Out and About in the Vineyard: Celebrating LGBTQ+ Winemakers
Plus, 10 LGBTQ wineries, Dead & Co in Vegas, a Lillet Rosé Spritz and a banger of a tune.
When I look back at the start of my wine journey, it makes sense it began while living in San Francisco. As the gateway to America’s premier wine growing regions of Napa and Sonoma, San Francisco offers access to excellent wines. It’s also considered the gay capital of the United States. It’s here I truly lived openly as a gay man with my now husband, Drew, and created many roots and memories. Often while drinking wine. Do these two things really have anything to do with each other? Not really, but it’s a good segue into talking about queer people working in the wine world — many in, you guessed it, the Bay Area.
As with other industries, LGBTQ+ people working in wine often had to hide their true selves from their coworkers. But as the world has opened up and become more accepting (sadly we still have a long way to go), we’re seeing more LGBTQ+ people working as head winemakers, owning wineries, and supporting other people generally working in various facets of wine. So for Pride Month, I wanted to highlight some of these people and their work in the wine world.
When I started my research a month or so ago to find LGBTQ+ people leading wineries, I was surprised to find so many. I mean, I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised since, frankly, we are everywhere and have been everywhere forever. It’s just that now people have more visibility and being queer in the wine world is just a part of who they and we all are. Being a gay person making wine doesn’t make the wine taste any different than a straight person making wine. But it often does bring a more open mind, more of a push to succeed, and frankly, more inclusivity.
“Since I've been in the wine industry, it has become more openly supportive of the community,” said Theresa Heredia, now the consulting winemaker at Gary Farrell Winery in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley after leading winemaking there for more than a decade. “Prior to 2013 or 2014, I don't recall as many features with interviews and photos of queer wine industry people, but they are pretty common nowadays, which is cool. It means that more people feel comfortable being out, and feel safe doing so.”
An acclaimed winemaker, Heredia recently launched her own business, Heredia Wine Consulting, and excels in producing cool-climate pinot noir and chardonnay (and I can tell you as someone who has been drinking her wines for more than a decade, they are phenomenal. In fact, Drew and I met Theresa on our honeymoon in 2014 when we visited Gary Farrell for a tasting). Working at Gary Farrell allowed her to actively support LGBTQ+ organizations like the Human Rights Campaign and events like Out in the Vineyard and its annual three-day Gay Wine Weekend, which takes place this year July 19-21 in Sonoma County.
That sense of community and openly coming together continues to grow as more people feel comfortable being themselves in the traditionally more conservative wine industry. When Jeff Durham and Joey Wolosz started Gentleman Farmer Wines nearly 20 years ago, there were only a few openly LGBTQ+ winemakers. Now, more people continue to come out and make significant contributions in the industry. That’s possible due to increased acceptance, diversity, and representation in the business.
“Creating inclusive spaces and fostering supportive environments is essential,” Durham wrote via email. “It's about continuing to push for progress and embracing the richness that diversity brings to our community.”
The married winemakers, who recently opened the Gentleman Farmer Bungalow in downtown Napa for food and wine experiences, focus on Bordeaux varietals like cabernet sauvignon and merlot and other blends, chardonnay, and more recently their Sonoma Coast pinot noir project. When they started out in 2005, they didn’t focus on theirs being a “gay” wine label, rather they wanted to make wine that told stories and evoked emotions. Today, however, they realize the importance of visibility in the industry.
“We understand the effect we have of being authentically ourselves while contributing to a more inclusive wine community,” Durham said.
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Evyn Cameron, winemaker for the female-owned sparkling wine brand Une Femme Wines, has always felt comfortable being openly gay in the wine industry. She admits being in the more-progressive Napa Valley has helped, but knows more strides toward inclusivity are needed across the industry and that includes for people of color and trans folks.
“Similar to other marginalized communities, we are on the precipice of serious change, but have only scratched the surface,” Cameron said. “We have strong organizations behind the effort and that is fantastic, but we are still in an industry dominated by straight white males. Continuing to be an open community who embraces and celebrates the nuances of others will only make this world a better place. Period.”
Cameron, a consulting winemaker for various wineries who also worked for Crocker & Starr Wines as head winemaker, Anaba Wines, and Cliff Lede Vineyards, has also started making her own wine. She focuses on chardonnay from the Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County (her 2022 vintage) and Eola-Amity Hills in Oregon’s Willamette Valley (2023 vintage). These first two vintages highlight her love of making wine that shows a sense of place from where the grapes grow.
These days, more winemakers, regardless of their sexual orientation, are experimenting with more lesser-known varietals, pushing boundaries, challenging industry norms, and aren’t afraid to take chances. In a way that draws a parallel to the progress made within the LGBTQ+ world over the last 50 years.
“Now more than ever, it's a necessity to be creative and live outside your comfort zone,” Cameron said. “We have so many fun grape varieties and wine styles to play with that wine drinkers want to explore. I'm excited that a lot of my clients are interested in some non-traditional wines and the community is reacting favorably to that.”
Kind of how the world has become more accepting. Maybe we need to open a collective bottle of wine to bridge those remaining gaps.
