International Women’s Day: Christine Austin pays tribute to the women making outstanding wine

That seat was in the wine buying department of a major retailer. I suppose, these days, such words could constitute discrimination and may have led to a big payout, but not then.

I managed to make an impression, kept my seat and soon I was travelling in the world of wine, learning about this fascinating product.

It helped that I already had a fistful of qualifications, but had been male, I might have enjoyed a warmer welcome.

This is why it is important to celebrate the progress of women in the world of wine on this International Women’s Day. It is wonderful that there are now so many women throughout the UK and global wine industry, but I expect many have encountered difficulties along the way.

Susana Balbo - Argentina

It was politics that led Susana to study winemaking. She left school when Argentina was on the brink of a dictatorship and despite wanting to study nuclear physics in Patagonia, it was safer to attend a university closer to her home in Mendoza, so she chose oenology.

She was the first woman in Argentina to graduate in winemaking, and naturally, she came top in her class. Despite this, as a woman, it was difficult to find a job but eventually she was hired to work in Cafayate, in the mountainous Salta region of Argentina, 800 miles from home.

This was her introduction to working with the grape variety Torrontés and it was the start of her love for its flavours.

She built her career with other jobs, moved back to Mendoza, the heart of Argentina’s wine region, and then struck out on her own, buying a piece of land and eventually building a winery.

Her label is her name – Susana Balbo - and her wines are always made with quality, not quantity in mind.

“Argentina is famous for its Malbecs, and they are superb quality, but we have other grapes that are also important” she said when I met her in London.

On show was a range of vintages of SBS, Susana Balbo Signature White Blend, a blend of Torrentés, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grown at 1200m altitude.

These wines are remarkable, dry, lightly fragrant with pear, citrus zest and a delicate floral note. There is a rounded texture, a lovely complexity and a fine, lean acidity.

Not yet available in Yorkshire, but ask Field and Fawcett who have several of her wines to order it in. While you are there, pick up a bottle of her outstanding Signature Malbec 2022 (£26.80) and once the weather gets a little warmer her Crios Torrontés 2023 (£15.70) will brighten a summer supper.

Susana has served three terms as president of Wines of Argentina and now her two children, José and Ana have joined the business which sells wine around the world and also offers hospitality in a delightful part of Argentina.

Check out www.susanabalbowines.com.ar and www.susanabalbohotels.com

Amandla – South Africa

It is fabulous to see how the South African wine industry has overcome discrimination in recent years.

The wine brand Amandla, which appears in most supermarkets is a well-made range of wines produced by an all-black, all women company, led by general manager and winemaker Praisy Dlamini.

She explained that the company name – HER Wine Collection – “is named after all the sisters, mothers and daughters who strive to make the world a better place. We are an all-women company making and selling wine.”

The story of the group behind HER Collection, started eight generations ago when the Bosman family first farmed a large estate in Wellington.

Recently, the family realised that most of their workers had been with them for generations too, so in a spirit of fairness and generosity they shared out the assets, and created a new, inclusive company which they named Bosman Adama after a one of their long-term workers.

Now they have created another off-shoot company, run by women giving them autonomy within the wine world and these women are winning supermarket shelf space with their brand Amandla – not because it is made by women, but because the flavours are so good.

The red, a Shiraz Zinfandel 2023 blend is a rich juicy wine full of plums, blackberries and a touch of spice while the Sauvignon 2024 is a crisp, lively, citrus-filled wine.

These wines are available at Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsbury at around £10, however Waitrose has the Sauvignon Blanc down to £6.99 until Tuesday 11 March.

Katie Jones – France

While Katie Jones was working with a wine company in southern France she fell in love with the region and decided to buy a vineyard.

But this was not just any vineyard, this was an awkward, difficult to get to, scrap of land planted with old vines.

Over time, she breathed life back into those old vines and eventually started making wine from them.

As time moved on, there were more old vines, scattered across hillsides, and her wines began to be noticed, by critics, customers and her neighbours.

One day she woke up to find that vandals had broken into her tiny winery and emptied her tanks down the drain. It was astonishing how her customers responded to this disaster.

A UK-based wine company, Naked Wines rode to the rescue, told her story and their customers paid upfront for wine that had not even grown yet.

This was the real start of a steady and now growing market for Katies exceptional wines. If you are a member of Naked Wines, you will know all about Katie and her fabulous, deep flavoured wines made from old vines.

If not, Katie’s wines are available from The Wine Society, and The Old Vines Fitou 2022 is the place to start. Vinceremos, based in Leeds also stocks her wines, check out www.vinceramos.co.uk

Katie does regular rambles through her vineyard (YouTube), telling you about the vines and the land, and you can even join her Old Vine Club, where you can sponsor one of her old vines, and this opens up all kinds of opportunities for special wines, and even harvest visits. www.domainejones.com