Houston – It’s Women’s History Month!
Wine and travel expert, Daniela Garrido, came back to Houston Life to introduce us to the women behind the wine brands you can sip and support this month and beyond.
March 25 was National Women in Wine Day, so what better time than this week to learn about the women behind the labels?
1. Landmark wines - Damaris Reserve Chardonnay - 50th-anniversary edition
Landmark Wines is a California wine founded by Damaris Deere Ford, the great-great-granddaughter of John Deere. The brand is dedicated to premium chardonnay and pinot noir. Daniela poured the newly released Damaris Reserve Chardonnay to celebrate its 50th anniversary and honor its late founder, Damaris. It is a medium-bodied chardonnay with a hint of honey and creamy texture.
FUN FACT: These next three women-run wines are from the Texas Hill Winery Association, a non-profit dedicated to promoting the exceptional Texas Hill Country wine region. This year is their 25th anniversary.
2. Jaclynn Renée Wines - 2023 Rosé
2023 rose of pinot noir. Jackie is a Texas native, and she moved to Sonoma County, California in 2007 to start her wine career. Ten years ago, she started her dream of her own label. Her goal is to make balanced and food-friendly wines with little intervention letting the fruit shine from vine to bottle.
3. Hilmy wines - 2023 Doo-zwa-zo
Hilmy Wines is a small production brand co-owned by Marianne Hilmy. Hilmy wines sources 85% of their grapes from the Texas high plains. Although small, they are mighty as they are one of the largest in Fredericksburg, Texas. Their specialty blend is the 2023 Doo-zwa-zo featured sauvignon blanc and semillon. The name is a play on the phonetic pronunciation of ‘two birds’ in French.
4. Pedernales cellars - 2023 Tempranillo
Pedernales Cellars is a sixth-generation Texas family brand. They are co-founded by Julie and Heather Kuhklen. Julie is a PhD graduate and former philosophy professor who went into her family’s wine business. A majority women-owned winery, they’ve grown grapes in Texas since 1995 and often talk about the process of learning what grows best in Texas and bringing their customers on that journey vintage after vintage. Pedernales cellars are 100% Texas-grown Spanish & rhone style wines.
Connect with Daniela on Instagram.
More inspiring content for Women’s History Month