What's Going On in the World of French Wines

Last week, in honor of International Women’s Day, we covered some of the interesting women involved with the wine industry. There were so many different women in France I wanted to mention that I had to break up the article into two parts! So here is Part II and some more information about notable French women who are an important part of French culture or the French wine industry.

Beaujolais

In the past, one could say that Beaujolais has been dominated by the popularity of one man’s name. These days, while that name is still very well-known, there are a host of other names that are gaining in popularity and reputation. When I was in Beaujolais last year, I had the pleasure to meet with and taste with Jocelyne Dépardon of Domaine du Point du Jour in Fleurie. Her knowledge of the region was fascinating and the wines, which she makes with her brother, were inspiring. If you can find the wines, I recommend them. I think it is also terrific that there is an organization of women in Beaujolais these days that is working together to build up the reputation of the region and their wines. They call themselves Étoiles en Beaujolais – the stars of Beaujolais and there is one woman representing each appellation in the region. Such a cool idea!

Jura and Savoie

When it comes to these two areas, there is one woman whose name I would like to mention: Wink Lorch. Wink is an UK-based wine writer and educator and she is one of the few who specializes in the regions of the Jura and the Savoie. If you ever want to learn more about these two wonderful areas, I highly recommend checking out her website which also specializes in information relating to wine travel.

Languedoc-Roussillon

For a part of France that is reinventing itself, it should come as no surprise that there are any number of women involved in the wine industry in the Languedoc-Roussillon. There is actually an organization devoted to women winemakers there called ViniFilles. There are also two women I know who write and blog about the Languedoc-Roussillon. Juliet Bruce Jones MW and Rosemary George MW both write about all of the exciting things going on in the region – so be sure to check out their blogs!

Loire

When talking about famous women of the Loire, it is hard to not focus solely on the historical figures who lived in the region. Diane de Poitiers (the mistress of Henry II), and Catherine de Médicis (his wife), both played a role in the development of one of the best recognized castles in the region – Château de Chenonceau. And another famous woman connected to the Loire is Joan of Arc. In 1429, Joan of Arc and Charles VII of France met in Chinon. One female winemaker from the Loire whose wines I always enjoy is Catherine Breton, who makes wines with her husband Pierre and also makes her own sparkling Vouvray called La Dilettante.

Provence

Provence’s winemaking group for women is called Les Eleonores de Provence in honor of Eleanor of Provence who was married to Henry III of England.

Rhône

There is also an association of women winemakers in the Rhône. Called Femmes Vignes Rhône, the group was started in 2004 and now has 30 members – a terrific sign of the growing role that women are playing in the wine industry there. And on a less serious note, one of my favorite wine myths has to do with the women of the Rhône. Supposedly, the names for the Côte Blonde and the Côte Brune, sections of the Côte-Rôtie appellation, received their names because the Marquis Maugiron had two daughters – one with dark hair and the other with, yes, you guessed it, blonde hair. I’ve always found this an amusing way to remember the names of these two parts of Côte-Rôtie.

So there you go – and remember, this is just a small snapshot of some of the notable women who are part of French culture and the French wine industry. I know there are so many I haven’t mentioned. If you have any women you’d like to mention, be sure to leave me a comment below!