Behind the vine

Véronique Boss Drouhin - Maison Joseph Drouhin & Domain Drouhin Oregon - Burgundy, France and Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA

When do you think you fell in love with wine, enough to make a career of it?

My world was always surrounded with wine. I could have hated it, but I loved it. I was very lucky to be born into a wine family. My family was producing wine, with a lot of history, and I always loved that. But, it was also true that it was never seen as something that a woman would do. Winemaking was very male-dominated. And I had 3 brothers, 1 father, and only boys were working in the vineyard and the cellar that I grew up around.

When I turned 10, my dad happened to hire who I believe was the first woman winemaker in Burgundy. This was a big thing for me. She was the daughter of a producer, and my father discovered how talented she was in tasting. He encouraged her to take classes, and little by little she took on the role as winemaker. And, of course, I'm still running around in the winery day-to-day, because it is my home. But now, I see a woman doing this job. This is the one thing that opened my eyes to think I can do this too.

Another moment I remember is when my father opened up a Grand Cru from Burgundy for my birthday. I was born in a good vintage year, and I had been lucky to taste great wine, but I remember very well this wine from my birth year. And I thought: WOW! Can a wine be so good?! It was not necessarily that wine that told me that is what you will do, but it put a seed in my head that this is a fabulous part of the world. So I studied oenology, and beyond the chemistry and art of winemaking, the side that interested me the most was the history behind it. The experience and talking to people who were making wine before you. Being in Burgundy, it is all about the culture, history, the beautiful things everywhere which mean the wine is so connected to the significance of this place.

What story does your wine tell?

It's connected to the history. Take, for example, the superb site we have for Maison Joseph Drouhin: Beaune Clos des Mouches. Think of the name. Clos de Mouches. Enclosure of the honey bees. It tells you that before the wine was made, beekeepers were making honey in that exact spot. So, now people know about the wine, and they know about the bees. Every wine has a history, and if you know the story then the wine is like reading a book. The wine will tell you a story. It might be the same story (terroir), but the vintage changes. And we change. And the vines get older. But the roots grow on that same soil. My father always told me, you don't need to put everything in a box, but make sure you respect the soil, the vintage, and we don't deviate from the style. I grew up hearing one word over and over again: elegance.

So if Burgundy is about history (even though, of course, we also look at how we can improve), Oregon [Domaine Drouhin Oregon] is all about discovery. We are discovering the terroir. When we arrived, it was all new to us! We know it's not the same as Burgundy, but it works well with the same grape varieties. So we’re not imitating Burgundy, but we’re still inspired by it. Oregon is a new terroir, and it is an expression of Pinot Noir on Volcanic soil. It's very unique and extraordinary to discover.

What misconceptions about wine do you think people should forget?

Since there are so many wines (even I don't know them all), it can be intimidating. But, all women should be comfortable talking about and tasting wine because every woman has a great palette, a refined palette, without knowing they have it.

So, if you go somewhere and drink something you really like, try to write down - we all have phones we can quickly put notes in - where the wine was from, the producer, maybe some elements you like. And then the next time you’re out, or buying wine you think: Oh! I liked that wine from the Loire - let me see if I can find something from that region. That's how you build association, and then you might start to make a connection and learn what wines you do and don’t like. In my case, I know a wine I like will always be something connected with elegance, that is refined and delicate and pairs well with food. Wine can feel intimidating, so it’s important to build your own personal knowledge and library.

What great things about wine do you think people should remember?

It's important to know that wine is not made by a machine, there are people behind the wine. It’s agriculture. People will have been digging the soil, pruning the vines. In one bottle of wine, there is two years of care. Just the one sip, it's 2 years of a woman's or man's work, so it's important to remember that it's not just that bottle of wine, or that sip. We tend to taste quickly, but I feel that we should give a little more attention.

What is a piece of advice you would give to a woman interested in breaking into the wine world?

I think, if it is something you want to do, you should pursue it. Don’t give up, because women are very well welcome in the world of wine. It is demanding, and you have to know that for 2 months of harvest and fermentation, that's all you will do. So, on the family side it can be a bit demanding.

Who is a woman that inspired you?

Vanya Cullen - She is an extraordinary human being. She's an extremely talented winemaker - and singer! She's very concerned about the environment, and she was way ahead of the time with thinking of sustainability. She's a fabulous spirit and mind.
Also, Marie-Christine and Marie-Andrée at Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg in Burgundy. They are hardworking in the vineyards, in the cellar, and they are the most humble and kind people. I have great respect for them. They’re sisters, and as a team, they are great. And now their daughters are joining!
Finally, Diana Snowden - she makes wine at Snowden Vineyards in Napa, California and Domaine Dujac in Burgundy.

Where can women find your wine?

We are widely available around the world. You can find a list of distributors by country here, but the easiest way is to email us directly and we can point you in the direction of a distributor in your area.