In the vineyard: Women and Virginia wine

LoudounTimes.com
January 31, 2010

Donna Evers of Twin Oaks Tavern Winery believes she and her husband can duplicate the tastes and experiences of European grapes.

Farming grapes and making wine, viticulture and viniculture, are like all farming: perceived as male-dominated fields, perhaps because historically the work is hard, the hours are long, and the thought is that women should be doing softer chores. But the perception doesn't match reality, in much the same way women seem under-represented as chefs. Many of the great European champagne houses were founded and have been run by women. In our wine-growing Piedmont region, there are a surprisingly large number of women who are either winemakers or the landowners who founded the vineyard.

One of the earliest female pioneers of Virginia wine was Juanita Swedenburg, a legend among winemakers for her landmark victory in the U.S. Supreme Court enabling wineries to ship their product out of state. To this day, the Swedenburg family-owned winery continues to concentrate on its small case productions and its early farm roots as Valley View Farm, a working farm with not only wheat, corn, and Angus cattle but also, of course, the Swedenburg Estate Vineyard - HYPERLINK "http://www.swedenburgwines.com" http://www.swedenburgwines.com

Another pioneer, often called the "First Lady of Virginia Wine," Felicia Warburg Rogan, founded Oakencroft Vineyard & Winery, the first winery in Albemarle County. At the time, in the late 1970's and early 1980's, there were only five wineries in the entire state. When asked how women were changing the wine industry, she memorably told a reporter that women were "not changing it, but adding to it." In the same interview, granted before closing Oakencroft last year, she observed: "Women tend to drink the wine that pleases them rather than what the experts say they should drink."

Not too far from the Swedenburg vineyard is Chrysalis Vineyard owned by Jenni McCloud. This Piedmont winery, in its ninth year of production, has become synonymous with the popularity of the Norton grape and its excellent, award-winning production in the state. Today Chrysalis has grown to be an expansive force within the wine world, and McCloud's determination has helped drive interest in the state's ever-growing wine tourism business - HYPERLINK "http://www.chrysaliswine.com" http://www.chrysaliswine.com

There are other wineries owned by women such as Charlottesville's Kluge Estate Winery, but perhaps more remarkable than these women farmers is the growth in the region of women winemakers - the chefs of the wine industry! According to the Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office ( HYPERLINK "http://www.virginiawine.org" http://www.virginiawine.org), there are over 25 wineries in the state with women proprietors, female winemakers, or assistant winemakers. With over 140 wineries in the state, that is an impressively high ratio. Nationally, some reports from California's Napa Valley estimate the number of female winemakers between 10 and 15 per cent. The Virginia wine industry continues to make its mark in all aspects of viticulture.

With two excellent wine education programs within the state at Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia, it is no wonder that many of the new, younger winemakers have earned degrees in enology (the study of viniculture) and viticulture. Emily Pelton, daughter of Veritas Vineyard & Winery owners, Andrew and Patricia, earned her Masters at Tech and then went on to demonstrate her knowledge of winemaking at the National Women's Wine Competition earning "Best of Show" in 2007 and a Double Gold in 2009 for Veritas's Kenmar. Now youngest daughter, Chloe, who recently completed her apprenticeship in Tasmania, has joined the family and plans to spotlight the vineyard's sustainable and carbon-minimizing footprint - HYPERLINK "http://www.veritaswinery.com" http://www.veritaswinery.com

Kristy Harmon at Blenheim Vineyards in Charlottesville heads the operations as winemaker and general manager, wearing dual hats to make certain that all aspects of the operation are in sync. The Netherlands-born Harmon began her hands-on career as an apprentice to internationally recognized Virginia winemaker Gabriele Rausse and then earned a Masters in Viticulture and Enology at University of California, Davis - HYPERLINK "http://blenheimvineyards.com" http://blenheimvineyards.com.

As the list of female winemakers and proprietors continues to expand, one of the newest members is Donna Evers, well-known Washington, DC, realtor who with her husband, Bob Evers, purchased an old inn and farm in Bluemont in 1998, now called Twin Oaks Tavern Winery. Although they have owned numerous properties over the years that they have refurbished, something about this one came together differently. As frequent travelers to wine regions in Europe, Evers believes there was a fateful train ride through Italy that jarred her awake believing she and her husband could duplicate the tastes and experiences of European grapes.

They planted their first grapes in 1999 and began their on-site education learning the wine business with a myriad of ups and downs and reality checks about growing grapes and understanding the numerous challenges to success. She credits Doug Fabbioli (Fabbioli Cellars) and Ben Renshaw, who will be opening his own winery soon, for their selfless enthusiasm and assistance.  Evers says Fabbioli played cheerleader by reminding them that their progress would help everyone in the state's industry.

Now some 10 years later, the Everses passed the state and Federal guidelines for their two labels, a Chardonnay, Evers's particular wine weakness, and a Cabernet Franc. She has no plans to give up one profession and continues to enjoy the concurrence intermingling. They're ready for visitors now - with their legal status and their newly completed deck with its mountainous views. To visit, call her cell phone - 202-255-5009.

If you want to take the female wine tour through the Piedmont, here are some other stops with either female winemakers and/or proprietors. Visit our website for details and direct links to each: Afton Mountain Vineyards, Barrel Oak Winery, Boxwood Winery, Corcoran Vineyards, Gray Ghost Vineyards, Hartwood Winery, Hilltop Berry Farm & Winery, Kluge Estate Winery, Loudoun Valley Vineyards, and Lovingston Winery.

As in the movie "Bottle Shock" when California trounced France in blind tastings, Virginia is no longer the industry stepchild, and women have played perhaps the deciding role. National and international competitions have demonstrated the strength of Virginia's wine industry and its award-winning productions. Maybe the August issue of Decanter magazine said it best with the title of an article: "Virginia 1, California, 0."

This article was originally published in The Piedmont Virginian.