“This is a man’s, man’s, man’s world. But it wouldn’t be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl.” - James Brown, The Godfather of Soul – 1966
All of the best winemakers, man or woman, I’ve had the good fortune to meet will reflect upon a certain, guaranteed truth when we discuss their wines. The truth is this; they wouldn’t have succeeded without support from others, usually family, and especially their mothers. The men might be “in charge” of the winery in some respects, but there is often a matriarch that is really making everything possible. The wines we are featuring in this edition of About Town couldn’t have flourished without their respective matriarchs.
The Eyrie Vineyards, “Estate” Chardonnay:
Diana and David Lett founded The Eyrie Vineyards back in 1965. They had two young sons, David was a traveling school textbook salesman, and there was no (and we mean zero) wine infrastructure in Oregon. In the face of some hilariously absurd odds, the Letts made Eyrie into a world-class winery. Not only that, but their rising tide also lifted the ships around them to the point that some French legends (see next entry) actually invested in Oregon to follow the lead of the pioneering Letts. Although famous for their Pinot Noir, one shouldn’t sleep on their Chardonnay. Now run by their son Jason, Eyrie is still rising in quality and profile. Jason will quickly correct anyone who omits Diana from the Eyrie story. To this day, she still has a say in the winery. And we are all the more fortunate as a result.
Drouhin Oregon, “Rose Rock” Pinot Noir:
The French winery Maison Joseph Drouhin was founded back in 1880. This esteemed winery was always looking for opportunity and in 1987 Domaine Drouhin Oregon was created. It was the result, in part, of the 1979–1980 Paris Wine Olympics where David Lett’s The Eyrie Vineyards (see previous entry) of Oregon took second place behind a 1959 Drouhin wine. The French obviously know a thing or two about wine, and they know a thing or two about progress. The current generation at Drouhin is led by Veronique Drouhin who learned not only from her father, but also from “what I believe to be the first female hired as head winemaker in Burgundy,” when Veronique was ten years old. After graduating from the Oenological program in Dijon as the only female in her class, she immediately took over in Oregon. She has helped propel the Drouhin operation in Oregon to the highest echelons of the wine world.
Robert Biale Vineyards, “Party Line” Zinfandel:
The winery is literally named after a man, but the eponymous Robert will be the first to tell you that his parents laid the foundation. Aldo and Clementina were making wine during Prohibition and selling it on the “Party Line.” Don’t know what a Party Line is? Ask your grandparents! Or we can try to explain. In some rural areas a phone line would be shared by many neighbors. The Biale family shared a party line where Clementina would take the calls and, through code words, sell bootleg jugs of delicious Zinfandel. Clementina, until she passed in 2017, would be at the winery practically every single day checking in to make sure that everyone was fed, things were running smoothly, and (most explicitly) that the books were balanced. She was a matriarch straight out of central casting and Clementina was a Nonna who made it happen.
Centorri Moscato:
Gotta finish with a touch of sweetness. After watching generations of men in their family make Moscato, Elenora decided to strike out on her own and take the ladies of the family with her. Their winery, Centorri, is fully owned and managed by women: estate manager and winemaker Eleonora Brangero, along with her mother Emiliana and grandmother Camilla—known as the “ladies of Moscato.” They make some unashamedly delightful Moscato. Treat yourself.
