Winebow Women Leaders

DENEEN BROWN & CORAL BROWN Brown Estate / House of Brown Napa Valley, CA, USA Brown siblings Deneen and Coral, are second-generation Napa Valley growers and first-generation winemakers. Deneen is a visionary — she was and remains the driving force behind the family’s winemaking enterprise. Coral oversees production for House of Brown and collaborates with David on production for Brown Estate.

ELEANORA BRANGERO Centorri Lombardy, Italy

BRIANNE ENGLES Chamisal (Malene) Vineyards San Luis Obispo, CA

BEATRICE CONTINI BONACOSSI

Capezzana Tuscany, Italy

Enologist Eleonora Brangero and her husband Matteo Soria own a winery in Castiglione Tinella, producing Moscato d’Asti. In 1996, they purchased 10 acres of Moscato vineyards in Pavia, naming it Eleanor Estate. Initially selling grapes to other producers, they launched Centorri in 2009, inspired by Pavia’s hundred towers. Centorri is a women-led venture, managed by Eleonora, her mother Emiliana, and grandmother Camilla—known as the “ladies of Moscato”—dedicated to crafting exceptional Moscato wines.

Brianne, a Pacific Grove native, discovered her passion for wine at 15 while working in a high-end restaurant. She earned a Wine & Viticulture degree from Cal Poly and a Level 3 WSET certification. With 17 years in the industry, she’s worked at top wineries like Two Hands, Duckhorn, and Quintessa. Now Winemaker at Chamisal Vineyards, she crafts wines reflecting Central Coast terroir. Outside work, she enjoys farmers markets, cooking, hiking, and relaxing at the beach.

Beatrice Contini Bonacossi is a family proprietor and global ambassador for Tenuta di Capezzana in Carmignano. A tireless advocate for her family’s renowned wines, Bea’s fluency in French, English, and Italian, along with some Spanish, enhances her international presence. Her linguistic skills and cultural appreciation make her an ideal representative of the Capezzana legacy worldwide.

CARMEL GREENBERG Clos du Val Napa Valley, CA

VANESSA CRUSE DUBOSCQ Château Laujac Médoc, France

JENNI KARAKASEVIC Charbay Distillery Ukiah, CA

CATHERINE & CELINE CHAMPALOU Champalou Vouvray, France

Carmel Greenberg grew up on a moshav to American immigrant parents. Her wine interest emerged during military service and work at Jaffa’s Yoezer Bar Yain, despite earning an interior design degree in 2004. She shifted to wine retail and education, then trained in the U.S., harvesting at Rosenblum. After a UC Davis enology degree, she worked at Cakebread, Buccella, Dominus, and Italics. In 2021, she became winemaker at Clos du Val, specializing in Cabernet Sauvignon.

For over two centuries, six generations of the Cruse family have led Château Laujac. Facing challenges like phylloxera, World War II, and severe frosts, Bernard Cruse took over in 1957, modernizing and restructuring the estate. After 55 vintages, he passed management to his daughter Vanessa and her husband, René-Philippe Duboscq, in 2012. Their dedication continues to drive Laujac forward, ensuring its future and restoring its place.

Jenni Karakasevic, owner and director of operations at Charbay Distillery in Ukiah, CA, spent nearly a decade in catering and restaurant and resort food and beverage management before joining the Charbay team in 2004. Jenni has worked nearly every job at Charbay and in 2009 married Marko Karakasevic, Charbay’s 13th generation master distiller. Jenni and Marko bought the distillery and are teaching their young sons the art of the still.

Catherine represents the twelfth generation in her family to make wine in Vouvray. Catherine’s daughter, Céline, joined the domaine in 2006 after internships in New Zealand, South Africa, the Languedoc, Corsica, and Canada. Céline now runs the show at Champalou, with her parents always nearby to lend a hand when needed. There is no question that the tradition and quality for which this domaine is known will continue for many years to come.

Women Leaders in Wine & Spirits

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