Producers
Learn more about the women winery principals from Winebow Imports below.
Click here to download a PDF version of their bios.
Catherine Scott
Catherine is one of a small number of Marlborough winemakers who was born in the region. She grew up on a farm, where her family had been for generations. With her eye for detail and keen palate, she plays a guiding role in the winemaking. Catherine also takes personal responsibility for The Cellar Door and the Twelve Trees Restaurant at the winery.
Marlborough, New Zealand
Tuscany, Italy
Elisabetta acquired her first winery in the Chianti Classico region in 1997 and a few years later, a long-standing property in Montalcino. In 2002, her growing appreciation of the Montalcino region led to the purchase and renovation of Altesino, which is now considered one of the top producers of Brunello in Tuscany. "My passion for wine drives everything: each year's vintage must be even more perfect than the one before."
Kirsty Black
Angus, Scotland
Kirsty Black, is both Manager and Distiller at Arbikie Highalnd Estate. She has a BSc in Plant Science and while working at Arbikie she went on to be awarded a Doctorate in Philosophy for her research on the potential of using more environmentally friendly legumes in intercropping systems and the production of alcohol. Her research formed the foundation for the climate positive Nadar range of spirits.
Valentina Argiolas
Sardinia, Italy
Pioneers in innovative winemaking and the revival of native Sardinian grapes, Valentina and her family produce outstanding wines that reflect the unique landscape and ancient traditions of their island. She is is part of the third generation to run Argiolas, together with her cousin Antonio and sister Francesca.
Marta Chicote
Campo de Borja, Spain
Marta has been the winemaker at Bodegas Borsao for 22 years and has been integral to helping the winery achieve its mission to set the benchmark for premium Garnacha wines around the world. Born in the Burgos in 1976, she serves on the board of Directors of the Campo de Borja DO and acquired her Masters of enology in 2004. “I fell in love with Garnarcha; it expresses very much the terroir,” says Marta. “Throughout my professional career, the expression of wine in the nose fascinated me. . . I love listening to the wine, knowing what it wants to express.”
Pilar Martínez-Bujanda Irribarria
Rioja, Spain
Viña Bujanda is owned by the brother-and-sister team Carlos and Pilar Martínez-Bujanda Irribarria, whose family has been making wine since 1889. The estate was established in 2009 in the small village of Oyon near Logroño. Carlos and Pilar are the fifth generation to be involved in the family wine business. Their commitment to producing estate wines, reflective of their terroir, has ensured Familia Martínez-Bujanda’s continued success.
Carolina Stupino
Barbaresco, Italy
Carolina grew up between the hills of Piedmont and the city of Turin. She did her university studies in London, where she worked as a journalist after graduating. Following her father Italo’s recent passing, she now leads the family winery, together with Castello di Neive’s historical winemaker Claudio, and is determined to carry on his legacy.
Laura Catena
Mendoza, Argentina
A fourth-generation vintner, physician, and author, Laura Catena is the managing director of Catena Zapata. She graduated from Harvard University with a degree in biology and received her M.D. from Stanford University. In 1995, she founded the Catena Institute of Wine with the mission to elevate Argentine wine through vineyard study
and research. Laura continues to further her family’s mission with passion projects, including Domaine Nico, a collection of high-altitude Pinot Noir, and La Marchigiana, a natural wine range.
Alice, Sandra & Andrea Tavares
Lisboa, Portugal
With vineyards dating back to the 16th century, the Tavares da Silva family has embarked on a restoration program, replanting and regrafting vines with indigenous and international varieties. This effort has paid off, as Quinta de Chocapalha produces wines that boast traditional minerality and elegance, while remaining fresh and fruit forward. Andrea handles marketing and sales, Alice is the manager of wine tourism, and Sandra is the chief winemaker at Chocapalha.
Maria Iris Bertarelli
Tuscany, Italy
Maria Iris Bertarelli and her brother, Claudio Tipa, run the ColleMassari Wine Estates, a family-owned collection of four iconic properties from Tuscany. They acquired Castello ColleMassari in 1998 and expanded their holdings over several years to include three additional properties—Grattamacco in Bolgheri, Poggio di Sotto in Montalcino, and Tenuta San Giorgio in Montalcino.
Rosario Palma Corrales
Maipo Valley, Chile
After studying agronomy with a specialty in Enology at the Pontifical University of Chile, Rosario first joined the Cousiño-Macul team in 2005. After years of learning at Cousiño Macul and other renowned sites in Spain, California, Italy, France, and Germany, she became the Head Winemaker in 2018.
Her passion for innovation inspires her to continue to the wines’ quality year after year. “We intervene as little as possible in the vineyards and winery. This makes our wines a true emblem.”
