Monthly Archives: March 2025

Organic, Biodynamic Frey’s 3 Generations of Women Working in Wine plus 3 Wines paired with crab rangoons (recipe!) + blue cheese burgers

Frey organic and biodynamic wines have lovely labels

“When we say that we are pioneers in organics, we’re not just paying lip service to our pioneer status. We’re actually situating ourselves as the fundamental players that brought organics into the wine industry,” says Molly Frey in conversation with her mother Katrina Frey, her sister Eliza, and Derek Dahlen vineyard manager. Organic and biodynamic pioneers Frey Vineyards Ranch became a bonded winery forty five years ago yesterday March 24— making them Mendocino’s winery number twelve. This year, they’re opening up their new winery facilities and making more plans for a green future with their extended family.

Back on March 24, 1980, Frey officially became a resale winery, but they were organic from the beginning when the family planted the vines in the 1960s. Demeter certified them biodynamic in 1996, and USDA certification came in 2003.

Frey family: assistant winemaker Eliza Frey and husband vineyard manager and biodynamic specialist Derrick Dahlen in a Texas kitchen following the eclipse

Today, multiple generations of Frey women live on the ranch and work with the winery including 100 year old matriarch Beba Frey, her daughter in law marketing maven executive director aka CEO Katrina Frey who married Beba’s son winemaker Jonathan Frey, their daughters Molly Frey who handles social media, and Eliza Frey who is on the winemaking team. Many more of Beba’s extended family are involved in all aspects of their operation on the slopes of Redwood Valley, in Mendocino County, California.

And as today March 25 is National Women in Wine Day,

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5 “Grape to Glass Gals” — Ventura County’s Natalie Albertson, Olga Chernov, Gretel Compton, Sheila Donohue, and Alexis Wade

Ojai Mountain bud break

“Sulphur Mountain sits 3,000 feet above Ventura County, looming directly above the Ojai Valley Inn. Not quite as tall as the Topa Topas to the north, where exposed shale glows white during the day and reflects the sunset for the famous “Pink Moment,” but tall enough to offer a magical and awe-inspiring view of the Pacific Ocean, the Channel Islands and the growing world of women working in wine.” So begins my VC Reporter article about five Ventura County women working in wine which came out Thursday, March 20, please check it out! For the past six weeks, I’ve been researching, interviewing, photographing, writing, and tasting the wines of  winemaker Natalie Albertson of Wildflower Winery, now Native Bloom Winery; Olga Chernov, owner and grower at Ojai Mountain Estate; Gretel Compton, grower and winemaker Clos des Amis and South Mountain Winery; Sheila Donohue owner and importer at Verovino, and Alexis Wade, owner of Buddy’s Wine Bar.

wines from VC women in wine

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Vote for Me: Wine Travel Awards!

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Enjoying my StarsBox “glamp-site” at La Maliosa, Tuscany, Mother’s Day 2024

Exciting news! I’m once again nominated for the 2025 Wine Travel Awards in the Wine and Food Influencer category of “The Brightest Journey”— and public voting ends March 31st! I would appreciate it if you could take a minute to vote for me. It’s fast, it’s easy and it’s here: just click this link to my profile where you can learn more about me and vote for me!

View from my StarsBox glampsite at La Maliosa, Tuscany May 2024

The five nominees with the most votes from the public advance to the final round where judges will determine the winners— last year I made the Top 5 with thanks to you, dear readers!

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Joie de Vivre with Princess Marie and The Women of Organic Princely Winery of Liechtenstein plus A Quick History of Quiche For Pi Day!

 

Organic Princely Winery of Liechtenstein plus A Quick History of Quiche For Pi Day!

“Our vineyards in Liechtenstein and Austria, steeped in tradition, imbue our wines with
individual stylistic expressions that make every occasion a celebration of joie de vivre,” says Princess Marie of Liechtenstein, a sommelier since 2014. Joie de vivre is a French term meaning “an exuberant enjoyment of life” and I am here for it! And clearly so is the Princess and the Princely Wines of Liechtenstein. In 2013, Princess Marie von Liechtenstein helped with marketing and distribution. With a desire to make wines she wants to drink and enjoy (there’s that joie de vivre again!), she’s now devoting more of her time to the grapes grown on family vineyards in Austria and Liechtenstein. When the UC Davis trained native Austrian Stefan Tscheppe came on in 2019, he began the transition to organic and biodynamic farming, and he brought in more women to join Princess Marie: Oenologist Natalie Ströhle, Sommelier Hannah Fiegenschuh, and Operations Manager Alexandra Goop. Celebrate joie de vivre and Women’s History Month with these women made wines!
 

The Princely Wines of Lichtenstein’s Princess Marie and Stefan Tscheppe

 
Known formally as The Hofkellerei Fürst Liechtenstein, the vineyards and wineries in both Liechtenstein and Austria are owned by Prince Hans Adam Il of Liechtenstein and the Princely Family including sommelier Princess Marie. During a virtual tasting with Stefan Tscheppe, I learned about the vines and wines, and experienced the beauty of the castle and alpine landscape that is Liechtenstein, one of the smallest and most wealthy countries on the planet, and saw how that place is perfect for Pinot Noir. I can’t wait to visit this stunning, regal region myself, see their art collection, and eat in their Michelin star restaurant.

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Women in Wine: Agroecological Wines by Sara Pérez at Mas Martinet in Spain’s Priorat DOC with Duck a la Espagnole, Eggplant Importancia, Couscous to Celebrate Women’s History Month

Sara Pérez (in jeans jacket) in a seminar at WINeFare; founder Pamela Busch on far left seated

At just 17 years old, Catalonian Sara Pérez learned how to make wine at her family winery and started the the small family vineyard on a path toward organic viticulture in northeastern Spain, she said during Women’s History Month at last year’s WINeFare in San Francisco, California. Cheers to Women’s History Month, to International Women’s Day March 8, and to trailblazing winemakers like Sara Pérez!

As a fan of natural and organic wines and on the lookout for those made by women winemakers and from women owners, I was in heaven a year ago when I attended WINeFare— Women In Natural Wine— held in San Francisco at the Haight Street Art Center, and I can’t wait for the next one scheduled for June 7. In 2018, a non-profit organization focused on social justice in the wine industry called The Vinguard founded by Pamela Busch started WINeFare to provide a platform for women who make and import natural wine. In 2025, 50 winemakers from five countries will pour on Saturday; purchase tickets here. This is also one of the more affordable and important wine tasting events that I know! 

WINeFare logo

In 2024, WINeFare was a two day event with seminars both days and a dinner in between gathering 75 wineries with women who work in natural wine from all over the world to share their wares and stories with the public. Each day of the event last year featured different women pouring their wines in, around, and among art combining two of my favorite things! So many fascinating wines and people too including wines from Spain’s Mas Martinet made by Sara Pérez who attended and participated in a Sunday seminar and women in wine in Spain.

2022 Mas Martine PESSEROLES BRISAT, Priorat DOC

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