One could not celebrate Women’s History Month without acknowledging the tremendous impact women have had on the local wine industry here in the Santa Clara Valley.
One of the most famous names in Silicon Valley lore, Paul Masson, might never have made a big splash with the Mountain Winery, had it not been for his strategic marriage to Louise LeFranc, daughter of the pioneering Charles LeFranc,a French immigrant who lived near San Jose.
LeFranc started the Almaden Wine Company, once America’s largest producer, and gave young Masson, another French immigrant, his start in the wine business. It was the marriage to Louise that garnered Masson access to the family fortune when LeFranc passed away suddenly in 1887.
This gave Masson the capital needed to purchase the nearly 600-acre parcel in Saratoga where he built The Mountain Winery.
Today’s women in the Santa Clara Valley wine world play a far more direct and compelling role than did Louise, not to underestimate her influence. Many of the wineries in the Morgan Hill and Gilroy area are now owned wholly or partially by women: some even make the wine, but all are heavily involved in the way their wines are crafted and the unique stories each of their bottles has to tell.
On March 23, from 1-4pm at the Neon Exchange in downtown Gilroy, a lively panel discussion and tasting, “Inspiring Women to Harvest Their Passion,” presents a bold look at the journeys of four of Santa Clara Valley’s top women in wine. They’ll share their stories in a panel discussion moderated by Melissa Santos, a local nonprofit leader and executive coach.
You’ll hear inspiring accounts from Kim Engelhardt, owner/winemaker at Lion Ranch Vineyards & Winery and President of the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley; Sandy Moller, co-owner of Satori Cellars; Sofia Fedotova, owner of Lightpost Winery, and Denise Russell, co-owner of Cottage Creek Vineyard.
All four are local women who followed their passions and are part and parcel of their respective wine brands in the Santa Clara Valley. Each has a story as unique as their wines, and no two are focusing on the same set of varieties or the same styles.
Food for the thought will be accompanied by wine and food pairings prepared by Cochi’s Kitchen of Morgan Hill, and will include: Cottage Creek Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon with tri-tip and chimichurri; L&M Vineyards Barbera with chicken tinga bite on totopos; Lightpost Winery Pinot Noir with bruschetta; Lion Ranch Vineyards & Winery Lionhardt Rosé with Mediterranean meatball and tsatziki; Little Uvas Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc with shrimp cocktail; Moose Mountains Vineyards Malbec with black bean empanada; Satori Cellars Zinfandel with tart cherry chocolate scone bite; EmmaLily Vineyards Emma Lee Cabernet Sauvignon with tri-tip and chimichurri on focaccia; and Verde Vineyards Gewurztraminer with blueberry cornbread mini muffin and honey drizzle.
Not only will this seminar showcase the inspiring stories of these pioneering women—it will also highlight the diversity of varietals being grown here in the Santa Clara Valley, from Grenache to Zinfandel. Come raise a glass, connect with fellow women and be inspired by the incredible contributions of women in wine. Don’t miss this chance to connect with others, grow personally and professionally, and leave feeling empowered to follow your own dreams.
For tickets and more information, visit https://events.humanitix.com/inspire2025.
