Since day one, women have been part of the Oregon wine landscape. Diana Lett, Shirley Coury, Pat Campbell, Ginny Adelsheim, Susan Sokol Blosser, Nancy Ponzi: these are just a few of the ladies who led the way in the early days of Willamette Valley wine.

Today, women are essential contributors to the Willamette Valley's continued success as a premier wine-growing region and their influence is far reaching. Eugenia Keegan was named Wine Enthusiast's Wine Executive of the Year in 2021. In 2022, the Oregon Wine Press Person of the Year was Janie Brooks. A Wine Enthusiast Future 40 Tastemaker, Winemaker Remy Drabkin was recently elected Mayor of McMinnville. Sofia Torres, Yuliana Cisneros-Guillén, DeAnna Ornelas, and Cristina Gonzales form the leadership of AHIVOY, a non-profit providing education and professional development opportunities to area vineyard stewards. The women of the Willamette Valley are leading the next generation of Oregon wine and they're just getting warmed up.

Today and everyday, we honor the women who work to lift up the Willamette Valley as the award-winning wine region it is. Their contributions are vital, so we encourage you to look them up, support them on your next wine-tasting excursion, or make it a priority to purchase from a woman-owned winery. Your investment in these leaders will pay dividends for the Oregon wine industry and beyond.