Did you know Women’s History Month commenced as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California? Back in 1978, The Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission planned and implemented “Women’s History Week” to coincide with International Women’s Day. Over the years Women’s History Week evolved and in 1987 Congress passed a law designating March as “Women’s History Month”. A month dedicated to honoring women and their contributions in America history. It is only fitting that we celebrate Women in Wine this month as well, knowing that it all started in the wine country.
Bread and Butter Wines is proud to celebrate women empowerment this month, alongside their female winemaker, Linda Trotta. Linda brings a rich wine background with her, spanning over three decades. Her love for wine began at a young age, finding inspiration from the winemaking set up in her grandfather’s garage. She also thrived by having a wonderful female role model, her great-grandmother, cheering her along the way.
Linda’s route to winemaking progressed at UC Davis where she studied the intricacies behind winemaking. During that time, she had the opportunity to travel abroad to Italy, where she experienced her first harvest at Santa Margherita Winery. This is where Linda truly caught the wine bug, and the rest is history.
After heading winemaking efforts in various AVA’s on the West Coast, Linda’s desire to be back in her home state of California led her to the Bread & Butter Wines family. In her words, “A good wine is a wine you like”. A motto we should all live by! This attitude has helped her in creating good, honest and delicious wines. Linda has received various accolades for her expertise in winemaking, including the 2018 North Bay Business Journal Napa Valley Winemaker of the Year award.
Women have come a long way in the wine industry but there is more work and opportunity ahead of us. Currently, in the U.S., only 17.8% of winemakers are women. As a wine community, we can do better. In this role there is still a gender pay gap. We can do better. Wine is not just what’s in your glass, it’s the stories behind the bottle. Let’s continue to highlight the trials and successes that women have endured in the wine industry. We’ve come this far, let’s raise a glass and keep the momentum going. Cheers!
~B
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