Barbara Gross
Willamette Valley, Oregon
Since her youth, Barbara Gross has delved deeply into the realm of Pinot Noir, embracing the art of wine-grape growing in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. After college, she dedicated herself wholeheartedly to her family’s winery, a commitment she fervently upholds. As a former board member of influential wine and tourism organizations, Barbara has collaborated with fellow Oregon winery owners to shape the trajectory of the Willamette Valley, advocating for organic and biodynamic winegrowing. Her unwavering dedication ensures a sustainable and thriving future for winemaking in the region.
Veronica Cousiño
Maipo Valley, Chile
Founded in 1856, Cousiño-Macul is the only 19th century winery in Chile that remains in the hands of the original founding family. Veronica leads the seventh generation, who is dedicated in preserving Cousiño-Macul’s mission for the past 150 years — to produce world-class wines that are unmistakably Chilean and carry the distinctive character of the Maipo Valley.
Adrianna Catena
Mendoza, Argentina
A tribute to the era when European immigrants first settled in Argentina, the wines of El Enemigo embrace both new and old world-styles. El Enemigo is a joint project between Oxford-educated historian, Adrianna Catena, and winemaker, Alejandro Vigil, whose combined knowledge of the Mendoza region allows them to select ideal vineyard sites yielding quality grapes in their desired style.
Véronique Torcolacci
Languedoc-Roussillon, France
In 1991, Véronique Torcolacci obtained her degree in oenology from the University of Toulouse. She joined Gabriel Meffre as enologist in charge of quality before becoming head winemaker of the Fat bastard range of wines. Produced in partnership with Gabriel Meffre and crafted from the low-yielding vineyards of the Languedoc- Roussillon region of France, Fat bastard’s wines are known to be remarkably full bodied with a vibrant, fruit-forward style.
Carmen & Lourdes Martínez Zabala
Carmen (President) and Lourdes Martínez Zabala (CEO) represent the fourth generation of Familia Martínez Zabala, which owns six wineries in Spain, including Faustino and Portia. The sisters have more than 20 years’ experience in operating the Faustino winery and preserving its legacy of four essential pillars: vineyards, family, sustainability and innovation.
Rioja, Spain
Magali Combard
Magali’s father, Alain Combard, founded the winery in 1992 after discovering its unique terroir in La Londe, a sub-appellation of the Côtes-de-Provence. Today, Magali runs the commercial side of the business while her brother, Francois, is the head winemaker. She is a tireless globetrotter who loves learning about the world and people, and is always on the look-out for trends and new marketing ideas.
Provence, France
Giulia La Scorciosa
Giulia is the winemaker behind Flora Lisa, a new Pinot Grigio made from organic grapes produced exclusively for Winebow by Passione Natura, a winery in Abruzzo founded by the acclaimed Pizzolo family of vintners, driven by their passion for the region and organic farming. Giulia as an Abruzzo native who grew up in a winegrowing family and studied enology and viticulture at the University of Teramo. Her philosophy aligns closely with that of Passione Natura: driving environmentally conscious winemaking through new technologies, from vineyard to bottling.
Abruzzo, Italy
Macha Defraine
Macha was born in November 1988, when her father was in the process of purchasing Château de Fontenille. She spent her childhood and adolescence at the winery and after obtaining her baccalaureate in 2006, began studying decoration and merchandising. In 2017 she decided to take over the family business. She courageously began her studies again to obtain a diploma in viticulture and oenology in Bordeaux and joined the family property in 2020. Currently, she assists her father
in winemaking, wine aging and vineyard management.
Bordeaux, France
Marie-Josèphe Gagnard
Marie-Josèphe Delagrange created Domaine Gagnard-Delagrange with her husband Jacques Gagnard in 1959. After Jacques passed in 2009, the domaine retained 7.4 acres of vineyards that Marie-Josèphe continues to run with the help of her grandson Marc-Antonin Blain. She tends to two small parcels herself: Chassagne Village and a small vineyard of Passetoutgrain called Les Farges.
Burgundy, France
Leto Paraskevopoulou & Sofia Karatsalou
Leto and Sofia are the daughters of Gai’a co-founders Yiannis Paraskevopoulou and Leon Karatsalos and make up the second generation at the winery. Leto became Chief Winemaker for Gai’a’s Santorini wines in 2022. She was born in Athens and studied in the UK, where she received degrees in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Sofia has a degree in crop science, and as of this year, serves as Chief Agronomist for Gai’a’s wineries in both Nemea and Santorini.
