And here’s another installment on the Women Winemakers of Chablis. We’ve got nine total. Today, we’re featuring Lyne Marchive – Domaine des Malandes, in the Chablis region of France. Chablis is also the delicious white wine made from the chardonnay grape (remember, European wines are usually named after where they’re made, rather than by what they’re made of). This series is from a group of email interviews with six women winemakers from the Chablis region, translated from the original French by someone else because Anne’s French is in terrible shape. We asked each woman the same three questions.
1) What makes Chablis different from other wines made from chardonnay?
Its subsoil, the Kimmeridgian from the Jurassic period, allows Chardonnay to express itself here like no other place.
2) If my reader sees Chablis on the label of a bottle of wine, what should she expect to taste in the wine?
They should expect to taste a fresh and relaxing wine, with a cheering liveliness.
3) Finally, how are things changing for women winemakers in France? In the U.S., making wine is still very dominated by men. Are there more women becoming winemakers? Do women make wine differently than men, and if they do, what do they do that’s different?
In my opinion, this topic isn’t an issue: a lot of professions have opened up to women, not just the wine industry (justice, police forces, sciences, mechanics, etc.). The most important thing is to remain extremely professional.
A woman does not make wine in a similar or different way from a man: she can also make it differently from another woman. It is just a matter of conviction and sensitivity.
Interesting! I like her last answer – it really is just a matter of conviction and sensitivity! I’m enjoying this series so much.