Deborah Brenner often finds herself in California”™s wine country.
It”™s no surprise, since the founder and president of Women of the Vine is in the business.
But it was her most recent trip earlier this month that may prove her most memorable, highlighted by an event the Piermont woman summed up as “very spectacular.”
It was a grand tasting in Napa Valley that featured some 30 of the region”™s acclaimed women winemakers and winery owners pouring their prized products.
In addition to the gathering of winemaking notables, the tasting also served to launch a national wine club, in collaboration with MORE magazine, along with an online wine shop. MORE Uncorked with Women of the Vine and The Wine Marketplace, an online component to the Women of the Vine”™s offerings, take Brenner to yet another level.
“This was kind of like my next phase,” she said. “We”™ve just gone through so many developments in the company.”
Women of the Vine, a collaboration of women winemakers, proprietors and sustainable family grape growers, grew out of Brenner”™s book of the same name, the first step in what has proven to be a most rewarding second act.
For nearly 20 years, Brenner was working in marketing and business development for the film and television communities. The executive was looking for change, wanting to branch out as an entrepreneur. Running her own marketing and public relations firm for three years, she found her love of food and wine bringing her to Napa Valley where she came across women in the winemaking business. The idea for a book was born, with Brenner making return visits to conduct interviews ”“ and soon realizing there was a great opportunity to further promote these women winemakers and put a spotlight on their stories.
The book”™s success, chosen by Wine Spectator magazine as “critical reading” in 2007, spurred Women of the Vine”™s scope to not only champion women vintners but also offer wine under its own label (sold through womenofthevine.com).
“We”™ve gone through a lot of changes in the last 20 years, how products are marketed,” Brenner said. “It”™s giving the consumer a choice to buy directly.”
Brenner says that wine distribution is a challenging field, with a complex collection of post-Prohibition laws that govern which entities can distribute and sell alcoholic beverages. It is often difficult for small, family-owned and boutique wineries to get their products to a broad market.
“It was such a learning experience when I first got into the industry,” she said.
But changes continue, which will shape how people are able to buy wine in coming years, she said.
Another change is a growing interest in these wineries, a move that parallels increased attention to locally sourced food, organic products and artisan creations. She noted that much like the way farmers”™ markets offer a way to keep communities connected to those who grow food locally, Women of the Vine helps build a community around winemaking. It”™s part of why, she said, Women of the Vine became the first and only winery partner of Farm Aid, the nonprofit founded by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young with a mission to keep family farmers on their land.
“We really wanted to preserve the timeless partnership with the farmer and the vintner,” Brenner said.
Held on International Women”™s Day, that Napa Valley tasting was especially rewarding, Brenner said, as it was another step in raising awareness.
Wine club partner MORE magazine, with 2 million readers, will bring these women winemakers to a much larger audience.
“Women are really big players in the wine world, so we wanted to be able to reach out to these women,” said Brenner, who noted that “71 percent of wine retail purchases in America are made by women.”
Those who join the club receive a subscription to the magazine, a copy of the “Women of the Vine” book and a shipment of wine to be sent each quarter, with quantity determined by level selected.
“We want to be able to give the consumer the opportunity to make their choice,” Brenner said.
While she said that her goal is to spotlight the women behind the wines, she noted the wine offered by Women of the Vine is there to be enjoyed by all.
“We just happen to be women making great wine,” Brenner said. “We are not making wine for women.”