Santorini and Nemea, Greece
Prue Henschke
Eden Valley, Australia
Viticulturist Prue and her husband, fifth-generation winemaker Stephen, are the current custodians of the Henschke winery and vineyards, steeped in 150 years of family winemaking history in Barossa’s Eden Valley. Prue’s philosophy is a holistic one – "to ensure our created environment sits in a healthy balance with our natural landscape. I would like to see the next generation inherit a fertile and sustainable land."
Amy Burch
Western Australia, Australia
Amy’s passion for all things Howard Park is immediately evident when you visit the Margaret River winery and cellar door. Her marketing skills, along with her vision, enthusiasm and attention to detail, have been the foundation on which she built
up the business. Amy’s eye for design is particularly evident in the construction of the winery and cellar door at the Leston vineyard. Built along Feng Shui principles, the Margaret River building achieved recognition for design excellence, standing as a modern Australian winery landmark.
Ali Mayfield
Columbia Valley, Washington
Ali Mayfield is an independent winemaker based in Walla Walla, WA. Mentored by the late Stan Clarke, she completed the viticulture and enology program at Walla Walla Community College in 2007. Focusing on small lot, handcrafted wines, Ali is passionate about every step of the winemaking process. Her “leave no stone unturned” approach begins by hand-picking vineyards and constant, thoughtful care of their fruit.
Jennifer Doyle
Tasmania, Australia
Jennifer’s viticultural journey began 28 years ago in her home state of New South Wales. The most recent 12 years have found her firmly planted in (and planting!) southern Tasmania. She began exploring alternative methods of managing pests and disease early in her career, realizing the multi-faceted value of protecting and enhancing biological diversity. She has won multiple awards for her work including for 2017 Australian Women in Wine Viticulturist of the Year.
Mathilde Grivot
Burgundy, France
Domaine Jean Grivot is among the great names in Burgundian wine. Mathilde is the daughter of the estate owners Étienne and Marielle Grivot, and recently took over winemaking duties from her father. Today, the family’s vineyards are densely planted and farmed organically “sans certification,” while the aim in the cellar is for balance and clear expression of terroir.
Donzilia Copeto
Alentejo, Portugal
Donzilia successfully completed her post-graduate in oenology from Évora University following a degree in agricultural, food and engineering industries from Instituto Politécnico de Beja. In 1996 she started working for João Portugal Ramos Family Estates and in 1999 she became a winemaker for their property in Alentejo, as well as production, quality and food safety manager.
Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle
Apalta Valley, Chile
Alexandra envisioned Chile’s enormous potential to produce fine wines from its exceptional terroir in Apalta, where she founded Lapostolle in 1994 and Clos Apalta in 1997. Lapostolle has been a pioneer in the wine industry in Chile, and today the winery continues to elevate the region through the production of premium quality wines with a strong emphasis on eco‐minded sustainability.
Andrea León
Apalta Valley, Chile
Andrea is Lapostolle’s winemaker and technical director. After receiving her enology degree from the University of Santiago, she worked in numerous wine regions in Europe, New Zealand, and the United States. She then returned to Chile, joining the Lapostolle team in 2005 as the on-site winemaker for Clos Apalta, which is considered one of the country’s finest wines. She is now in charge of winemaking across the entire Lapostolle range, and resides near the winery in the heart of Chile’s Colchagua Valley, along with her husband and their two sons.
Denise Dupré
Champagne, France
In 2012, Champagne Leclerc Briant was purchased by Mark Nunnelly and his wife Denise Dupré, an American couple who are great enthusiasts of the French “art de vivre” and who fell in love with the nonconformist character of the House. Denise is also the Founder and Managing Partner of Champagne Hospitality, a hotel design and development company, and has curated an esteemed collection of luxury hotels and vineyards across France and the Caribbean.
Teresa Librandi
Calabria, Italy
Teresa Librandi is the youngest daughter of Antonio Librandi, who founded Librandi with his brother Nicodemo. After graduating with a degree in business administration from the Università Commerciale L. Bocconi in Milan, she worked at PWC in Milan for three years, then moved back to Cirò to join the family business. Associate owner since 2012, she is currently the winery’s Chief Financial Officer.
Alicia Lini
Emilia Romagna, Italy
Alicia Lini is the fourth generation to lead Lini, and is closely involved in everything at the winery, from winemaking to marketing to exports. Her family has been making lambruscos since 1910 and they are dedicated to making Lambrusco with integrity – holding their wines for longer than the industry standard in order to fully allow the bubbles to incorporate into the wine. Lini’s wines are renowned for their signature freshness and classic dry character.
