Women Leaders in Wine & Spirits

LAPOSTOLLE Apalta Valley, Chile Alexandra Marnier

LUCKY SEVEN BOURBON USA Ashley Barnes Ashley specializes in warehouse profiling, flavor profile projections, blending, product development and quality control for Lucky Seven Bourbon. She was previously with Four Roses Distillery as the Assistant Quality Control Manager where she performed flavor profiling, formulation and blending. Ashley serves as a judge at the American Distilling Institute and American Craft Spirits Association spirits competitions using her knowledge and experience to critique and provide educational feedback to craft distillers.

LINI 910 Emilia Romagna, Italy Alicia Lini

LAURENT-PERRIER France Alexandra Pereyre and Stéphanie Meneux de Nonancourt

Alexandra Chile’s enormous potential to produce fine wines from its exceptional terroir in Apalta, where she founded Lapostolle, and a few years later in 1997, Clos Apalta. Under Alexandra’s dedicated vision, Lapostolle has been a pioneer in Chile, and today the winery continues to elevate the region through the production of premium quality wines with a strong emphasis on eco-minded sustainability. envisioned

Alicia Lini is the fourth generation to lead Lini, and is closely involved in everything at the winery, from winemaking to marketing to exports. Her family has been making lambruscos since 1910 and they are dedicated to making Lambrusco with integrity— holding their wines for longer than the industry standard in order to fully allow the bubbles to incorporate into the wine. Lini’s wines are renowned for their signature freshness and classic dry character.

The success of Laurent-Perrier is driven by the energy of the family of Bernard de Nonancourt, the initiator of the Laurent-Perrier style and range, now overseen by his two daughters, Alexandra Pereyre de Nonancourt and Stéphanie Meneux de Nonancourt.

MACROSTIE Sonoma County, CA Heidi Bridenhagen

MARKHAM Napa Valley, CA Kimberlee Nichols

MEZCAL DON MATEO Michoacan Delia Vargas Vieyra For six generations, the Vieyra family has been making wild agave mezcal using traditional methods at their remote viñata (distillery) in Michoacan. The preeminent producer in the area, they are credited for successfully lobbying to have Michoacan added into the Mezcal Denomination of Origin in 2012. Family matriarch Delia Vargas Vieyra supervises the creation of Don Mateo’s complex Mezcal de Pechuga. This unique mezcal is thrice distilled (mezcal is typically distilled twice).

MIRABEAU Provence, France Jeany Cronk

Heidi Bridenhagen believes in the value of exploration and experimentation. Her inquisitiveness and background in biochemistry have earned her more than 400 scores of 90 Points or higher from major publications. Heidi has co-led one of Sonoma County’s most diverse and acclaimed vineyard programs featuring more than 30 Chardonnay sites and 15 Pinot Noir Vineyards.

Kimberlee Nichols is one of the first female winemakers in Napa Valley. For over three decades, Kimberlee has built a reputation for crafting iconic Napa Valley Merlot. Kimberlee is integral to Markham’s story and has greatly contributed to the countless accolades of one of Napa Valley’s great wineries.

Jeany Cronk founded Masion Mirabeau along with her husband, Stephen Cronk. The couple made the decision to leave the leafy suburbs of South London behind in exchange for the blue skies and sunshine of Provence, with three young children in tow. Jeany works closely on the Miason Mirabeau look and feel. Her big passions are interior design, the French way of life and of course the inspirational flavors and food of Provence.

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WOMEN LEADERS IN WINE & SPIRITS