Originally from Mumbai, Priyanka French is one of the few female Indians to hold a Master of Science in Viticulture and Enology from University of California, Davis. She built her experience working at wineries in Napa as well as traveling through the regions of Burgundy, Cognac, Bordeaux and New Zealand. Prior to joining Signorello Estate as Winemaker, she worked at Dalla Valle Vineyards where she had a chance to clearly understand the importance of female led businesses and initiatives. Her winemaking style focusses on precision viticulture and restrained winemaking that allows fruit expression as dictated by the site. In her new role, she hopes to open avenues for diversity in the industry and always remain a supporter of female driven enterprises.

You can follow her on Instagram at @priyad87.

Anne Fogerty is the assistant winemaker and facility manager for Rivers-Marie Winery in Calistoga. She also has her own virtual label, Belharra Wines, in Napa with her wife. A native of Minnesota, she has grown her skills without a traditional winemaking degree and looks to create connections and support for persons across the industry. With 11 harvest in California, two in New Zealand, and multiple winemaking contacts across the globe, she continues to strive for education across all facets of winemaking and brand management.

Caitlin Lhommeau found her passion for winemaking by happy accident in 2016 when she worked her first harvest during a gap year between college and medical school. She officially joined the industry full-time in 2017 and hasn’t looked back. On this journey, Caitlin has grown from cellar hand to director of winemaking at Tench Vineyards in Oakville and also has a small label of her own called L’Envolee. Caitlin is particularly fascinated by the science and the mystery of winemaking and how each bottle of wine tells a story: of place, of time, and of the people that brought it to life.

Cathy Corison, the first woman Winemaker-Proprietor in the Napa Valley, produces three Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons, hand-crafted without compromise. Her wines are powerful and elegant at the same time, have a sense of place, and are structured to grace the table and enjoy a long, distinguished life. Cathy harvested her 35 th vintage of Corison in 2021! Academic preparation included a B.A. in Biology from Pomona College in Claremont, CA and an M.S. in Enology from U.C. Davis. Decades of winemaking for others, including Chappellet Vineyard, Staglin Family Winery, Long Meadow Ranch and York Creek Vineyards, left her eager to express her own winemaking voice. She is guided by her belief that winemaking and wine appreciation are a timeless, creative celebration of life.

Devyani Isabel Gupta is the Winemaker & Viticulturist for Valdemar Estates, in Walla Walla, WA. She is a winemaker who brings a diverse background of skills and experience through her work in cognitive psychology research, direct wine sales, vineyard management, and enology. In 2019 she joined the Valdemar Family, where her wine program emphasizes Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Chardonnay from premier vineyards across the Columbia Valley. As a mentor, she aims to support, challenge, and empower her mentees.

You can follow her on Instagram @devyaniisabel.

Hailing from Wyckoff, New Jersey, Evyn Cameron is the Winemaker of Crocker & Starr Wines in St. Helena. She has had experience in viticulture and winemaking in both Napa and New Zealand as well as traveling through different winemaking regions in Europe and the Southern Hemisphere. Starting her career in hospitality, working for Thomas Keller’s Per Se restaurant in Manhattan, inevitably led her to fulfill her dream of working in Napa to become a winemaker. Evyn has been fortunate to have multiple female mentors throughout her career which has made her realize the importance of support and continuing to make sure other women have the tools and guidance to be successful.

Photo credit: Emma K. Morris

After graduating from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in 2009, Kelsey Albro Itämeri worked in different roles including: political campaign manager, reality TV production assistant, executive assistant at Lionsgate Studios, sales and development manager at natural foods companies, and as bartender and food and beverage director in San Francisco. Tired of spending 50% of her income on rent, Kelsey moved back to Washington State. She spent the first year on her family’s farm in Walla Walla and then started working at a local winery. She enrolled in Walla Walla Community College’s Institute for Enology & Viticulture, fulfilling internships at Balboa Winery and The Walls Vineyards in Walla Walla and Domaine Jean Chartron in Puligny-Montrachet in Burgundy. In 2019 Kelsey founded itä wines.

A native of St. Helena, California, Natalie Bath came back to the Napa Valley after graduating college with the intention of applying to law school. However, she fell back in love with the beauty of the Napa Valley and gained a new appreciation for wine while working at Angèle restaurant in Napa. Natalie started her career in winemaking working harvests at Etude, Villa Maria in New Zealand, and Littorai in Sebastopol, before joining Rudd Estate in 2012. Natalie joined the Winemaking team as a cellar hand, and was then promoted to oenologist in 2016 (the same year she travelled to Bordeaux to work harvest at Château Pétrus), Assistant Winemaker in 2017 at Rudd Estate, and Lead Winemaker for Crossroads in 2018. After nearly a decade influencing the wines both in the cellar and in the vineyards, Natalie became Winemaker of Rudd Estate in 2021.

Rosemary’s path to Napa Valley winemaking began with a summer job working on Sebastiani Winery’s several bottling lines. She studied Viticulture & Enology and earned a degree in Fermentation Science in 1979 at UC Davis before starting work at Inglenook Vineyards in Rutherford, then Mumm Napa Valley, working with the late Guy Devaux. Rosemary made wine and consulted for Spottswoode Vineyard and Winery from 1997 through 2012. In 1990, Rosemary and her husband Bruce Cakebread planted a small Cabernet Sauvignon block in Saint Helena, which is now in its 37th year of production and is farmed organically–the source of Gallica’s estate wines beginning 2007. Gallica makes Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Albariño and an occasional Rosé.

Diana Hawkins is a Certified Sommelier with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College; a Publishing Arts Certificate from Antioch University; and a Master of Science in Wine Science with First Class Honours from the University of Auckland where she studied microbial terroir. She has worked at top Chicago restaurants including the James Beard award-winning Lula Cafe, and three Michelin star Alinea. In 2017, she moved to Aotearoa New Zealand to pursue a winemaking career. She works as an assistant winemaker for the McBride Sisters, and is also in the process of developing her own wine brand, Responsible Hedonist. She is pursuing the WSET Level 3 Award in Wine and dreams of becoming a Master of Wine.

As Director of Winemaking for Colgin Cellars, Allison Tauziet gives direction to Colgin’s vineyard teams and oversees the production of all Colgin wines. Intrigued by the adventure of her first grape harvest at Domaine Chandon in 1997, Allison studied viticulture and enology at UC Davis, pursuing degrees in both Fermentation Science and French. Post-graduation, she moved to France to work as an intern at the Conseil Interprofessionel du Vin de Bordeaux. Upon returning to the U.S., she joined Far Niente Winery as an Enologist, then as Assistant Winemaker for 5 years. Allison joined Colgin Cellars in 2005 as Assistant Winemaker. She was promoted to Winemaker in 2007, and Director of Winemaking in 2018.