Winemaking is still very much a male-dominated career, but here on the Central Coast, there is a great and growing tradition of women taking leadership roles in the cellar. To recognize that, Meridith Moore of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is throwing a party of sorts on Sunday, March 20, 1-5 p.m., bringing winemakers Kris Curran, Karen Steinwachs, Kathy Joseph, Tara Gomez, Morgan Clendenen, and Chrystal Clifton together for a day of chatting, sipping, and celebrating.
“Everyone should attend this event because it’s better than a WWF cage match as I plan on putting Kathy Joseph in a headlock while Kris Curran screams to be tagged so she can body slam Karen Steinwachs,” promised jokester Clendenen of Cold Heaven Cellars. “No, seriously, not only will you learn a thing or two about winemaking and taste great wine, but you’ll have people that taste and smell better than our hairy, machismo counterparts help you navigate the incredible world of wine.”
Kathy Joseph of Fiddlehead Cellars, which she started in 1989, was also happy to give some fiery commentary on the topic. “Women winemakers can be sweet, but like their wines, it’s their spice that makes you salivate!” she said. “Women just know how to make sexier wine, and who doesn’t want that?”
Meanwhile, Gomez, who makes Kita Wines, thinks that women are well-tuned to the job because they have a keen sense of smell and taste, and tend to produce wines with finesse and grace. “Also, I think women are less likely to be arrogant like a lot of our male counterparts,” said Gomez. “I mean, who wouldn’t want to be in a room full of women tasting wine on a Sunday afternoon?”
See sbnature.org for tickets.