Wine’s world-leading

Birgit Eichinger

Birgit Eichinger (Justerini & Brooks)

Heidi Schröck, Judith Beck, Birgit Braunstein, Petra Unger … the list of members of the 11 Frauen und Ihre Weine (11 Women and their Wines) organisation reads like a who’s who of some Austria’s most talented winemakers. Founded in 2000, the group, which meets up regularly for tastings, discussion and, once a year, goes on a collective trip to a European wine region, has been a vital source of support for its members in what has for most of its history been a male-dominated field. It’s hard to single out just one winemaker from the 11. But the wines of founding member Birgit Eichinger, who started her 15ha estate in the Kamptal in 1992, have been consistent favourites of ours for some years now, with her range of deeply flavoured, richly textured but pristine Grüner Veltliners especially thrilling.

Maria Stoeva

Bratanov Winery (Old Cellar)

Hands up who had Bulgaria down as the country with the highest proportion of female winemakers in the world?

According to Eastern European wine expert and Master of Wine Caroline Gilbey, Bulgaria has long been a bastion of gender equality, and is almost certainly the sole prominent wine producing country with gender parity in winemaking roles. According to Gilbey, writing for jancisrobinson.com last year, 53% of