Anne Moreau
Since September 1994, Anne has been responsible for Domaine Louis Moreau’s public relations and has spearheaded the winery’s expansion into export markets such as Norway, Sweden, Italy, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, USA, India and Brazil. Today, she serves as the winery’s Sales and Communications Manager. She has been married to Louis since 1995 and they have two daughters.
Burgundy, France
Jeany Cronk
Provence, France
Jeany Cronk founded Masion Mirabeau along with her husband, Stephen Cronk. The couple made the decision to leave the leafy suburbs of South London behind in exchange for the blue skies and sunshine of Provence, with three young children in tow. Jeany works closely on the Miason Mirabeau look and feel. Her big passions are interior design, the French way of life, and of course, the inspirational flavors and food of Provence.
Maria Carella
Sicily, Italy
Family owned and operated, Cantina Nicosia was founded in 1898, and is currently under the leadership of the fifth generation. It was one of the original wineries to settle on Mount Etna and they currently own 85 hectares there, farming all of their own grapes. Their state-of-the-art winery in the town of Trecastagni covers more than 20,000 square feet, including an ultra- modern bottling line. Maria Carella, one of the few female enologists in Sicily, has been with the winery since 2008 and produces all of the wines.
Julia Gazaniol
Julia's grandfather founded the winery, eventually passing down responsibilities to her father. Today Julia oversees many aspects of the business, including sales management and distribution in 30 countries.
Bordeaux, France
Ashleigh Seymour
McLaren Vale, Australia
After more than a decade working
in Montepulciano, Italy, organic and biodynamic specialist Ashleigh Seymour returned to her native Australia to take a job with Paxton as Chief Winemaker in 2021. At Paxton, Seymour is employing large-format oak and amphora, while limiting winery additions to sulfur, and then only what is needed to be protective across the range that includes typical McLaren Vale varieties Shiraz, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon—as well as those emerging, such as Tempranillo and Graciano.
Lisa, Gaia & Sofia Pecchenino
Piedmont, Italy
The Pecchenino family has been growing vines in Piedmont for over four generations and made the leap from small wine production to a winery of international recognition under brothers Orlando and Attilio Pecchenino. Focused on the production of high-quality Dolcetto, Nebbiolo and a few other select varietals, Pecchenino’s vines are painstakingly cared for by hand. The three daughters of Orlando Pecchenino—Lisa, Gaia, and Sofia—are next in line to lead this pioneering winery. Sofia recently completed a degree in winemaking.
Ilse Bodenstein
Niederoesterreich, Austria
When Ilse married Toni Bodenstein, the two ushered in a profound change, not only at the Prager winery that Isle inherited from her father, but throughout the Wachau. By focusing on specific sites within certain vineyards, the Bodensteins produce exceptional wines that are truly unique to their terroirs and coveted throughout the world.
Clarisse Borau
Clarisse started harvesting and pressing grapes with her feet at the age of 10 in the "garage” winery of her parents’ friends. She trained as an oenologist in Montpellier and worked in Châteauneuf-du-Pape for 2 years. She arrived at Château de Saint Cosme in Gigondas in 2021 as a cellar hand for the harvest and has since become the winemaker of the Barruol family’s second estate: Château de Rouanne in Vinsobres.
Vinsobres, France
Theresa Pichler
Theresa Pichler is the daughter of Rudi Pichler, one of the elite growers of the Wachau, producing wines of precision, power, and longevity. She chose to study International Wine Business and has a variety of responsibilities at the winery. From hosting tastings to vineyard management to assistant winemaker, Theresa has a role in almost every aspect of the estate, and hopes to take over from her father one day.
Wachau, Austria
Carla Prospero and Nadia Zenato
Veneto, Italy
In the mid-1990s, Carla Prospero and her daughter Nadia Zenato acquired a large 18th century farm in the Sirmione area in Lugana called Sansonina, and set about to produce exceptional red wine in a zone known for whites. The name Sansonina belonged to a woman who owned the estate centuries ago, nicknamed “Little Samson” for her strong character.
Valentina, Meri and Alessandra Tessari
Veneto, Italy
Working on land that has been in their family since the 1800s, the Tessari sisters are dedicated to creating terroir-specific, quality Soave wines, using only the native Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave varieties. They represent Suavia’s new generation, with a focus on meticulous vineyard management that includes crop diversification, manual pruning, and the use of natural products and grass planting to preserve soil vitality. Valentina is the winemaker, while Alessandra and Meri look after the export and domestic markets.
Sabine Tiefenbrunner
Alto Adige, Italy
Founded in 1848, the Tiefenbrunner Castel Turmhof winery owes its name to the ancient castle known today as the home of the Tiefenbrunner family. Wine grapes have been cultivated in this hamlet amid the awe-inspiring Italian Alps for over 300 years. In 2012, Christof and his wife Sabine took official full control, making them the fifth generation to run the family winery.
