Meet 9 of the World's Top Women Vintners
Pat Dudley, cofounder of Bethel Heights Vineyard, Oregon
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Ann Noble, PhD
Professor emerita, University of California, Davis, and creator of the Wine Aroma Wheel
Can you explain the aroma wheel?
It's an easy, intuitive way to help people describe the aromas in wine, using words like caramel, asparagus and green grass. Being able to talk about wines helps us understand and appreciate them.
Do you have a favorite piece of wine advice?
Go to places like Trader Joe's, which have lots of good, inexpensive choices. But don't drink the same two-buck Chuck every night. If you always drink the same thing, you might as well be drinking tomato juice.
Pat Dudley
Advocate for certified wine and cofounder of Bethel Heights Vineyard, Salem, Oregon
What would you like to be known for?
Helping to develop the Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine (OCSW) program, because it's a rigorous green label that actually means something. Today a third of Oregon vineyards are certified.
What's your best wine advice?
Ask your wine store to direct you to bottles certified sustainable by a reputable third party (like Demeter Biodynamic or OCSW). If consumers request it, retailers will take note.
Heidi Peterson Barrett
Winemaker and proprietress at La Sirena Winery, Napa Valley
What's the most impressive wine you've ever created?
One of my wines, the 1992 Screaming Eagle, holds the world record for the highest price ever paid for a single bottle of wine—half a million dollars.
What would surprise people about your job?
They'd be shocked at how much work winemaking is. This morning I was driving a forklift, loading up a truck, and bottling. It's not at all glamorous.
Next: 6 wine myths debunked
Professor emerita, University of California, Davis, and creator of the Wine Aroma Wheel
Can you explain the aroma wheel?
It's an easy, intuitive way to help people describe the aromas in wine, using words like caramel, asparagus and green grass. Being able to talk about wines helps us understand and appreciate them.
Do you have a favorite piece of wine advice?
Go to places like Trader Joe's, which have lots of good, inexpensive choices. But don't drink the same two-buck Chuck every night. If you always drink the same thing, you might as well be drinking tomato juice.
Pat Dudley
Advocate for certified wine and cofounder of Bethel Heights Vineyard, Salem, Oregon
What would you like to be known for?
Helping to develop the Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine (OCSW) program, because it's a rigorous green label that actually means something. Today a third of Oregon vineyards are certified.
What's your best wine advice?
Ask your wine store to direct you to bottles certified sustainable by a reputable third party (like Demeter Biodynamic or OCSW). If consumers request it, retailers will take note.
Heidi Peterson Barrett
Winemaker and proprietress at La Sirena Winery, Napa Valley
What's the most impressive wine you've ever created?
One of my wines, the 1992 Screaming Eagle, holds the world record for the highest price ever paid for a single bottle of wine—half a million dollars.
What would surprise people about your job?
They'd be shocked at how much work winemaking is. This morning I was driving a forklift, loading up a truck, and bottling. It's not at all glamorous.
Next: 6 wine myths debunked
Photo: Mimi Casteel
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