I’m gonna be honest. 

I’ve been staring at this Google doc for a few hours, trying to figure out what I want to write about for my last issue of 2025. 

I skimmed some headlines:

Hmm. Not exactly what I want to write about.

So I took a break to cackle at the best restaurant review I’ve ever read, on the Patrick Mahomes x Travis Kelce steakhouse here in Kansas City. No, I’ve never been. No, I’m not going to. Thanks to the writer, I will forever avoid “the Taylor Swift cocktail that tastes like a candle and is garnished with a flaming Brillo pad.”

Then, my husband sent me the annual Hater’s Guide To The Williams-Sonoma Catalog, which also gave me a good giggle but…alas. Still no topic.

And here we are. 

Welp. 

(If you’re new here: sorry. The issues aren’t always like this. I’m usually still-not-put-together, but slightly more focused.)

So here’s what we’re gonna do (because we’re in this together):

I’m going off-format today.

In lieu of a wine topic, here are some of my favorite wines, each made and/or owned by women.

Try These Wines

No affiliate links here. Just sharing the love!

1. 100% Organic & Italian

I already shared these wines last week, that we served at my NYC event earlier this month.

My brilliant food partner, Sophia Wronsky, did a deep dive on the perfect pairings for each one in her newsletter this morning. Check it out and get some pairing inspiration here (or just drool over the photos)!

Don’t forget:
You get 10% off all the wines & olive oils below through the end of the year with the code VEROWOMEN.

Award Winning, Tuscan Olive Oils

Organic Wines

2. Sustainable Napa Wines Championing Women

Kira Ballotta is the winemaker & owner of two Napa wine labels: Olivia Brion Wines and Cantadora.

At Olivia Brion, each bottle features a historical woman who defied the status quo (including the first woman arrested for wearing a bathing suit “too small” - she was an Olympian, btw).

Cantadora features “women from today who [Kira] consider[s] superheroes.”

Based in Napa Valley, Kira champions organic and sustainable practices. As she puts it:
“We are making a luxury good – we shouldn't be polluting the air or water in pursuit of making it.” 

Her collection includes some beautiful reds (I personally love the Cantadora Mourvedre), wonderful whites, and a lovely Pinot Noir rosé. 

3. The Weirdest, Witchiest, Most Memorable Wine Tasting I’ve Ever Had

I was at the very beginning of my wine journey when I walked into the Desparada tasting room in Paso Robles. It was witchy AF, and there was a suspiciously empty terrarium on one of the shelves.

“We used to have a tarantula in there,” our host (a winemaker herself) casually explained. “People would have to leave the tasting room without trying the wines because they’d get so freaked out.” 

Apparently, the tarantula eventually passed away and a snake took their place.

“His name’s Lieutenant Dan, because he’s got no legs,” she giggled. 

It was the weirdest tasting room experience I’ve ever had, and the wines were amazing.

I never got to meet owner & winemaker Vailia From, but I got a tour of their winemaking facilities and signed up for the wine club immediately. Vailia does things unconventionally, like blending across vintages (more common in sparkling wines) and producing unusual blends. 

Plus, her labels (designed by a woman and often featuring goddesses) are gorgeous. I’ve even kept some to use as flower vases!

4. Unique White Wines (and Only White Wines)

Acquiesce Winery & Vineyards, Lodi’s only white wine estate is owned by Susan Tipton, with wines made by Susan and her winemaker Christina Lopez, who also manages the vineyard. 

Christina sorting grapes.
Photo courtesy of Jill Means Design.

On the 18-acre property, they grow Rhône varietals you don’t usually see in the states, like Picpoul, Roussanne, and Grenache Blanc, all bottled without additives.

Acquiesce challenges what a “California wine” is supposed to be. As Christina puts it, they have “all white wines in zinfandel country, woman owned, varieties I’ve never heard of before. Just this general rebellious spirit.”

If you love a creamy Chardonnay?
Christina recommends their Double Gold Medal-winning Roussanne: full-bodied and round, without a drop of oak.

Prefer something bright and mineral like Chablis? Go for the Picpoul.

5. My Favorite Zinfandel (And Winery Dogs)

Heather Griffin is a partner at Summit Lake Vineyards, a family-owned winery on Napa’s Howell Mountain AVA.

Founded by her father Bob in the early ’70s, Summit Lake’s very first release, a 1978 Zinfandel, won double gold at the California State Fair and sold out in just eight days. Over 50 years later, Heather and her family are still working together to create some beautiful wines. 

Plus, every wine they make is named after the next generation of grandkids (how cute is that?!).

The winery dogs (pictured above) are also adorable and will follow you around during the tasting. I’m pretty sure my husband spent more time tossing a frisbee with them than paying attention to the wines.

Sadly, a wildfire swept through their area in late August, and the entire harvest was lost due to smoke taint.

As Heather put it:
“Oof… frustrating doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

If you’d like to support them, here are my go-tos:
My favorite is their Zinfandel, with the Boy’s Blend a close second. 
(They are offering free shipping with code “FREESHIP” on purchases of 12+ bottles)

Other Random Thoughts

If you saw my holiday party horror story on Instagram or LinkedIn, then you already know.

TL;DR: A woman I just met decided to “test” whether I was really a sommelier… without letting me taste the wines.

The worst part wasn’t the middle-school level bullying, but that I immediately doubted myself. Also, I thought we were done with the whole women-competing-with-women thing.

You can read the full story here. And if you have tips for what I should’ve done besides smiling and shrinking into my wine glass… I’m all ears.

And speaking of being a woman in this world -

Have you read the latest “Women in the Workplace” report?

Apparently, women are less likely than men to want a promotion for the first time ever.

But also…

Women leaders are burnt out, RTO mandates disproportionately impact caregivers (aka mostly women), and the “broken rung” still holds women back at the first step up to manager (for the 11th year in a row).

It’s like they got so close to figuring it out with this line:

“When women receive the same career support that men do, they are just as interested in advancing. The gap in ambition to advance falls away.”

Why would women want to climb a ladder that’s lonely, biased, and exhausting?

This is why I’m more committed than ever to creating spaces, online and IRL, where women are supported and celebrated.

And with that…the last issue of 2025 comes to a close.

I’ll still pop in next week to say hi and happy holidays, but hopefully you’ll be offline, in sweats, with a glass of something really good in hand.

Thank you for being here this year. Truly.

Whether you’ve been reading since I relaunched or just joined recently, I’m so grateful you’re here ❤️

Thanks for sticking with me this year (and especially through this issue…)!

Cheers,

P.S.  A Small Holiday Request:
If you’ve enjoyed anything in Merobebe this year, it would mean the world if you shared it with a friend or hit reply and let me know what resonated most! 🥹

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