Through this project, I wanted to talk about the women who have traversed and left their mark on the history of wine.
According to the sommelier and researcher Florence Tildens Zotiades, women probably discovered wine as they were providing 80% of the food for the community in palaeolithic time.
4th Century BC, Ancient Greece. Greek woman into Ademientos’farm having a nice rest after harvest time.
4th Century BC. Ademientos’ daughters during the Panathenea celebration held in Athens, a multi day ancient Greek festival to celebrate the Goddess Athena.
Octavia Mecenius after she has stolen the wine cellar keys and before she was beaten to death by her husband for that mischief. Romulus time, Roman empire.
Cleopatra, who ruled Egypt from 51 to 20 BCE. She created with Mark Antony the Inimitable Livers Society, a cult to Dionysus. The story says her favourite winae was the Brachietto D’Acqui, a sparkling red Italian wine.
Alienor D’aquitaine, 12th Century. She is the woman associated with the origin of the Wine partnership between Bordeaux and England.
Josephine Sauvage d’Yquem in her vineyard, Chateau d’Yquem, Sauternes, Bordeaux, France. She has discovered the effect of Botytrics Cinerea on grapes, a specific variety of fungus that helps to create some of the most iconic sweet white wine. She also decided to pick up every single grape at their maturity.
La Veuve Pommery turning the Champagne in the Cellar, creator of the Champagne Brut that used to be very sweet and that became a huge success amongst English customers (Beginning of 19th Century).
Lilith, winemaker in the Drome, France, working in Biodynamics to produce organic wine, with some grapes that are up to 115 year old called Grenache (2025).