Seven Trailblazing Women You Need to Know in Wine and Spirits

As women continue to take on leading roles across the beverage alcohol industry, they bring unique experiences and fresh perspectives to wine and spirits production. These incredibly talented entrepreneurs, winemakers, and distillers have made major contributions to their wine or spirits categories — here’s why you should remember their names.

Carolyn Kim: Founder,
Yobo Drinks

Carolyn Kim founded Yobo Drinks with a revolutionary vision. As a proud Korean-American woman, she was disappointed by the lack of quality soju in the U.S. Despite her busy schedule as a lawyer, wife, and mother of twins, Carolyn set out to create an elevated soju for the American market.

Under Carolyn’s leadership, Yobo Soju became America’s first craft soju and the first soju on the market to be made entirely from grapes. By introducing highly innovative, quality-focused products, Carolyn and Yobo Drinks defy outmoded soju stereotypes while still honoring its traditional origins.

“Our aim is to represent the ever-evolving modern Asian American identity and to serve as a truly inspirational brand,” Carolyn says. “Proud. Defiant. Ambitious. Driven.”

These qualities have made Carolyn a pioneer in the spirits industry and helped Yobo Drinks quickly evolve into a multi-faceted range that includes Yobo Soju Luxe, Kish Apéritif (read on for more), and K TOWN (a line of all-natural flavored soju).

Most of all, Carolyn hopes the success of Yobo Soju will bring more Korean creators into the spotlight. “Koreans are contributing great things to our culture,” she says.

“Food, music, dramas, fine art, and more. There’s so much creativity and inspiration, and with social media and other outlets, other cultures can experience some pretty cool aspects of Korean culture.”

Kristen Kish: Top Chef Winner & Creator, Kish Apéritif

One of the most exciting Yobo Drinks products is Kish Apéritif, a line of artisanal apéritifs created by Korean-American culinary icon Kristen Kish. The second female winner of Top Chef, Kristen is also proprietor and chef at Arlo Grey, an author, a proud advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, and a host or co-host of several tv shows, including Top Chef.

Kish Apéritifs — which are available at Whole Foods as of June 2024, along with Total Wine, ReserveBar.com, and many other retailers across the country — reflect Kristen’s culinary expertise.

“The goal was to create a full line, something for everybody,” she explains. “I tried to hit all the different flavor components, like I would think of making a dish … sweet, salty, earthy, warm.”

“My hope for Kish Apéritif is that once you decide to bring it into your home or your restaurant or your bar, you can do anything,” Kristen says. “You are inspired to make something different with them, cook with them, or drink them straight — there’s really no rules.”

Paula Gonzalez: Head Winemaker, Pyros Wines

Paula Gonzalez grew up among her family’s vineyards in Mendoza, Argentina, which inspired her lifelong passion for viticulture. She obtained her honors degree in Enology from the Universidad Juan Agustín Maza, before interning at Spain’s iconic Comando G. winery and working at Bodega Casarena in Lujan de Cuyo and Graffigna, where she was responsible for premium wines from the Pedernal Valley.

Her impressive experience — and unique expertise in the wines of the Pedernal Valley — made Paula a perfect fit for Pyros Wines, one of the area’s leading producers. She became their head winemaker in November 2019. Working alongside renowned American winemaker and consultant Paul Hobbs, Paula develops and produces high-quality wines that showcase the remarkable terroir of the Pedernal Valley, helping to promote this lesser-known Argentine region across the world.

“I bring creativity and innovation to the challenge of making wines that reflect the ultimate expression of our vineyards and the Pedernal Valley,” Paula says. “We use minimal intervention in the winemaking process, letting the terroir express itself through the wines we make.”

Having the knowledge to craft remarkable wines, and the humility to step back and let nature shine, as Paula does, is the mark of a great winemaker.

Esthela Anguiano: Master Distiller, Tequila Bribón

Esthela Anguiano, master tequila distiller for Tequila Bribón, has broken down barriers her entire career. Before she found her passion for spirits, she earned a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Guadalajara, making her an early STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) pioneer for the Latina community.

In 1990, Esthela started in the tequila industry — first working in the laboratory before moving to the production area. Early on, Esthela had to fight to prove herself.

“It was a great challenge to break the ideological barriers and show that women can lead in a field dominated by men,” she says. “My male colleagues questioned my abilities to direct projects and manage my emotions, but I demonstrated that I’m capable of directing and creating.”

Today, Esthela is one of the world’s first female master tequila distillers — a natural result of her dedication.

“Becoming a master tequila distiller was not an instant decision. Over time, I acquired the necessary knowledge, experience, and skills, and I wanted to be a greater part of this industry.”

Perhaps more importantly, Esthela has become the leader she always knew she could be. She heads up the team at Tequila Bribón, which is crafted by the Orendain family of Casa Don Roberto (one of the “Founding Families of Tequila”). She’s worked there for over 30 years now and is incredibly proud of the company’s modern ethos:

“At Casa Don Roberto, one of our values is to be an inclusive company and seek gender equality.”

Esthela’s advice for other women in the beverage alcohol industry? “We should all break with the paradigms and seek personal development. Get involved in the processes and prepare yourselves — the force is in our way of thinking.”

Cinzia, Carolina & Alessia Travaglini: Proprietors, Travaglini Gattinara

Thanks to the Travaglini family’s passionate, innovative efforts (and their iconic bottle shape), Travaglini Gattinara has become one of Italy’s most recognizable wines and the #1 selling Gattinara in the world. It’s an impressive legacy, which fourth-generation Cinzia and her daughters, fifth-generation Alessia and Carolina Collauto Travaglini, are proud to uphold.

Fascinated by wine from a young age, Cinzia learned viticulture and winemaking from her father, Giancarlo. She started working with him right after high school graduation and took ownership of Travaglini Gattinara after his passing in 2004. Building on the foundation left by Giancarlo, Cinzia has expanded vineyard plantings, performed terroir analyses to optimize farming practices, and modernized the cellar — all in search of ever-higher quality.

“The increasingly violent climate changes and the market demands push us to take care of the details — to obtain better quality in the vineyard and more excellent wines,” Cinzia explains. “My job is to supervise the whole company, leaving room for the girls in their roles.”

Both Carolina and Alessia wanted to join the family business from childhood. “Little by little our parents introduced us to this fantastic world,” Carolina recalls. “I still remember how, when I was a girl, we went to harvest with the whole family, and it was always a moment of joy and happiness.”

Carolina earned her diploma in agrotechnical studies and holds a Certificate of Sommelier from AIS. She interned at the Negro Winery and Cantine Oddero, before officially joining Travaglini Gattinara in 2019, where she works in the vineyards and production management.

Alessia holds a Master’s in French Wines and Certificate of Sommelier from AIS, as well as a Master’s in Wine Business Management from the MIB Trieste School of Management. She performs a variety of roles at Travaglini, including tending the vineyards, working in the cellar, and managing marketing, sales, and promotion.

Her vision for the family business is rooted in the past but firmly set on the future:

“The responsibility to support a name like Travaglini is important ... The expectations are high, but we hope to meet them,” Alessia says. “We are definitely investing and will continue in the future on points such as sustainability.”