Four honorees receive Rising Star, Hall of Fame and Lifetime Achievement Awards
Soquel, Calif. (December 16, 2020) — Women For WineSense has recognized four outstanding women with awards for their achievements and contributions to the wine industry. The recipients include Hall of Fame honoree, winemaker Julie Lumgair, and two Rising Star honorees, creative entrepreneur Maryam Ahmed and CEO of VineSleuth, Amy Gross. This year’s Lifetime Achievement award was presented to Gabrielle Leonhard O’Connell, Vintner and Director of Winemaking at O’Connell Family Wines.
The award recipients were meant to be honored at the Women For WineSense 30th Anniversary Grand Event this past spring, which has been postponed due to COVID-19. Instead, Grand Event Director Tracy Lynne Parker presented the women their awards outdoors, from a safe social distance.
“During our Grand Event, we honor women who have been influential in the wine industry and/or in Women for WineSense. We’ve decided not to wait until we are able to reschedule the event as we would like to share the wonderful news with everyone now,” said Tracy Lynne Parker.
Chapters across the nation submitted their nominations for each category. The awards presented are hand-blown glass decanters, custom-designed and hand-blown by Adam McLaughlin, of West County Glass.
A non-profit wine education and networking organization created by women, connecting everyone, Women For WineSense comprises more than 650 members across the nation and is open to both wine industry professionals and aficionados. For more information and for updates on the rescheduling of the Grand Event, visit womenforwinesense.org.
About Women for Winesense:
Women For WineSense is a non-profit, national wine organization. By facilitating meaningful connections through wine education, Women For WineSense seeks to enhance passion and understanding of wine. Founded in Napa-Sonoma in 1990 by Michaela Rodeno and Julie Johnson, and backed by female industry icons such as Margaret Duckhorn and Rosemary Cakebread, Women For WineSense has since grown into 10 distinct chapters across the US, with nearly 700 members. For more information, visit womenforwinesense.org.
