The owner of the new Dobbins Hollow Winery (and VWW member) Mark Bignell drove from Floyd to Charlottesville for VWW’s Harvest Party dinner in October. He was hoping for leads on hiring a female winemaker. He thinks women are more collaborative, and that’s especially important for isolated wineries, like his in southern Virginia. I referred him to an experienced consulting winemaker nearby, and within a month or two, he and Jocelyn Kuzelka had met and collaborated. He hired a new (female) winemaker, and contracted with Jocelyn to be her guide. Perfect!
Could Mark have just emailed me for ideas? Of course. But he made the drive because he knew the importance of personal connections. And that’s the point of Virginia Women in Wine – personal connections, the power of community.
And in 2024, we made a lot of connections.
In August, after six months of planning and very hard work, the fifteen-woman board of directors launched Virginia Women in Wine at an energy-filled Launch Party at Eastwood Winery. More than 160 members, friends, and supporters came out. What a night to remember – the power of community and the vibrancy of women.
VWW Founder and President Nancy Bauer, VWW Trailblazer Award winner Lucie Morton, and Christine Vrooman, Ankida Ridge Vineyard owner at the VWW Launch Party 2024
Full house at Eastwood Farm Winery for VWW Launch Party, August 2024
Felicia Rogan
VWW Board Member Stephanie Pence and President Nancy Bauer present 2024 Trailblazer Award to Felicia Rogan
Emma Randel
Virginia wine pioneer and 2024 Trailblazer Award recipient Emma Randel
Lucie Morton
2024 Trailblazer Award recipient Lucie Morton with Katie Garrett and Joyce Rigby
In September, we began work on our white paper, Closing the Gender Gap in Winemaking. The author, Alicia Cypress, is a knowledgeable wine writer and Governor’s Cup judge. She understands the industry. She’s interviewed nearly 40 people to better understand why women make up only 17% of winemakers in Virginia – and, coincidentally, in the country – and to collect not only answers, but also solutions. The first-of-its-kind paper will be launched in March.
In October, we gathered at Southwest Mountain Vineyards for our first Harvest Party dinner, where we solved all the world’s problems (or at least all winery problems!) over a blazing firepit and abundant s’mores. Maybe “firepit” should become a VWW dinner venue requirement? Conversation and problem-solving is easy over cozy crackling logs. Hugs all around when we said our goodbyes.
In November, our first statewide marketing event, Women in Wine Weekend Holidays Kickoff, sent hundreds of new customers and old friends to 35 of our member wineries, where they enjoyed women-in-wine workshops, craft fairs, special holiday tasting flights, and lots more. Our high-visibility social media promotion (funded through a grant from Virginia Wine Marketing) reached over a quarter-million wine fans on Facebook and Instagram, reminding consumers that Virginia Wine Country is also a great place to visit in November and December.
In December, the VWW board met to begin planning for 2025. How can I explain the magic that happened when five of the women who’d served their term and planned to step off the board did a complete about-face and re-joined the board because of the camaraderie the group has built? Did that actually happen? It was a beautiful, beautiful thing. And then each woman in the room wrote their commitment for the year on the wall – what they would personally do to help fulfill the mission and the promise of Virginia Women in Wine in 2025. Just wow.
As first years go, Virginia Women in Wine’s was a grand slam. Thank you for being such an important part of that, such a good friend, and for the early support you gave us. We think you’ll like what’s coming up for 2025, and hope you stay personally connected to us. That’s what makes it work 😉
A few quick updates…
- We’re thrilled to receive another grant from the Virginia Wine Marketing Office for our Virginia Women in Wine Trail in March, for Women’s History Month!
- Virginia Wine Benefit has named us as a beneficiary of their 2025 VWB Auction! Please be sure to attend the Auction on April 25 at the Wool Factory in Charlottesville!
- We have several high-visibility Sponsorships available this year, including the Women in Wine Trail in March, and our Closing the Gender Gap in Winemaking paper. Please contact me for details of this very important way to gain visibility while also supporting VWW initiatives!
- We will soon begin quarterly member and consumer enewsletters. If you are interested in advertising in those publications, please contact me for details.
- VWW has a new Volunteer Group! If you would like to support VWW through short-term research or marketing projects, please send an email to the Volunteer Group Coordinator, Terri Newman-Hyde, at terri@nnkwinediva.com
Please say hello to the 2025 Virginia Women in Wine Board of Directors!
- President: Nancy Bauer, Virginia Wine Love
- First Vice President: Megan Hereford, Daring Wine Co; Scott Labs
- Second Vice President: Shannon Horton, Horton Vineyards
- Secretary: Jeannine Wenners
- Treasurer: Vicki Ruckman, Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail
- Director: Stephanie Pence, Brix & Columns Vineyards
- Director: Catherine Grigas
- Director: Maria Rafferty, The Winery at Sunshine Ridge Farm
- Director: Athena Eastwood, Eastwood Farm Winery
- Director: Seidah Armstrong, Sweet Vines Farm Winery
- Director: Amanda Darvill, Fox Meadow Vineyard
- Director: Janel Laravie, Wolf Gap Vineyard
- Director: AJ Greely, Hark Vineyards (Liaison, Virginia Vineyards Association)
- Director: Kathy Wiedemann
- Director: Hailey Zurschmeide, Bluemont Vineyards
- Director: Luanne Gutermuth, Good Spirit Farm Winery
VWW is supported by VWW Business Manager Shea Awad of S24 Solutions, and VWW Web Developer Michelle Coe of BlueSkyPhoenix.
Without our many generous benefactors, we could not have gotten off the ground.
50 West Vineyards
Barboursville Vineyards
Barrel Oak Winery
Bluemont Vineyards
Brix & Columns Vineyard
Fifty-Third Vineyard
Fox Meadow Winery
Hamlet Vineyards
Hazy Mountain Vineyards
Imbibe Solutions
Keswick Vineyards
Merrie Mill Winery
Molon Lave Vineyards
Pippin Hill Winery
Prince Michel Winery
Southwest Mountain Vineyards
Slater Run Vineyards
Stone Tower Winery
Sunset Hills Vineyards
The Winery at Kindred Pointe
The Winery at Sunshine Ridge Farm
Williams Compliance & Consulting Group
Wolf Gap Vineyards
We look forward to seeing all of you out in 2025, and connecting with you. We have a LOT planned 😉
Warmest wishes for a happy, healthy, and connected 2025.
Cheers,
Nancy Bauer
Virginia Women in Wine Founder & President
PS – We have a membership for you!
PPS – You can reach us here: info@virginiawomeninwine.com