Barossa Valley, South Australia

The Club - 2020 Dandelion 'Menagerie of the Barossa' G.S.M. (80% Grenache, 15% Shiraz, 5% Mataro)

At the end of our old vine garden path there is a historic Menagerie of three grape varieties, adjoining blocks of Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro at Gomersal in the Barossa.

Referred to as the “Menagerie” a historically mixed block of vines in Barossa, this GSM will take your palate out on safari. Voluptuously dark violet hues,  turn into an intense spring-summer nose reminiscent of succulent red fruits, pink pepper berries and a hit of cinnamon and Asian spice. Nuances of blackberry liqueur, chippy dark chocolate, and fleshy Damson plums, mulberries and an impressive structure balanced by spicy oak compliment the lively red fruit acidity. The palate is opulent; intense, supple and  balanced by soft velvety tannins, all mingled together in a dark parade of hedonistic delights.

Dandelion Vineyards was started by Bulgarian born winemaker Elena Brooks and her husband Zar. They grow their own grapes as well as source fabulous old vine fruit from some of the finest family vineyards in Barossa, McLare Vale, and Eden Valley.

Bulgarian born Aussie winemaker Elena Brooks is our favorite kind of traveled. At 16 she was already producing Chardonnay; she started her first winery at 23 after attending Oenology school in Adelaide. Now with the Dandelion label, her influence is poised to spread far and wide, not unlike the white puffs of a Dandelion seed. Make a wish on these!

Stellenbosch, South Africa

The Club - 2021 Glenelly Glass Collection, Unwooded Chardonnay

Glenelly Estate owes its success to the rich history of the estate, dating back to 1682 when Simon van der Stel ceded the land to a French Huguenot, Francois Villion. This, combined with May de Lencquesaing’s family legacy of centuries in the wine industry, has made Glenelly a wine estate of note.

In 2003, at the age of 78, May de Lencquesaing, then owner of the famous Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, a Grand Cru Classé from Pauillac, Bordeaux, purchased the estate, part of the original Ida’s Valley farm, granted in 1682 by Simon van der Stel. With a nod to the French Huguenot settlers 300 years before, she set about planting vines to replace the existing fruit trees, realising her vision of establishing a thriving winery that best utilises the soils and microclimate of the valley and supports local economic development and the community. Thus, Glenelly Estate was reborn.

Piedmont Plateau, Carroll County, Maryland

The Club - 2022 Old Westminster "Pepper" Red

The Premier - 2022 Old Westminster "Salt" White

The Salt & Pepper at the table together! Delicious wines for everyday drinking.

Our family moved to the farm that is now Old Westminster Winery in the summer of 2000. The abandoned juniper nursery wasn't much to look at, just some rolling hills dotted with hundreds of neglected, tangled shrubs. But we were kids full of energy and found the boundless adventures of open fields to be exhilarating. We held nothing but excitement for the future.

Our mom was a ‘90s homesteader — homeschooling three children on a farm, tending to a garden, and turning every project into a DIY endeavor. Most of our projects worked out well with the help of our dad, a skilled carpenter. Our upbringing was unconventional. We learned the art of hospitality from our mom, a trained hospice nurse, and entrepreneurship from our dad, who owned his own construction company. 

In 2008, the economic downturn halted our parents' construction company. They were empty nesters while the three of us kids were away at college and listed the farm for sale for over a year. Not a person came to look at the property. So a new idea was born: an agricultural business. 

At that time, we were all busy studying — business management, chemistry and marketing, respectively. We thought the idea of a family business was exciting and after a candid "I'm in if you're in" discussion, we set our aspirations on a vision to cultivate noteworthy wines that reflect our family and farm.

In 2011, on a loan from our grandfather, we purchased and planted 10,000 grapevines by hand on our land. That summer, our dad built a small pole barn for grape processing and winemaking. We embarked on our new story: Drew at the helm of vineyard management, Lisa the art of winemaking, and Ashli documenting the journey along the way.

We now farm a combined 134 acres between our vineyard at Old Westminster and our second site, Burnt Hill Farm, in Montgomery County. Along with 50,000 grape vines, we also tend to an apiary, a herd of woodland hogs, a mushroom farm and fields of heritage grains. You can find much of what's grown or raised at Burnt Hill Farm atop pizzas at Old Westminster. We're happy to serve seasonally rotating wines alongside wood-fired pizzas.

In 2023, Old Westminster Winery was named a top winery in the U.S. by Cosmopolitan Magazine and USA Today. We are proud of the story of Old Westminster and we look forward to sharing in these future chapters with you.

Cheers,

Lisa, Drew and Ashli

Dry Creek, Healdsburg, California

The Premier - 2022 Ward Four Grist Vineyard Petite Sirah

If you don't know already, you should; one of our favorite and repeat winemakers and producers, Justin!

