By David Setley
March is Women’s History Month, when we acknowledge the social, political, cultural, and economic achievements of women. International Women’s Day is March 8, a holiday that has been recognized in the United States since 1975. In this article, I will pay homage to some of the female wine heroes that I have come to know through my studies of viticulture: Janice Robinson, Patricia Gallagher, Lúcia Freitas, Corinne Perez, and Jaimie Benzinger.
When I enrolled in the Sommelier Certification program, I purchased a number of books on wine and wine history. Without question, the most valuable book to me and what the New York Times called, “the single most important reference book on the shelf of any wine student,” is The World Atlas of Wine by Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson. According to Robinson, “wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, and every day more civilized.” Robinson was, in 1984, the first non-wine industry person to ever pass the rigorous Master of Wine Exams. She was awarded the Order of the British Empire from the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2003 and was a principal advisor on the Queen’s personal wine cellar from 2004 to 2022. In 2018, in separate surveys of wine industry experts in the US and France, Robinson was voted “the most influential wine critic,” in the world.
You may have heard Patricia Gallagher’s name in relation to “The Judgment of Paris,” the event that turned the wine world upside down in May of 1976. Steven Spurrier, an Englishman with a wine store and school in Paris, along with Gallagher, who was the director of Spurrier’s wine school, arranged a blind-tasting event between American wines from Napa Valley and French wines from Burgundy and Bordeaux. Spoiler Alert – the American wines won! Although Spurrier is acknowledged as the principal organizer, writings about the event indicate that it was Patricia Gallagher who was largely responsible for introducing Spurrier to the fledgling California wine industry, prompting him to arrange the tasting. Gallagher, an American, is one of few non-French natives to win the Chevalier du Mérite Agricole award for outstanding service to the French Wine industry and was the academic director and director of the wine department of the renowned, LE CORDON BLEU school of cuisine in Paris.
Now I would like to highlight three outstanding women winemakers whose artistry you can taste in your glass today. First, from Portugal, Lúcia Freitas, winemaker of Quinta da Mariposa in the Dão region. After a distinguished career at wineries throughout the region, Lúcia returned to her family’s estate in Terras de Senhorim to establish Quinta da Mariposa. She considers her work at the winery “a project that harmonizes respect for tradition and (her) dream of making wines of extraordinary character from the region (she) knows so well.” The vineyard utilizes native grape varietals and employs sustainable wine agricultural practices to preserve the environment for future generations. I truly believe that Portuguese wines will be “the next big thing” in wine. They offer outstanding value. Here are two under the Quinta da Mariposa brand I encourage you to try. 1) Mariposa Vinho Blanco 2019 is a crisp fresh white wine with mild citrus notes, pleasant acidity, and a minerality that demonstrates the terroir of the Dão region. 2) The Mariposa Vinho Tinto blend is a ruby red wine with notes of wild berries and black pepper, with well-structured tannins and a long finish.
Corinne Perez fell in love with winemaking while studying agriculture in Lyon, France. She had the opportunity to serve as a harvest intern at a winery in Beaujolais, and the rest, as they say, is history. She pursued and earned her DNA degree (oenologist National diploma) in 1994 and set out to build her knowledge and experience in the wine industry. To diversify her knowledge base, Perez worked at wineries in areas as varied as Oregon, Australia, and finally Alsace, France. Although her initial experiences were largely in red wines, Perez became enamored by the beauty and sophistication of white wines in Alsace. She has been a winemaker there since 2003 and, in 2020, was appointed the head winemaker at Pioerre Sparr Wineries. Perez, a strong advocate of sustainable practices, was the driving force behind the winery earning its certification in 2021. She states that Riesling is her favorite varietal, because it is “the ideal varietal to reveal the potential of the [region’s] terroir.” I agree! The Pierre Sparr Alsace Riesling 2020 is my favorite wine from this region. The wine is dry and crisp with notes of pears and apples with nice acidity and pleasing minerality.
My final homage is to Jaimie Benzinger, who grew up at her family’s two wineries in Sonoma Valley. During summers while in college, Benzinger sold tickets for tours at the family’s wineries. She decided then that her passion was to enter the family business. She transferred to Sonoma State and added wine business studies to her marketing degree program. Upon graduation, she focused on the science of winemaking while working at St. Francis Winery in California, and then at the Villa Maria Winery in New Zealand. She returned home to California in 2015 to work alongside her favorite winemaker, her father: Joe Benzinger. In 2017, Joe retired in 2017; Jaimie became the head winemaker of Imagery Winery. In 2019, Jaime earned the title “Best Women Winemaker in the International Women’s Wine Competition” and was named to Wine Enthusiasts Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers list. Imagery has a full selection of great wines including Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. I highly recommend the LA International Wine Competition, 92 point, Gold Award winning Imagery Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 or the Double Gold Award winning Chardonnay.
Cheers! to these distinguished women of wine. As always, if you have questions or comments, contact me at dsetley@passionvines.com or stop the Somers Point store. Until next time, Happy Wining!
David Setley is enjoying his retirement from higher education as a wine educator and certified sommelier at Passion Vines in Somers Point, New Jersey.
