Lineage & Legacy: The Women Who Have Shaped Wine for Generations

From Sicily to Bordeaux to California, women have passed down vision and resilience for over a century.

Wine has always been a story of lineage and time. Vines are planted with the future in mind, each vintage telling its story, and over the years, wines evolve both in the winery and in the bottle. Yet within this long tradition, women have too often been relegated to the margins. What happens when that script is flipped, not just once, but across multiple generations?

Across three iconic wineries—Tenuta Gorghi Tondi in Sicily, Wente Family Estates in Livermore, California, and Château Angélus in Bordeaux, female leadership has been more than an exception. It has become a defining element of the business. These stories reveal not only how women have led in moments when it was far from expected, but how they have shaped the vision, voice, and values of their estates across centuries.

Matriarchs of the Vine in Sicily

The story of Tenuta Gorghi Tondi is largely woven through the maternal line. In the early 1900s, Dora Sala defied convention by purchasing prized Grillo vineyards along the coast of Sicily between Marsala and Mazara del Vallo. She exercised direct control over vineyard workers and harvest decisions, an extraordinary act for a woman in rural Sicily at the time. Agata, her daughter-in-law, continued the work, making sure Dora’s decisive leadership became a lasting family legacy.

It was in the early 2000s that the modern chapter of Gorghi Tondi began, when Doretta, together with her husband Michele, founded the winery itself. While Michele contributed decades of wine industry expertise, he preferred to remain in the background. Doretta, by contrast, became the face of hospitality, welcoming guests long before wine tourism was common in Sicily. In doing so, she created the blueprint for how the estate continues to receive visitors today—with warmth, openness, and authenticity.

Today, the estate is led by sisters Annamaria and Clara Sala, the fourth generation. Clara oversees administration and management, while Annamaria focuses on marketing, communications, and sales. 

“My sister Clara and I were surrounded by tradition, but never confined by it,” Annamaria says. “Each generation passed it down with strength, resilience, and vision.”

As women in a male-dominated field, they have chosen to reframe challenge as opportunity. “Leading a winery as women in a traditionally male-dominated world has certainly brought its share of challenges, but we’ve always seen those as opportunities to redefine what leadership can look like in wine,” continues Annamaria.  

Leadership at Gorghi Tondi also entails a deep attention to the land and community. Their vineyards are situated within the Gorghi Tondi and Lake Preola Nature Reserve, a delicate ecosystem that serves as a migratory stop for birds en route to Africa. Farming organically across 130 hectares, they have made sustainability a central part of their identity.

“Sustainability isn’t just part of our philosophy—it’s the foundation of everything we do,” Annamaria says. “Working in such a delicate ecosystem demands responsibility. We aim to make sustainability tangible, not abstract—whether it’s through lighter glass bottles, renewable energy, or regenerative practices in the vineyard.”

At the heart of their portfolio is Grillo, expressed in five distinct styles: sparkling, still, oak-aged, dry late-harvest, and a botrytized Grillo. Each is a reminder of both continuity and innovation. “As fourth-generation custodians of this land, we’re deeply aware that we are only passing through,” Annamaria reflects. “Continuing to elevate Sicilian wines on the international stage, and showing that tradition and progress are not in conflict, but in harmony.”

The Wente Women

Across the Atlantic in California’s Livermore Valley, Wente Family Estates tells a parallel story of women shaping legacy across generations. Founded in 1883, Wente is the country’s longest continuously family-owned and operated winery. The family is best known for the Wente clone of Chardonnay, which now accounts for more than 75 percent of California’s Chardonnay vines and solidifies their legacy in American wine history.

The modern era of the winery is shaped largely by female leadership. Carolyn Wente, fourth-generation winegrower and Chairman Emeritus, expanded the family business beyond vineyards and cellars, launching a restaurant, visitor center, and concert series that turned Wente into a lifestyle destination. She even authored a cookbook, bringing the family’s ethos of hospitality into the kitchen.

Aly and Niki Wente now represent the fifth generation. Aly leads customer experience and brand growth, overseeing everything from direct-to-consumer sales to national distribution. For her, relevance with a younger audience is critical. “We’re staying true to who we are as a brand and sharing our values in a way that allows us to connect with the younger consumer,” she says. “Younger consumers are challenging the wine industry to rethink how we present ourselves, particularly in tasting room experiences.”

That rethinking has included new event formats, from golf-and-wine pairings to cuisine-driven sunset dinners. “This year, our focus has been on meeting consumers where they are by introducing wine into a variety of occasions,” Aly explains.

Meanwhile, Niki oversees vineyard operations across 3,000 acres in both Livermore Valley and Arroyo Seco. She recalls shadowing Jackie Mancuso, Wente Vineyards’ leader of vineyard operations, as a teenager, which influenced her leadership style. “I was raised to lead with kindness, curiosity, and respect—to ask questions, stay positive, and fully show up for those around me,” she says. “That said, I’m proud to be a woman in a male-dominated field, and I hope my presence helps pave the way for more women to envision a future in vineyard operations.”

For this family, continuity is less about sameness and more about shared values. As Niki puts it: “Continuity isn’t about repeating the past; it’s about carrying forward our values that have guided us for over 142 years.”

Tradition in Motion with Angélus

While Gorghi Tondi and Wente illustrate women’s leadership across generations, Château Angélus shows a lineage that spans centuries in Bordeaux. Château Angélus in Saint-Émilion has remained in the Boüard de Laforest family for nearly 250 years. While men often defined the narrative of Bordeaux, Angélus has seen three women step into the leadership of the business: Catherine Sophie de Boüard de Laforest in 1800, Eugénie Chatenet in 1900, and, today, Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal.

Stéphanie, daughter of Hubert de Boüard, became CEO in 2012, representing the eighth generation. Her leadership has been defined by both independence and evolution. “The challenge of running a family business in the competitive world of fine wine is no small feat, and I’ve had to work hard to maintain our independence despite growing pressure from large corporate groups,” she says.

Her vision extends beyond vineyards. Under her direction, Angélus has expanded into hospitality, from Michelin-starred restaurants in Saint-Émilion and Bordeaux to boutique hotels. Yet her role remains deeply tied to heritage. “My role today is precisely that: to shape the next chapter of this story with respect, ambition, and foresight, ensuring that our heritage stays alive, relevant, and forward-looking,” she explains.

Stéphanie is also preparing the ninth generation, even though her children are still very young. They join harvests, wander the cellars, and taste drops of wine on their lips. “In essence, we are creating an atmosphere that nurtures their interest and curiosity, so that they grow up naturally absorbing the beauty and uniqueness of this estate,” she says.

Her perspective on legacy is patient: “It will be 40 to 50 years before we can fully assess the results of the vintages produced under my leadership.”

Women Shaping the Future

Carolyn Wente, reflecting on the path for her daughters and the women who will follow, puts her words of wisdom simply: “Own your perspective and be confident in what you know, your ideas, and your leadership style. Your ideas, as a woman, are fresh in a historically male-dominated space, bringing emotional intelligence and a different point of view. Set your own bar and don’t apologize for holding others to it.”

That advice could apply as readily to a young woman entering wine today as it could to one stepping into her family’s estate centuries ago. These stories from Sicily, California, and Bordeaux remind us that legacy in wine is not only inherited, it is reimagined, reshaped, and passed forward, one resilient generation at a time.