Ward Four Wines is a Black woman-owned micro winery run and operated by Justin Traube. We can never say enough awesome things about Justin and her wine, nor her passionate heart & soul, which is well represented in every bottle.

Originally from Washington, DC, Justin was destined for the wine industry. With over 7 years of luxury winemaking experience in both the US and Internationally, as well as a degree in Wine Business at Cal Poly SLO, Justin is so excited to share her craft with you!

In 2016, Justin moved abroad to Adelaide, Australia where she discovered her passion for winemaking. Shortly after moving back to the US she got down and dirty at her first harvest internship in Santa Barbara CA. Since then she has completed 14 vintages with some of the best producers in the world, gaining a special fondness and appreciation for low intervention, intentional winemaking that honors the sense of place.

When she is not in the cellar you can find Justin in the kitchen, watching scary films, thinking up her next fantasy world, or chatting over a glass of wine, pet rat on shoulder.

Each bottle features an artist, specially selected by Justin. The Petite Sirah label was created by Artist: Jordan Rhema Labbe (she/they) -Rhema Jordan Labbe is a Washington, D.C. native artist and designer. Jordan’s work represents narratives of identity and an understanding of the unseen. Their synergistic relationship to art, design and strategy has produced multiform bodies of work that include portfolios in studio art, writing, and design.

Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina

The Premier - 2021 Balbo Signature Brioso, Single Vineyard-Agrelo

Brioso means “a spirited love of challenge” and it expresses my passionate drive to create a wine that reaches the pinnacle of quality. Refined and elegant, this red blend results from the combination of my winemaking skills, knowledge and the uniqueness of Agrelo, one of the best terroirs in Argentina.

Susana Balbo is a family-run winery, focused on high-end wine production, located in Mendoza, Argentina, at the foothills of the Andes mountain range. It was founded in 1999 by Susana Balbo, Argentina's first female winemaker.

Few winemakers of whatever sex have in so short a period of time achieved the respect and honors of Argentina’s Susana Balbo, whose wines I have long counted among the best coming out of the Mendoza territory.

Early on, Balbo sought to pursue a career in nuclear physics, which her parents thought a “very unconventional choice for the time” and refused to let her leave Mendoza. So she knuckled under and became involved with the family’s viticultural business and in 1981 became the first woman in Argentina to receive a degree in enology.

In 1999 she founded Susana Balbo Wines in Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, and today her son, José, graduate of UC Davis, and daughter, Ana, graduate of University San Andrés (Buenos Aires), have joined her in the family venture.

She is known to some as the "wonder -wine-woman." With more awards and acclaim to list than space available here, The Drinks Business Magazine summed it up by listing her in the "Top 10 most influencial women in the wine industry." Period.

Vouvray, Loire Valley, France

The Premier - 2022 Champalou Vouvray

Catherine and Didier Champalou both come from a long line of vignerons—Catherine represents the twelfth generation in her family to make wine in Vouvray, while Didier, from the Poitou region just to the south, marks the sixth generation of his family to dedicate his life to the vine. Didier and Catherine’s daughter, Céline, joined the domaine in 2006 after internships in New Zealand, South Africa, the Languedoc, Corsica, and Canada. Céline now runs the show at Champalou, with her parents always nearby to lend a hand when needed. There is no question that the tradition and quality for which this domaine is known will continue for many years to come.

In 2003, with a degree in Viticulture and Oenology in the pocket, Céline left home to work in the spirt of “Companions and Artisans” in order to discover all of the available opportunities. These years of roaming brought her to New Zealand, South Africa and Canada (from the sugar shacks in Quebec to the vineyards in the Okanagan Valley in British Colombia). She also traveled and worked around the different wine regions in France such as the Médoc, the island of Corsica and in the Languedoc-Roussillon. Her travels brought her many different types of jobs, from working in small winery businesses (even some where the Chenin is unknown), but also in some very large businesses.

It is thanks to these varied and enriching experiences that Céline chose her future: be an independent winemaker in Chenin, where her heart never left and she returned home to Vouvray in 2006- just in time for the harvest...the generational adventure of distinction continues...

Russian River Valley, California

The Premier - 2019 Fog Crest Estate Vineyard 548 Chardonnay

At age 27, Rosalind Manoogian was a widowed single mother with an infant daughter and a future that seemed unclear and uncertain. A chance meeting, an old, dilapidated orchard, and a valley rich in possibilities changed the trajectory of her life.

Fog Crest Vineyard is Sonoma’s only Black woman-owned vineyard. She owns the diret, the production and the tasting room and she works in every aspect of Fog Crest.

Fog Crest was established in 1998 in the Russian River Valley American Viticultural Area of Sonoma County, California. The estate has a long tradition in agriculture, formerly raising hops, apples, and now wine grapes just north of the town of Sebastopol. The Vineyard got its name from the dense fog that accumulates over the valley. The southeastern facing slope of the vineyard has sandstone-based soil that allows the vines maximum sunshine and drainage, yet the grapes ripen slowly due to the cool morning fog that drapes the vineyard’s crest.

