Manchester’s independent wine specialist Salut, has launched a special collection of wine and is curating an event for International Women’s Day in partnership with The People’s History Museum (PHM). The “Trailblazer” wine box features six fabulous wines from around the world, all produced by female-run vineyards. The price of the box includes a ticket to a very special one-off virtual wine tasting and discussion co-hosted by Salut and the museum on International Women’s Day, March 8th, plus a donation towards the museum’s Join the Radicals campaign, access to a virtual tour of PHM.
Owner of Salut, Sara Saunby and her team have created the box to put the spotlight on all the talented women who produce wine within an industry where women are underrepresented.
The box contains the six bottles plus a ticket to a virtual wine tasting event “Trailblazer: A Toast to International Women’s Day”. This will take place live over Zoom on International Women’s Day, March 8th at 7pm and will feature some of the most exciting and important female voices in wine covering the full spectrum of the industry from production to sales and wine writing.
Attendees will hear from:
Jancis Robinson: Voted the world's most influential wine critic in polls in the USA, France and around the world in 2018, Jancis views herself as a wine writer rather than a wine critic. She writes daily for JancisRobinson.com and weekly for the Financial Times. She is founder-editor of The Oxford Companion to Wine, co-author with Hugh Johnson of The World Atlas of Wine (4.7 million copies sold just before the 8th edition was published in October 2019) and co-author of Wine Grapes, each of these books recognised as a standard reference worldwide. The 24-Hour Wine Expert (2017) is a slim paperback guide to the practical essentials of wine.
She has travelled all over the world to conduct wine events – often for the global literacy initiative Room to Read and in 2018 launched her own hand-made, dishwasher-friendly, ideal wine glass. In 1984 she was the first person outside the wine trade to pass the rigorous Master of Wine exams and in 2003 she was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen, on whose cellar she now advises. In one week in April 2016 she was presented with France's Officier du Mérite Agricole, the German VDP's highest honour and, in the US, her fourth James Beard Award. She now has six, including being the only wine writer elevated the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame.
She loves and lives for wine in all its glorious diversity, generally favouring balance and subtlety over sheer mass.
Samantha O’Keefe from Lismore Estate Vineyards, South Africa: The Californian female wine trailblazer who moved to South Africa, set up her own vineyard and now makes some of the best wines in the world.
Marinette Garnier from Jaffelin, France: A young, Burgundy native, Marinette is making incredible, hand-made wines in one of the smallest and most magical of the great Burgundy wine houses.
Myriam Ambuzer from Lyrarakis vineyard in Crete: Myriam creates stunning Greek wines with a philosophy that emphasises precision, purity and supple texture of the fruit. She argues it is all about expressing authenticity, achieving harmony and that every variety needs to be worked in its own special way.
The event will be hosted by Katy Ashton, Director of People’s History Museum, who will share some of the stories told at PHM about the fight for women’s equality; and Sara Saunby, owner of Salut, who will talk about her own business and introduce the wines and winemakers in the box.
With female wine trailblazers beaming in from around the globe, it will be an exclusive chance for those who have bought the box to hear from some of the winemakers for a live tutored tasting and celebration of women in wine.
The box also contains a QR code which reveals access to the museum’s 3D Tour and an exclusive discount code for People’s History Museum’s shop.
Sara Saunby, Founder of Salut commented:
“When I came into the industry I was surprised by the lack of inclusivity for women and that is something which still needs addressing. Wine is something that is enjoyed equally by men and women, but it is still an extremely male dominated industry. This box has been created to celebrate International Women’s Day and showcases some fabulous wines all created by amazing women. We’re absolutely delighted to be partnering with the People’s History Museum - they embody everything that we love about our city from its democratic values to its radical spirit!”
The Trailblazer Box is available from £58 and is available here:
https://salut.co.uk/product/trailblazers-a-toast-to-international-womens-day/
IN THE BOX:
Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc and Côtes de Beaune Villages
By Marinette Garnier at Jaffelin, Burgundy, France
Jaffelin, is the smallest of the great Burgundy wine houses and Marinette Garnier is an oenologist-winemaker, creating some of the world’s finest "hand-made" wines in this magical location in the historical centre of Beaune.
The box features two of Marinette’s wines:
The Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc features aromas of flowers and citrus, and is full and supple on the palate, with very complex secondary aromas.
Côtes de Beaune Villages is an elegant and well balanced wine with aromas of red ripe fruits leading to oaky and fruity notes.
Lyrarakis Voila Assyrtiko
By Myrim Ambuzer at Lyrarakis, Crete, Greece
The Lyrarakis estate is a family vineyard and winery which has been producing high quality wines since 1966 with a strong focus on rare local varieties, single variety and single vineyard wines.
In charge of winemaking is Myriam Ambuzer who has been vital in securing Lyrarakis a place in the elite wineries of Greece. Her philosophy emphasises precision, purity and supple texture of the fruit. She argues it is all about expressing authenticity, achieving harmony and that every variety needs to be worked in its own special way. She worked with famed Spanish winemaker Pepe Mendozain Alicante before starting at Lyrarakis in 2002.
Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc
By Sam O’Keefe at Lismore, South Africa:
Tucked into the foothills of a dramatic mountain range at the bottom of Africa is Lismore Estate Vineyards. Californian wine pioneer Samantha O'Keefe found paradise here and the perfect terroir for her own vineyard. Her passion combined with vines planted at 300 metres, chilled by the winter snow and nourished by the African summer sun produce classic cool climate wines which are rich, complex and lovingly handcrafted. With one of the coolest climates in South Africa featuring extreme diurnal temperature shifts, her wines present a very distinct sense of place, one that tells a story in the glass.
The box features her stunning Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc Barrel… a full bodied, elegant and well balanced wine.
Toscana Rosso
By Lucia Bianchini at Ciacci IGT, Italy
The Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona estate is located on the south east slope of the municipality of Montalcino. The estate has origins that date back to the 17th century and it still keeps its historical heritage in a building called “Palazzo” (Palace).
Lucia Bianchini heads up the family estate in partnership with her brother.
The box features Ciacci’s Toscana Red - a beautiful, medium bodied easy drinking red wine which is perfect for enjoying with food.
Butchers Block Red
By Christie Shultz at Turkey Flat, Australia
Turkey Flat is tucked away on the edge of Tanunda in the beautiful Barossa Valley, surrounded by historic vineyards dating back to 1847. Proud custodians of the land and committed to sustainable winegrowing practices, the vineyard is headed up by Christie Schultz who has been promoting Barossa wine to the world since 1979.
The box features her Butchers Block Red - A smooth, delicious medium-bodied red wine with layers of spice, dark plum, cassis and berry fruit on the palate.