Rooted in a love of growing things and a deep curiosity for wine, her path into winemaking has been shaped by instinct, experimentation and dedication. From unpaid vineyard work to leading her own site and producing her own wines, her journey reflects a new generation of makers redefining what wine culture can look like. Here, she shares how it all began, the challenges she’s navigated, and what continues to inspire her.
How did your journey into winemaking begin? What was your first role in the industry?
It sort of came from a love of growing things but also being a bit obsessed with drinking and understanding wine. With learning more and coming to understand wine as an agricultural product, something kinda clicked that I could grow this thing I loved and it just became an obsession for me. I went down the rabbit hole pretty fast! I did lots of unpaid vineyard and winery work through the years while figuring things out and worked with some people who really inspired me, I guess that would count? After my degree I became assistant winemaker at 2Naturkinder in Germany.
As a woman in the winemaking world, what has been your biggest challenge?
The natural wine world is full of people who think differently and reflect on things so that's always been a safe space for me. I've been lucky that this has been my community since the beginning. However, winery and vineyard work is quite physical and often people can think you are not capable which can be irritating.
What achievement or moment in your career are you most proud of?
It’s a collection of moments I guess. The joy of the first harvest after making it through my first season on my very own site, the bottling of my first wine, the first time I saw my wine on a list, and maybe buying my very own (very old and tired) tractor! Honestly, every time I make it through a season and make a wine I am proud.
What do you wish someone had told you when you were just starting out in the wine industry?
That, like anything, you must trust your own instincts. In the end, it’s the human element that makes for intriguing wines.
Who inspires you most in the world of wine?
Everyone I’ve ever worked for or with or studied with has inspired me in some way! Diedre at La Garagista was a really big inspiration for me and she was generous enough to open her world to me in 2019 for harvest. She showed me that it is possible to break this very masculine, sharp edges, industrial side of the industry that was depressing me a bit at my wine university — and it ends with very beautiful wines! My mind was opened to a whole world of hybrid grapes that I am now obsessed with.
What changes would you love to see that would make the wine industry more inclusive, equitable, and supportive for everyone?
I think it’s important to stay open and curious, for people to respect and listen to each other, and to move away from binary thinking.
From vineyard to bottle, her approach to winemaking is guided by intuition, curiosity and a belief in doing things differently. As she continues to shape her own path in the industry, she represents a shift toward a more thoughtful, inclusive and human-centred wine culture — one where individuality is celebrated and new voices are welcomed.
