Look For These Women Winemakers In Southwest Florida

Thanks to Sonoma Cutrer for sending me a free bottle of wine to try in exchange for an unbiased review

March is Women's History Month. To celebrate, I'm featuring a variety of women winemakers every week for Wine Wednesday. These are women who are doing some cool things in the industry. Not only are their wines available in Southwest Florida, but they have also visited Naples, Fort Myers and other cities nearby, developing a following of local wine drinkers.

First, a winery that is well known for it's chardonnay and pinot noir, Sonoma-Cutrer. However, many don't know that women lead the winemaking team and have for years. Cara Morrison is Director of Winemaking, and winemaker Zidanelia Arcidiacono, heads the Sustainability and Environmental Team. To hear a more in depth interview I did with Zidanelia, click here. She has a great story.

Amy Ash is an entrepreneur and although a native of Napa Valley, her career in the wine business was not a given. She owned a real estate investment business in Tampa for years. After selling the company, a friend in California speculated, she would be good at selling wine. Amy thought so too. She returned to California and did just that. Next, she began consulting wineries and was eventually hired fulltime by the Frias Family where she is General Manager.

Her eye for real estate and passion for the business inspired the creation of her own brand, Aequitas. Amy currently makes three wines and the production is limited. Luckily, the brand has recently become available in Southwest Florida. I hung out with her on a visit to the area last month and attended a wine dinner where she poured several Frias wines. In addition, I was able to taste her wines Aequitas. The Coombsville Cab was a fave. Here are a few photos,

I also got to hang out with Bibiana Gonzalez Rave in Sonoma recently. She was a Women in Wine feature last year. Check this out.

Women in wine volume 2 for Women’s History Month is a new feature for Wine Wednesday during the month of March. March is Women's History Month and women are indeed making history in the world of wine. Women such as Bibiana Gonzalez Rave, founder and winemaker of Alma de Cattleya Wines.

I was introduced to Bibiana Gonzalez Rave many years ago and almost always have her wines in my home stash. She grew up in Columbia which is not a thriving wine country. However, as a teenager her parents introduced her to the art of  wine with dinner when going out. It sparked a curiosity that eventually lead her to grab a backpack and head France. She learned how to make wine in the prestigious region of Bordeaux. In 2004 she went to California to experience a wine harvest and a few years later moved to Sonoma.

Cattelaya is the national flower of Columbia, a nod to her roots. It's a beautiful, orchid that adorns her labels. She has two tiers of wine,  Alma de Cattelaya is a little more affordable. In a typical year, she produces six different wines. I love the rose of pinot noir. It has great strawberry notes and nice body.

Her sauvignon blanc sees a little oak which helps round out bitterness and add some texture. Lemongrass and melon are two of the flavors that stand out. For Chardonnay lovers, Bibiana makes a couple of them. I'm not a huge fan of this grape but every one that I've tried of hers is outstanding, well balanced. The pinot noir is also outstanding, with layers of flavors and lots of red fruit.

The wines are low production and  range in price from $22 to $48. You can find them in Florida or direct from the winery. In addition to Catteleya, Bibiana makes a sauvignon blanc with her well-known wine making husband, Jeff Pisoni. It's called Shared Notes and if you can find it, it's fantastic.

Julie Glenn and I interviewed Bibiana a couple of years ago for our Grape Minds Wine podcast. To hear more about her story and wines, click here. In the meantime, look for Bibiana's wines. Cheers to women in wine volume 2 for Women’s History Month.

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