Role Models – What I Learned, What I Hope I Gave - #2
Penny Gadd-Coster Inspecting Vines
Winemaker Penny Gadd-Coster talks about her mentors and role models, what she hopes she did as a role model for others and the bubbles she has in her fridge right now.
Why Penny?
She helped make “small grower sparkling wine” possible! As head winemaker for Rack and Riddle, she was the person behind the sparkle for many small wineries that now have a way to make Methode Champenoise sparkling wines. Prior to the creation of Rack and Riddle, making bubbles was only practical for large wine companies.
Penny has been involved in sparkling wine since 1987 when she joined Jordan Vineyards, eventually becoming sparkling winemaker at J Vineyards. She joined Rack and Riddle in 2007, and in addition to overseeing winemaking operations for hundreds of their clients, she also personally crafts the sparkling wines for their brand as well as for Breathless Wines and most recently her own brand, Pénélope, offered through Naked Wines. I cannot imagine the number of bottles of sparkling wine Penny has touched in her career. I’m willing to bet you have one in your fridge right now.
Here is Part 2 of my conversation with Penny.
My Role Models and Mentors
Vicky
Did you have mentors and role models in your career?
Penny
André Tchelistcheff [often called the dean of American winemakers] was one of the people I consider a mentor. He came to Jordan once a month to consult with us and I got the amazing opportunity to learn from him and Rob Davis, the winemaker at Jordan. Raphael Brisbois [winemaker at Piper Sonoma] and Oded Shakked [winemaker at J Vineyards] were also huge. I learned so much from them.
There was a great camaraderie, and we built great relationships. The biggest impact they had on me was treating me just like anybody else. I was empowered. I was allowed to learn as much as I wanted to and make changes. And the technical education was enormous. Ultimately, my philosophy of winemaking came together from all I learned from those mentors.
Plus, I consider all the winemakers we worked with at Rack and Riddle as mentors as well. In fact, I learned more in the first three years there than I learned the 20 years before! Easily.
“I learned more in the first three years at Rack and Riddle than I learned the 20 years before!”
My Role Models Weren’t All Men
Vicky
You were the first female winemaker at J. I can only think of only two other woman who were female sparkling winemakers in this country at the time, Eileen Crane at Domaine Carneros and Dawnine Dyer at Domaine Chandon. I know you admired them, but you didn’t work with them. It sounds like there weren’t any women who mentored you.
Penny
Yes, in winemaking they were all men. But the women who were role models for me were the women in my family. In fact, I’ve dedicated my new brand, Pénélope, to those women. My grandmother and my great grandmother never followed a traditional path. The same was true for my great aunts. I learned so much from them.
The People I Mentored
Vicky
You have undoubtedly been a guide and mentor to sparkling winemakers over the years. What are the most important things you gave them?
Penny
Go after your dream. Don’t let anyone tell you, “You can’t do it.” I hope they learned that it’s OK to be passionate about something. And share your knowledge. I think that’s why I’m here, to share what I know and what I’ve learned.
Vicky
Ashley [winemaker at Amista Vineyards] has worked with you at Rack and Riddle for over 10 years. She would agree about sharing your knowledge. She said you are a fountain of information. She also said you had such a chill attitude that everything was going to be OK.
“Nobody’s dying here. We’re just making wine.”
Penny
I’ve heard that. That comes from my time working in emergency rooms. People actually are dying. When some disaster would happen in the winery and everyone would be running around, I would say, “Nobody’s dying here. We’re going to get through this. We’re going to learn. We’re just making wine here.”
The Bubbles I’m Drinking
Penny Gadd-Coster in Vineyard with Glass of Bubbly
Vicky
Well speaking of wine, what sparkling wines do you like to drink. What’s in your fridge right now?
Penny
I have two bottles of Breathless, a Rosé and a Moscato. I have a bottle of Pénélope Brut. And then I have all the bottles for my Breathless dosage trials. Learn more about dosage trials.
Sparkling Is Becoming More Popular
Vicky
Clearly, both of us love sparkling. Do you think more people are drinking sparkling wine these days?
Penny
I look back over my career and during the first 20 years, were more and more people drinking bubbles? I don’t think they were. But in the last 10 years - when I have 100 different clients coming to me and saying they want to make bubbles - that tells me, now we’re seeing a change.
That’s all of us doing it collectively – all the little wineries, all the big sparkling houses. Now there are a couple hundred wineries making a sparkling wine, just in Northern California. People want bubbles as part of their lineup.
Vicky
Yes, the creation of Rack and Riddle as a custom crush operation changed the landscape for sparkling wine, at least in this area. Founders, Bruce [Lundquist] and Rebecca [Faust] made it feasible for small wineries to make sparkling wines.
Penny
Absolutely. Bruce and Rebecca made the opportunity to advance sparkling wine possible. That has made a lot more impact than I probably realized.
All images courtesy of Rack & Riddle
Check out all my conversations with Penny Gadd-Coster
