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Five female distillers and winemakers to look out for in 2025

The women leading the industry as head winemakers, master distillers and master blenders going into 2025.

From crafting award-winning blends to preserving the legacies of centuries-old brands, women around the world are getting recognised for their excellence in the wine and spirits industry. Here are just a few of the names on our list of icons and trailblazers in the drinks business.

Joy Spence, master blender, Appleton Estate 

It’s no secret that women often have to work twice as hard to dominate the fields that they excel in. The wine and spirits industry is no different, but it is a field that celebrates legends; Joy Spence is a legend. After obtaining a degree in analytical chemistry at Loughborough in 1978, Spence moved back to Jamaica to work as head chemist at Appleton Estate. After 16 years, she became the first female master distiller in the world in 1997. Her genius in chemistry, as well as her unrivalled ability to detect, identify, and differentiate between aromas, has not only placed her amongst the greats but has also shattered the glass ceiling for women in the drinks industry. 

Since then, Spence has rolled out an Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend with rums aged at a minimum of 25 years; it is a reflection of her passion and love for her job. The first of the marques was laid to age in 1981, her first year at Appleton, and the second is her favourite marque of pot still rum, which acts as the cornerstone of her legacy. In a 2023 interview with db, Spence said: “As a woman, I have had to work twice as hard as my male counterparts to succeed in this industry, so it is truly an honour to receive so much recognition for the work I do. I’m excited to see more women as master blenders and distillers in the industry.” She is now one of three female master blenders in the world and continues to work to this day.

Trudiann Branker, master blender, Mount Gay 

Trudiann Branker is another female master blender, but she works in the birthplace of rum in Barbados. Appointed in 2019, Branker has been working with Mount Gay for over 10 years. Alongside being entrusted with blending hundreds of casks of ageing rums, which must live up to the brand’s 300+-year-old legacy, she has also helped transform the company into a single estate rum brand, producing everything between the sugar cane crops and the bottled rum. As her legacy develops with Mount Gay, Branker has joined the small number of female master blenders to make her mark not only on the iconic brand but also on the industry itself. 

Paula González head winemaker, Pyros Wines 

Paula González in Argentina is working to put and keep Argentine Malbec on the map as a global icon in the world of wine. She is the head winemaker at Pyros Wines in Pedernal, San Juan, a lesser-known Argentine region. Working alongside renowned American winemaker and consultant Paul Hobbs, González brings an incredible depth of knowledge and expertise to the company, which she joined in 2019. Since being onboarded as head winemaker, González has seen Pyros earn many awards in the winemaking realm, including the Limestone Hill Malbec 2018 being awarded best wine of Argentina in the Mundus Vinis 2022 competition. “Argentina is a vast country,” she told db. “The technology and passion of professionals, agronomists and oenologists have allowed, through their wines, to express the diversity of terroirs. Without a doubt, this is the beginning, but we have a long way to go.” 

Graciela Gonzalez, master Tequila distiller and Ambassador, Destiladora Gonzalez Lux

As a fourth-generation master Tequila distiller, Graciela Gonzalez is the first woman in her family to earn the title. Now working as a distiller and ambassador for Destiladora Gonzalez Lux, Gonzalez helps run her family company from harvesting to cooking, pressing, fermenting and distilling. Working alongside her father and brother, she has travelled the world introducing new people to the DGL brand and legacy, cementing the label and herself as a notable brand in the Tequila market. In 2024, Graciela launched El Mayor Tequila in the UK and Europe, with all four of the brand’s expressions now available in these markets. 

Rachel Hall, head distiller, Lighthouse Gin 

Twenty years ago, Rachel Hall did not care for gin. Now, she represents and protects the esteemed reputation of Lighthouse Gin. Her appointment to Lighthouse would serve as several firsts: the first female head distiller at Lighthouse, following her being mentored by founder Neil Catherall; the first female head distiller in New Zealand; and, at the time, the only female distiller in New Zealand in general. Hall is entirely dedicated to the craft having fallen in love with gin and its distilling process. Gathering botanicals, twice distilling, tasting each batch for consistency, labelling, bottling, and even hand zesting the Yen Ben lemons to uphold the clarity and smoothness Lighthouse is known for, Rachel Hall is a master. Her accolades have been widely praised, earning many awards, including gold from the International Wine and Spirits Competition. In a 2024 interview, Hall said: “I feel women’s opinions are also becoming more valued. More women are writing about and presenting spirits very successfully, with strong followings on social media […] It’s a continuously evolving industry, and we need to accept change if we are to move forward. How we react to that change is what will make us successful.”

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