LGBTQ+ wines to support during Pride month and beyond
These days, in addition to many LGBTQ+ people working in wine, there are are queer-focused brands, one-off wines that celebrate the community, and a growing number of LGBTQ+ wine festivals. Here are just some. Do you know others and have your favorites? Let me know in the comments.
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XOBC Cellars — A wine club format started by singer Brandi Carlile, her wife, Catherine, and good friends Jeri and Amy Andrews. The winery, which donates proceeds to Brandi’s Looking Out Foundation, crafts wines from Washington State grapes including cabernet sauvignon, syrah, grenache, and a rosé.
Passagio Wines — Started in 2008 by Cindy Cosco with just 50 cases of unoaked chardonnay made at a crush facility in San Francisco now features nearly 2000 cases at a dedicated tasting room in Glen Ellen in Sonoma County. Today Cosco produces everything from sparkling pinot noir and cabernet franc blanc to nebbiolo and grenache.
Wine For the People — Founded in Austin, Rae Wilson’s Wine For the People makes elegant, fun, and approachable wines — with labels designed by local artists. Wilson’s Fredericksburg, Texas tasting room showcases her two labels — Dandy Rosé and La Valentía. I had the 2019 sparkling chenin blanc a couple of years ago that was super crisp and fresh — and loved it. She also makes carignan, dolcetto, cinsault, and sauvignon blanc.
Pennyroyal Farm — Sarah Cahn Bennett grew up in a grape farming family in Anderson Valley, Calif. She carries on that tradition producing pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, and rose´— in addition to cheese made from the farm’s goats and sheep milk.
Corner 103 — After a career in banking and finance, New Yorker Lloyd Davis took his passion for wine to Sonoma, where he took over and revitalized Viansa winery. After selling Viansa in 2013, he opened Corner 103, a food and wine tasting experience to highlight wine they produce from grapes sourced throughout Sonoma County, including a rosé of pinotnoir, marsanne/roussane, pinot noir, zinfandel, and malbec.
VOON — This urban San Francisco winery, started by partners Evan Anderson and Cameron Foxgrover, focuses on low-intervention wines sourced from grapes in the Central Coast’s Santa Rita Hills and Napa’s Oak Knoll AVA. Their current lineup includes cool climate pinot noir and chardonnay, gruner veltliner, and cabernet sauvignon.
Gratta Wines — Another San Francisco-based winery, this one run by Barbara Gratta as a small production project with a tasting room in the city’s Bayview neighborhood. The wines include dolcetto, cabernet sauvignon, petite sirah, and a rosé.
Eco Terreno Wines & Vineyards — Set in Sonoma’s Alexander Valley, this biodynamic- and organic-certified winery was started by winemaker Mark Lyon after a storied career at Sebastiani Vineyards. Despite being out to his personal circle, a San Francisco Chronicle article outed him in 2005, making Lyon the unintentional first openly gay man in the industry. Today, Lyon and his team make acclaimed wines including old vine cabernet, sauvignon blanc, malbec, and a Pink Pride rosé comprising Bordeaux varietals.
Ward Four Wines — Helmed by D.C. native Justin Michelle Ward Trabue, this low-intervention winery is a true startup. Making limited wines, her current release is a 2023 muscat blanc. Past wines include petite sirah, barbera, mourvedre, and vigonier all made from grapes sourced from various plots in California.
Remy Wines — In addition to having a 5,000 square-foot winemaking facility in her hometown of McMinnville, Ore., queer winemaker Remy Drabkin is also mayor of the town. Her portfolio consists of three labels: Remy Wines for single varietal northern Italian grapes like sangiovese, nebbiolo, and lagrein; Three Wives that showcases pinot noir, pinot gris, and various blends; and the Black Heart Series for Super Tuscans, Bordeaux blends, sparkling wine, and Willamette chardonnay. She also created the annual Queer Wine Fest, taking place on June 30, 2024.
SG List: Things I’m high fiving this week
Dead & Company at The Sphere in Vegas
This past weekend, I was fortunate to hit two shows and what a magical experience this was! From the moment the “walls” opened, exposing the Grateful Dead house in Haight-Ashbury to the psychedelic swirls and iconic Dead imagery, these were some of the best Dead (or Dead adjacent) shows I have ever seen. Incredible set lists, great music, good times all around. Big big high fives!
Lillet Rosé Spritz
I love an Aperol Spritz and was pleasantly surprised to get offered a Lillet Rosé Spritz while in northern Italy recently. Light, refreshing, and just so pleasant. I recommend adding some prosecco — and I made it at home with a splash of fresh strawberry juice. This might be my new summer low-alcohol sipper. Recipe:
In a wine glass filled with ice, combine equal parts Lillet Rosé and club soda. Garnish options: sliced strawberries, cucumber, grapefruit, lemon, or orange. Optional: Top with prosecco.
“Life” by Jamie xx and Robyn
One word: BANGER!
Great piece, Ari! But now I don't know which I'm craving more: glass of chardonnay or a Lillet Rosé Spritz.
Love love LOVE this piece! Cheers to more visibility and to fostering safe spaces for people to be fully themselves. We’re getting there … 😭🫶🏻❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🩷💘