 women to celebrate today

Today is a important day to mark the impact women all around the world have, and how important it is to fight for womens right to keep impacting the world around them and inside them. During my years of exploring the world of wine, I have ecountered countless of wineries, vineyards, and winemakers run or owned by women who make some of the most amazing wines we have in the world today. In this article I wanted to share some of my favorite women who make fantastic orange wines.

Elisabetta Foradori from Agricola Foradori

Elisabetta Foradori has become a symbol of resilience and innovation in Trentino's winemaking scene. With a deep respect for the land and its traditions, she has led her family's estate, Agricola Foradori, to new heights through her focus on biodynamics and sustainable agriculture. Her wines, especially her orange offerings, are not just drinks but stories told through the lens of the Teroldego grape, which she has worked tirelessly to preserve and elevate. These wines are a reflection of Elisabetta's philosophy that wine should express the profound essence of its terroir.

Foradori's approach to orange winemaking involves meticulous care and attention to detail, from the vineyard to the cellar. Her methods embrace the ancient, such as extended skin contact, to extract the rich textures, aromas, and flavors that define her wines. This thoughtful process ensures that each bottle is a testament to the land's biodiversity and the winemaker's dedication to expressing its unique character. Elisabetta's work has not only placed her at the forefront of Italian winemaking but has also inspired a new generation of winemakers to pursue quality and sustainability hand in hand. Most of their orange wines feel more like rich white wines, but their pinot grigio is a wine you cannot miss if you love orange wines.

Alice Bouvot from L'Octavin

Alice Bouvot, the visionary behind L'Octavin in France's Jura region, has the spirit of experimentation and a commitment to natural winemaking. Her journey into the world of wine is marked by a relentless pursuit of purity and expression, choosing to work with biodynamically farmed grapes and eschewing additives in the winemaking process. Alice's wines, including her celebrated orange wines, are vibrant testimonials to her skill and the potential of Jura's terroir. They challenge conventional wines and what you think wine can taste like.

Bouvot's orange wines are particularly notable for their depth and complexity. By allowing the white grapes to ferment with their skins, she captures the essence of the varietal and the soil, creating wines that are as intriguing as they are delicious. Her commitment to natural methods extends beyond the vineyard, with each bottle reflecting a holistic approach to winemaking. Through her innovative techniques and dedication, Alice Bouvot has become a leading figure in the natural wine movement, inspiring others with her passion and creativity. All of her orange wines are worth trying, but this one is a particular favorite of mine.

Elena Pantaleoni from La Stoppa

Elena Pantaleoni has been a pioneering force in Italy's Emilia-Romagna region, guiding La Stoppa to international acclaim with her dedication to organic farming and indigenous grape varieties. Taking over the estate in the early 1990s, Elena quickly recognized the importance of returning to nature to capture the authentic expression of her land. Her work focuses on creating wines that are true to their roots, with minimal intervention allowing each bottle to tell its own story. Among her acclaimed portfolio, the orange wine Ageno stand out for it's bold character and depth, embodying the estate's commitment to tradition and quality.

La Stoppa's Ageno, named after the estate's founder, is a shining example of Elena's expertise in orange winemaking. This wine, often a blend of Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, Ortrugo, and Trebbiano, is celebrated for its complexity and balance, achieved through extended skin contact and aging. Elena's approach to winemaking is both respectful of the past and forward-looking, combining age-old techniques with a modern sensibility towards the environment and sustainability. This wine is particularly interesting as every year they make it different, sometimes vastly different. It's always an adventure to try La Stoppa's Ageno.

Arianna Occhipinti from Occhipinti

Arianna Occhipinti represents a new wave of winemakers in Sicily, embracing natural processes to produce wines that are authentic, expressive, and rooted in their terroir. Since her debut in the wine world at a young age, Arianna has challenged the status quo, focusing on local grape varieties and organic farming to create wines that reflect the rich biodiversity of her region. Her orange wine, made from the grapes Moscato di Alessandria and Albanello, is particularly noteworthy for it's ability to convey the essence of Sicily's soil and climate. Arianna's dedication to low-intervention winemaking and her holistic view of agriculture have earned her wines a place on the global stage.

Occhipinti's approach to orange wine is a delicate balance between tradition and innovation. By allowing the grape skins to remain in contact with the juice for extended periods, she crafts wines that are not only visually striking but also rich in flavor and aroma. This method, combined with her commitment to sustainable practices, results in wines that are both a pleasure to drink and a reflection of Arianna's deep respect for nature. Her work has not only contributed to the resurgence of orange wine but has also inspired a generation of winemakers to pursue authenticity and sustainability in their craft. This wine is not your typical orange wine, and even those who say they don't appreciate natural wines or orange wines will fall in love with SP 68 Bianco.

