8 women, 8 wines
Sounds like a François Ozon movie. Béatrice Puech, Bordeaux rive droite sales manager for Saury, has chosen wine and women as the theme for the day. A day marked by conviviality, richness and diversity of backgrounds and exchanges between the protagonists.
On May 24, 8 ladies with a common passion for wine met at Maison Dubreuil, a few kilometers from Saint-Emilion’s historic town. “It was a first, and I hope there will be more,” emphasized Béatrice Puech. At the beginning of the day, all participants met at Maison Dubreuil at 10am.
In the kitchen
Most of the women present – winegrowers, winemakers, consultants, oenologists… – didn’t know each other before this day, or only by name or reputation. They all have vineyards and wines in common, and come from Bordeaux’s Right Bank, which stretches from the northern Dordogne, with vineyards such as Libournais to the east, Bourgeais (Bourg and Côtes de Bourg), Blayais (Blaye and Côte de Blaye) to the northwest, not to mention Saint-Emilion, Pomerol and around. “The goal,” says Béatrice, “was to bring people together from the same region, with a shared passion for wine. Create links, exchange experiences, share know-how, create connections for the future”. As an hors d’oeuvre, a cooking masterclass with home chef Aurélien Mallia. “It worked really well. On the menu for this master-class was a dessert: crunchy choux with caramelized ganache, chocolate sauce with sweet spices… “. We did everything from A to Z, and we should all be able to do it again at home. Questions and tips came from all sides. This moment set the mood and welded the group together for the rest of the day”.
One woman, one story
The day continued with a visit to La Maison Dubreuil and its estate before we moved on to lunch. “Lunch was an opportunity for a roundtable where each of us introduced ourselves. I had asked my guests to bring a bottle of wine that was meaningful to them.” Career changes, taking over the family vineyard, switching domains… each path is significant and raises the question of the role of women in the wine industry, from the vineyard to marketing, including winemaking. “Of course, we talked about wood and aging in all its forms: barrels, large containers, casks… and the union of wood with the wine matrix. Clémence, for example, has just joined her parents at Château Juguet and brought a bottle of her first vintage. Patricia, in addition to wine marketing, will be managing the cellar at Grand Français for the next vintage; she is a strong advocate of Saury and the Écrin barrel.” Sarah, from Domaine Saint-Amand, was previously in wine sales, “this is a career change. I wanted to see it through and make my own wine. I also developed a wine tourism activity.” More and more women are present in the wine world, and not just in accounting. “When I attend trade shows, I’m often asked whose wife I am. I’m the winemaker,” says Anne, head of Château Lapelletrie. Women must now be considered, and relied upon, in today’s viticulture. They are increasingly present in the vineyards, in the cellars, at trade shows. “Each of us has her share of past and present experiences and future projects. Each of our guests has a unique profile that deserves to be highlighted, like Charlotte, who joined Château Clos Cantenac as technical director after traveling the world, or Elodie, the technical manager of Château Siaurac. Not to forget Cécile and Valérie, who work on the other side of wine alongside the winemakers.”
Our guests
Charlotte Krajewski, Château Clos Cantenac : https://www.closcantenac.com/ Anne Biscaye, Château Lapelletrie : https://lapelletrie.com/ Elodie Kaminski, Château Siaurac : https://www.siaurac.com/ Sarah Simon, Domaine de Saint-Amand : https://domainedesaintamand.fr/ Patricia Féraud, Château Grand Français : https://www.grand-francais.com/ Clémence Richet, Château Juguet : https://chateau-juguet.com/ Cécile Cazaux, Oenomaitrise : https://www.oenomaitrise.com/ Valérie Lalle, MT Vins, https://mt-vins-bordeaux.fr/