Rosalind Manoogian has spent more than two decades nurturing Fog Crest Vineyard into the business it is today. As the President and Proprietor, Manoogian is deeply committed to the business she co-founded with her husband James.T he couple moved to the property in the mid 1990s, buying a sparse yet vast in size, aging orchard. What began as an effort to grow grapes to sell to other wineries eventually evolved into Fog Crest Vineyard, Sonoma’s only Black woman-owned vineyard. In addition to being a businesswoman, Manoogian studied economics at Stanford University. Initially when Fog Crest Vineyard opened for business, Rosalind took on the role of Vice President of Sales and Marketing. However, she quickly learned the wine business and added her business know-how as she moved to the top of the company.

Veneto, Italy

The Club - NV Poggio Prosecco Brut DOC

Easy-drinking. Perfect for everyday enjoyment, mimosa and bellinis, or toasting with friends.
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Poggio Costa "the Hill by the Sea" celebrates the tradition of Prosecco as it once was. The varietal Giera was first planted on the Friulian coast in the town of Prosecco just 15km north of Tieste. This seaside climate created the freshness that Prosecco is now celebrated for. The winery work sdirectly with sustainably certified farmers who are all owners in the winery in the local village. Poggio Costa is co-owned by Natalie Vaclavik a co-founder of Allure Wine and Victory Wine Group.

Long Island, New York

The Club - 2022 Wölffer Summer In A Bottle White Blend

Joey Wölffer is a New York Native, entrepreneur and the Chief Brand Officer and Co-Owner of Wölffer Estate Vineyard based in the Hamptons. With a mission to carry on the innovative legacy of her father, Joey and her brother Marc took over the winery in early 2013. That same year, they introduced the brand’s iconic Summer in a Bottle Rosé, which traditionally sells out each summer and is the number one fastest-growing rosé in New York City. She and her brother Marc Wölffer are poising the winery for even more success.“As a child growing up on the farm, I had my fare share of sips of wine – some offered, some stolen,” says Joey Wölffer. “But rather than learning the technical side of making wine or running a business, watching my father work and growing up playing in the vines, I learned that it is family that makes the business special."

Curicó Valley, Chile

The Club - 2021 Aresti Reserva Pinot Noir

Viña Aresti, a company of the ACW Group, one of Chile’s most prestigious family winegrowing businesses, currently produces and markets several brands around the world. The foundations of Viña ARESTI are the passion for excellence of its founder, Vicente Aresti Astica. Vicente Aresti founded the winery in 1951 when he purchased the Bellavista Estate in Curicó Valley, Chile. After he passed, at 92, his daughters Begoña and Ana María Aresti López took over their father’s endeavor and furthered the commitment they had learnt from him.

Female ownership is also a rarity among Chilean wineries, and something that sets Viña Aresti apart from the majority of its counterparts. It's also the only winery in Chile run by two sisters. Their Bellavista Estate is located in the Curicó Valley region. However, Viña Aresti sources fruit in a number of other regions as well, going to the Leyda Valley for sauvignon blanc, Colchagua for some of their cabernet sauvignon, and Maipo for syrah — among other places. As a result, the multi-tiered portfolio that Viña Aresti produces is a microcosm of the wine bounty that Chile at large offers.

These are wines of balance and proportion that are best enjoyed with food. Each offering speaks truthfully to the grape variety or varieties in question. Last but certainly not least, these wines have an overarching elegance that in most cases belies their price.

The IMAD ranking’s purpose is to make visible the incorporation of women in positions of greater responsibility and it is elaborated by Women Entrepreneurs and the Department of Social Studies from Universidad Católica UC (DESUC). In the 2020 edition, Viña Aresti was positioned in the 13th place of all entrants and first among all wine companies.

Castilla Y Leon D.O., Spain

The Premier - 2021 Torremilanos "Peñalba López" Blanco

Founded in 1903, the 200-hectare Finca Torremilanos in Aranda de Duero is the second-oldest wine-producing estate in what is now Ribera del Duero DO (after Vega Sicilia). The current regime dates to the late 70s and was instrumental in the establishment of the DO in 1982. Pilar Pérez Albéniz, one of the most respected women in the region and winner of the inaugural ‘Ribera Heritage’ Award in 2019, is still at the helm, with two of her sons, Ricardo and Vicente, handling winemaking and sales respectively.

Pilar's small size and Duracell Bunny-like energy aside, you’d never know that Pilar Pérez de Albeniz has been running Finca Torremilanos for over fifty years. Torremilanos is a first-ever Demeter-certified biodynamic winery in the appellation, as of 2015.

A family-run gem that marches to the beat of its own drummer in producing both traditionally-styled and experimental wines.