Filipa Pato from Filipa Pato & William Wouters

Filipa Pato, in collaboration with her husband William Wouters, has been at the forefront of the natural wine movement in Portugal's Bairrada region. Under the motto "Authentic Wines Without Makeup," Filipa crafts wines that are a true expression of the land and its history. Her dedication to indigenous grape varieties and natural winemaking practices has resulted in a range of wines that are celebrated for their clarity, complexity, and vibrancy. Among these, her orange wine stand out for it's innovative approach and exquisite balance, showcasing Filipa's skill in harnessing the potential of Bairrada's unique terroir.

The production of orange wine by Filipa Pato involves a careful selection of grapes, hand-picked from vineyards that are farmed organically and biodynamically. The extended skin contact not only imparts a distinctive golden color but also a depth of flavor and texture that distinguishes these wines from their peers. Filipa's commitment to minimal intervention, from fermentation with native yeasts to bottling without filtration, ensures that each wine is a pure embodiment of its origins. Through her work, Filipa Pato has become a beacon of innovation in Portuguese winemaking, inspiring both consumers and fellow winemakers to explore the diverse and dynamic possibilities of wine.

Amy Farnsworth from Amoise

Amy Farnsworth is the driving force behind Amoise wines in New Zealand. With a focus on producing small-batch, artisanal wines, Amy has carved out a niche for herself with her orange wines, which are lauded for their innovation and ecological mindfulness. By embracing organic viticulture and experimenting with skin contact techniques, she creates wines that are not only distinctive but also a testament to her respect for the environment.

Amoise's orange wines are characterized by their vibrant fruit flavors, nuanced by the textural complexity that skin contact fermentation provides. Amy's approach to winemaking is hands-on and intuitive, allowing the character of the grapes and the influence of the terroir to guide the process. This philosophy results in wines that are a reflection of both the land and her vision. Through her dedication to quality and sustainability, Amy Farnsworth has emerged as a significant voice in New Zealand's wine scene, demonstrating that thoughtful winemaking can produce exceptional results. Amoise Gris is a rare gem that expresses something truly unique from the Pinot Gris grape, and every year she adjusts it slightly based on the climate around her.

Baia Abuladze from Baia's Wine

Baia Abuladze, along with her sister and brother, is at the forefront of Georgia's natural wine renaissance, working within the rich winemaking tradition that has been part of the country's culture for millennia. At Baia's Wine, located in the Imereti region, the focus is on producing wines using indigenous grape varieties and the ancient qvevri fermentation method. This approach, rooted in history yet driven by a desire to innovate, results in wines that are deeply connected to the Georgian winemaking heritage while also reflecting Baia's personal touch and commitment to quality.

The use of qvevri, large clay vessels buried underground, for fermentation and aging imparts unique characteristics to Baia's wines, including a remarkable depth of flavor and a distinctive tannic structure. These wines, made from varieties such as Tsitska and Tsolikouri, are a celebration of Georgia's biodiversity and Baia's dedication to preserving and promoting traditional winemaking practices. Her work not only contributes to the global appreciation of orange wine, but also highlights the importance of women in the stewardship of Georgia's winemaking legacy.

Annamária Réka Koncz from Reka Koncz

Annamária Réka Koncz represents the exciting potential of Hungary's wine regions, bringing a fresh perspective and a commitment to natural winemaking to her vineyards in Eastern Hungary. Her focus on organic farming and minimal intervention techniques has resulted in a range of wines that are expressive, authentic, and reflective of the land's unique qualities. Among these, her orange wines are particularly notable for their elegance and complexity, showcasing Réka's ability to balance tradition with innovation.

By embracing skin contact fermentation and natural winemaking practices, Annamária crafts orange wines that are both intriguing and accessible, offering a window into the diversity of Hungary's grape varieties and terroirs. Her work is a testament to the idea that wine should be a reflection of its environment, made with care and respect for the natural world. Annamária Réka Koncz's contributions to the wine industry not only enhance Hungary's reputation as a wine-producing country but also inspire others to consider the impact of their winemaking choices on the environment and the community.

Thank you

If you enjoy a glass of wine today (maybe even an orange one), give some thought to all the women who have been a part of making that possible. I thank all the women who have worked hard to get their rightful place in the wine world, and who keep putting in hard work to produce these unique experiences that wine can give us.

Lastly, I want to make some honorable mentions to the women in wine that I didn't mention in this article and that are well worth checking out.

Vino di Anna

Maison Advinam

Valentina Passalacqua

Rennersistas

Sybille Kuntz

D.B Schmitt

Maria & Sepp Muster

Susana Esteban

Partida Creus

Clos Lentiscus