Guillermina Van Houten
Mendoza, Argentina
Guillermina has always been fascinated by nature and understanding how it works. Born a scientist at heart, her focus is to care for the grape and its environment as a whole to create the best wines. Her passion for sustainability was awakened while studying in France. What inspires Guillermina about winemaking is the fact that a piece
of Mendoza’s land is able to travel to the farthest parts of the world in a bottle of wine.
Nathalie Tollot
Nathalie grew up on her family’s domaine and is now a fifth-generation vigneronne, running the estate with her two cousins. Tollot-Beaut has become one of the most prestigious in Burgundy, thanks in part to Nathalie. Today, she is responsible for managing the business side of the domaine, handling all hospitality, communication, and marketing efforts.
Burgundy, France
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Wendy Borg
Tasmania, Australia
Tasmanian viticulturalist, Wendy Borg, has farmed the Tolpuddle Vineyard for 12 years, possessing intimate knowledge and an unmatched passion for each vine and season since Tolpuddle Vineyard’s first release in 2012. She inherited her green thumb and love of gardening from her father.
Rita Tua
Toscana, Italy
One of the most celebrated wineries in Tuscany’s Maremma since their first vintage in 1992, Tua Rita has achieved cult-like status for its Redigaffi, the winery’s 100-point Merlot. Rita Tua and her husband Virgilio Bisti are the owners and their daughter Simena, who is one of the directors of the winery, is actively involved in its daily operations.
Giulia Migliorati
Abruzzo, Italy
Originally from the small town of Capestrano in Abruzzo, Giulia studied economics and international business in Rome. She initially worked in the fashion industry, eventually pivoting to wine. In 2012, she returned to her hometown, where she took a position as the export manager for Valle Reale, an organic and biodynamic winery nestled inside one of Italy’s most beautiful national parks. Together with owner Leonardo Pizzolo, she oversees the estate’s global distribution and sales.
Virginia Willcock
Western Australia, Australia
Since 2006, Virginia has been the chief winemaker at Margaret River’s founding wine estate, Vasse Felix, and behind some of the most critically-acclaimed wines in Australia. She has an insatiable curiosity for the role microbiology plays in grapes and in the vineyard, and this has driven the development of her revolutionary winemaking style at the winery.
Priyanka Kulkarni
Marlborough, New Zealand
When Priyanka Kulkarni learned she couldn’t pursue her dream of becoming a pilot in the air force, her sister suggested a trip to Nashik, home of India’s emerging wine scene. After visiting a few wineries there, Priyanka was immediately hooked on winemaking. She took a role as assistant winemaker at York Winery in India, and later worked vintages in China, Portugal, Austria, Germany, the U.S., and New Zealand. In 2019 she decided to make Marlborough home, joining Villa Maria’s winemaking team.
Sonia Spadaro
Sicily, Italy
Sonia is the co-founder along with Stefano Saccardi (a veteran in the spirits industry) of Musa, a company specialized in creating Sicilian Spirits with rare local ingredients. Their first launch was Vulcanica, an extra- premium hand-crafted vodka from Mount Etna obtained by distilling ancient Sicilian grains. Sonia’s role is to select the best ancient Sicilian grains; Vulcanica is made from a unique blend of organic, high- protein, low-gluten, savory grains that have been a part of the daily diet on the island for millennia.
Sandra Tavares
Sandra, owner and winemaker of Wine & Soul, started her winemaking journey in 2001, with the goal of creating wines that showcase the traditional varieties of Portugal’s Douro Valley. She has since achieved international acclaim for her wines. Sandra is a highly talented oenologist, considered by many to define the New Douro generation.
Douro, Portugal
Louisa Rose
South Australia and Tasmania, Australia
During her 30+-year career at Yalumba, Australia’s oldest family-owned winery, Louisa became one of the world’s most respected winemakers—forging an identity for Australian Viognier, challenging perceptions of Barossa Shiraz, leading her viti- and vinicultural teams to ever greater heights, and giving up her nights, weekends, and spare moments for the betterment of Australian wine. In 2023, she took on a new leadership role as Head of Sustainability for the Hill-Smith Family Estates.
Nadia Zenato
Veneto, Italy
Founded in 1960 by Sergio and Carla Zenato, the Zenato winery was originally based on the production of quality wines from an indigenous variety, Trebbiano di Lugana. Over time, the winery has been passed to Sergio and Carla’s children, who have maintained and expanded upon this vision. Their daughter Nadia currently handles the marketing and promotional activities for the company.