It’s International Women’s Month and that means I’m showcasing just a few of the amazing women in the wine world who are shaping what we are drinking. In fact, I was on WGN-TV’s “Daytime Chicago” to talk about women in wine and you can watch that HERE. I always have fun with the hosts because they love wine and they’re always curious.

Here you’ll learn about four women (there are thousands!) who are making really delicious, really interesting wines. Ready? Let’s meet them!

Each of these women plays a pivotal role in a wine you want to drink. Here are there wines (can you match the wine with the woman?)

Brigid Sauvignon Blanc, made by Beth Forrest, at Forrest Winery in Marlborough, New Zealand. As a skeptical Sauv Blanc drinker, I was gobsmacked when I tasted this wine. Not only is it lower-calorie (80 cals per glass, versus the standard 120 cals in 5 ounces of white wine), but … it’s New Zealand – land of high-acid SBs that can sometimes put me on edge. But! But but but … I LOVED this wine!

Beth worked for years on canopy management in the vineyard. This is the art and science of trying to control the grapevine leaves, to give the grapes the right amount of sunshine. She found a way to give the grapes enough sun to ripen well – but not ripen too much, so that when the yeast starts eating the sugars and turning them into alcohol, guess what? Lower alcohol! Lower alcohol equals lower calories.

This wine is delicious – bursting with tropical citrus and mouth watering acidity that combine for a taste explosion! It does not taste diluted like some other lower-calorie wines I’ve had. It does taste fresh, tart and tangy like a really excellent NZ Sauv Blanc should. Binny’s has it here in Illinois and it’s also on wine.com. And it’s an affordalicious value at about $19 a bottle.

Kind of Wild Rosé by Katie Lee Biegel from Pays d’Herault, France You may recognize Katie Lee from the Food Network, where she co-hosts “The Kitchen.” And you know – food goes with wine, so a few years ago, she partnered with brothers Adam and Jordan Sager on this line of organic wines from around the world. And after tasting a number of them (there are half a dozen in all), I give them 10 out of 10!

1. Certified organic and vegan and produced as sustainably as possible (no aluminum capsules on bottle necks, for instance).
2. They are a 1% for the Planet member, meaning they give back 1% of revenues each year to environmental foundations.
3. No added sugars and nutritional information on select back labels
4. Katie Lee shares food pairings suggestions and recipes through a QR code on each back label!
5. All the wines are line-priced at $26 and are available online at Kind of Wild’s website (with some sweet deals on reduced and even free shipping) plus you can look for them at retailers and restaurants.
6. Each shipment contains cute wine coasters that also have the QR code for the recipes!

The rosé is 50-50 Grenache and Syrah, from Pays d’Herault, on the Mediterranean coast of France. It unleashes everything you want in a French rosé – strawberry, watermelon, cherries. It’s dry and so sippable. Katie Lee likes it with potato chip-crusted salmon with peach salsa and that sounds like a dreamy pairing. This could become my house rosé.

Catena Malbec by Dr. Laura Catena, in Mendoza, Argentina The Catena family has ben making wine in Argentina since 1902, and today fourth generation vintner Dr. Laura Catena runs it. She is super active around the world, promoting Argentine wine (and is also a practicing physician!)

You’re going to get a lot of lush cherry notes on this wine, with a bit of spice in the background, all wrapped up in a medium-bodied red wine that is perfect with any type of braised or roasted meat, or a rich mushroom stew. Malbec has become Argentina’s calling card, so it makes perfect sense to savor this beauty made by the woman who has become the world’s ambassador for Argentine wine Laura Catena.

Zenato Alanera Rosso Veronese, from Italy (IGT) Like the Catena family, the Zenatos have been making wine for decades, and Nadia Zenato and her brother are now in charge. Nadia leads the business strategy, helping bring the family’s wines to more markets around the world, while her brother serves as winemaker.

I was completely seduced by this wine! It”s a blend of Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon (similar grapes to what is in Valpolicella, which the Zenatos make lots of). In this wine, half of the fruit was dried for 45-60 days, in the appassimento style.

The dried grapes offer concentrated flavors that just flood out of the glass. You’re going to get chocolate-covered cherries, some light-roast coffee, dried cherries and cloves. It tastes like money It’s well balanced, with a depth of flavor and silky tannins that belies it’s $18 price point! You can find it at Eataly and you should. A great burger wine, and of course, great with meaty, mushroomy Italian dishes.

If you try any of these, let me know what you think. March is the perfect time to seek out wines made by, run by or owned by women. Cheers!