Live VinePair Podcast Recording: Women Winemakers Advocating for Sustainability in the Wine World
VinePair was rated one of the 7 best drinks podcasts in America by the New York Times, and the dedicated listenership continues to skyrocket month-over-month. The VinePair Podcast brings listeners stories from the world of alcohol. Featuring conversations with experts and hot-button topics, this podcast is about the people, places, and traditions behind your favorite drinks. Join VinePair Podcast hosts Adam Teeter and Zach Geballe for a live recording of the VinePair podcast with Chilean winemakers Sofia Araya and Viviana Navarrete. Watch the conversation unfold as we learn how these women are paving the way for sustainability in winemaking.
Adam founded VinePair with Josh with one simple goal: create a publication he actually wanted to read in a space he was extremely passionate about. Since founding the publication Adam has become recognized as an authority on how to make the drinks world accessible to everyone as well as on the ever evolving media landscape. He is the winner of the Left Bank Bordeaux Cup American Wine-Tasting Championship and holds an MBA from NYU Stern.
Zach Geballe is a Seattle-based wine professional who has served as the co-host and producer of the VinePair podcast since its launch in 2018. In addition, he is the Wine Educator for Seattle’s Tom Douglas Restaurants and the Wine Director at Douglas’s flagship restaurant Dahlia Lounge in downtown Seattle. He also is the founder and owner of Disgorged Wine, a wine education and events company offering online wine classes and trainings to the public. His love for wine started as a teenager, when getting to taste his parents’ wine was a weekend treat, and has grown after nearly 20 years in the restaurant and food service industry. Zach is also a freelance writer who has written for VinePair, SevenFifty Daily, Sip Northwest, and numerous other publications. He lives in Seattle with his wife, son, and dog.
You could say that Sofía’s grandfather can take credit for inspiring her winemaking career. At the age of 15, he gave her a book on winemaking, and after high school she enrolled directly into the Universidad de Chile to study to become a winemaker. Sofía has worked as a winemaker at Casa Lapostolle in Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Luis Felip Edwards, in the Colchagua Valley, and finally at Aresti Vineyard in Curicó Valley before Veramonte's winemaker offered her an assistant winemaking job at Viñedos Veramonte in 2009. In 2012, the focus was shifted to organic grape growing and winemaking; a process in which Sofía was deeply involved with, overseeing the production of the Veramonte, Primus, Ritual, and Neyen wines. Her experience during these years of organic transition have allowed her to develop a keen understanding of terroir, and in 2018, Sofia rose to her current position as Head Winemaker.
Viviana studied Agricultural Sciences in the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and in 2007, became Chief Winemaker of Leyda Winery. Currently, Viviana ́s mission is to make the best cold climate wines of Chile. Her winemaking philosophy is to reflect the quality and the unique conditions of the terroir and of the vine parcel in every bottle of wine. She focuses on cold climate grape varieties that grow well in Leyda Valley, giving rise to expressive and elegant wines with fruity tastes and complexity. Viviana is one of the few winemakers that make Sauvignon Gris and Riesling and she worked to launch Leyda Winery’s first sparkling wine with the traditional method in 2012.
In 2013 Viviana was rated one of the Top 10 Winemakers of Chile. In 2017, she was selected as one of the Best Pinot Noir Winemakers in Chile by Wine Spectator, and was later chosen as one of the 10 Leading Women in the Wine Industry by Wine Enthusiast.
