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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Barolo in His Blood: Aldo Clerico, Bagna Cauda, and Duck #ItalianFWT

Aldo Clerico and Bagna cauda

Aldo Clerico grew up in the heart of Barolo country in his family’s vineyards in Monforte d’Alba in the Langhe in northern Italy. He studied accounting in college, but in 2004 he returned to his roots to become a wine maker:

“After all, he has Barolo ‘in his blood’, Continue reading

Working with the Earth at Biodynamic MAHA #WinePW

MAHA biodynamic wines: the latest vintage

From our filling breakfast at the bustling Cow Girl Cafe in downtown Paso Robles, we weren’t sure which route to take in our VW van to get to Villa Creek and MAHA Estate on Peachy Canyon, and our trusty GPS didn’t make it all too clear either. Continue reading

October Means #MerlotMe Paired With Instant Pot Bacon Mushroom Merlot Chicken #WinePW

#MerlotMe

October means #MerlotMe time — and here on Wine Predator we are having a Merlot-palooza! No Sideways looks at Merlot around here! So far we have harvested a case of Merlot wine samples to taste and pair, and along with my fellow wine pairing weekend group of wine writers (see below), we hope to inspire you to harvest a bottle or two of merlot for your own table!  

So go ahead and #MERLOTME!

MerlotMe with These Pairings

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AmByth’s Natural Wines: Biodynamic Farming for the Future #WinePW

AmByth wines, olive oil, vinegar, and pairings

As we bounced along on the narrow, straight dirt road in our 1990 VW Westfalia camper van, with a very steep oak wooded hillside to the left, and a rolling dry cow pasture rising to our right, I was sure we’d gone the wrong way. The sign that said AmByth with the arrow? Maybe we should go back and check. And then the road came to an abrupt end in a clump of oak trees with a climb up to the right and the left. To the left was a green gate and another small sign: AmByth. 

“AmByth is the Welsh word meaning ‘forever’. We view it as our legacy,” states AmByth Estates founder Phillip Hart. 

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Made in Clay From Near and Far: Italy’s Organic Visintini Amphora Friulano Paired with Römertopf Roasted Chicken #WinePW

Visintini Amphora Friulano

Italy has a long tradition of fermenting wine in clay vessels, particularly in the northern part of the country. Known as anfore, orci or giare, they stacked and traveled well in the days before oak barrels. Continue reading

5 Reasons to Grow Organic Grapes: an Invitation to September #WinePW

Winemaker Heather Pyle Lucas at the Lucas Zinstar CCOF (organic certified) old vine vineyard in Lodi

So far this summer, Sue and I crisscrossed California visiting El Dorado County, Lodi, and Santa Barbara County, then I traveled to Oregon on the prowl for a certain type of wine. It’s not red, nor white, nor orange, nor sparkling, nor sweet. In fact, it’s all of the above. What we are looking for is SLOW WINE, wine that will qualify for the Slow Wine Guide, Continue reading