Phenomenal Femme: Theresa Heredia Turns Heads in Sonoma Wine Country

Theresa Heredia happens to be one of the most exciting winemakers working in Sonoma County today. As a third-generation Mexican-American, a woman in a male-dominated industry, and a lesbian, that recognition is a badge of honor.

Petite and with a youthful energy, Heredia is the winemaker at Gary Farrell Winery in Sonoma's Russian River Valley. A promising start as a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry at the University of California-Davis took a turn when she discovered wine.

Today, she is renowned as one of the region's foremost authorities on cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Heredia will be in New York on Nov. 18 at the Phenomenal Femmes wine dinner at the Central Park Ritz-Carlton, a fund-raiser to benefit the Women's Shelter at Crossroads Community Services at St. Bart's Church.

In the meantime, EDGE caught up with Heredia post-harvest after she put the 2015s to bed.

A Minimalist Approach

EDGE: In 2012, you were tapped as a "Winemaker to Watch" for your willingness to experiment with different winemaking techniques. Can you talk a bit about your approach as a winemaker?

Theresa Heredia: My approach is very experimental, and I do not have a winemaking "formula." Over the past 15 years, I have definitely found techniques that I prefer, and that I use regularly, but that doesn't stop me from trying fun stuff. For example, in 2013 we made a skin-fermented Chardonnay that spent an average of 45 days on skins, post-fermentation. We decided to make this wine because harvest came to a fast halt and we found ourselves with time for experimentation. Thankfully, our general manager is a big fan of new, exciting ideas, so she was all for it when I proposed the idea.

EDGE: You worked for a time in Burgundy, at Domaine de Montille on the Cote d'Or in Volnay. How has your experience there impacted your approach to Sonoma winemaking?

T.H.: Sonoma County soil types, diurnal fluctuations (daily min and max temperatures) and sun intensity, just to name a few things, are all very different from Burgundy. The common theme between the two locations, that ultimately led Italian immigrants to plant Pinot and Chardonnay here, is the cool climate. The fog rolls in late afternoon and sticks around sometimes until late morning or even early afternoon the next day, acting as nature's refrigerator, chilling the grapes down at night.

My goal is to make the wines with a minimalistic approach: hands-on without too much manipulation. I use a lot of whole clusters in the fermentations because I find that they contribute structure, spice and earthiness, while also adding site specificity. This is definitely a technique I learned in Burgundy.

EDGE: On the grape front, you seem to have specialized in cool-climate varietals: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. What do you find challenging about working with those grapes?

T.H.: I'll admit that Chardonnay is a bit easier to work with than Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir is definitely finicky. For starters, this varietal has very thin skins and is extremely susceptible to dehydration during hot weather, mold/mildew pressure under humid conditions, and loss of overall flavor and concentration when it is over-cropped. The latter is one of the biggest challenges for Pinot Noir farmers, and they are constantly trying to find the right crop load for any given site. If over-cropped, the finished wine can have thin, green, herbaceous flavors, which doesn't work well with this grape.

EDGE: What are you seeing for the future?

T.H.: I think consumers are really beginning to embrace wines that are balanced, and less ripe, as compared to a decade ago when most California wines tended to have 14-16 percent alcohol. The trend now is toward wines that are lower in alcohol and leaner in their fruit profile (less jammy, more floral and savory).

EDGE: That seems like a natural fit for Sonoma County wines. What are your favorite attributes of Sonoma vineyards that have contributed to your style?

T.H.: Sonoma County vineyards produce wines with absolutely beautiful natural acidity. Over the years, I have adapted my picking decisions and winemaking to try to capture and maintain this acidity.

EDGE: On the personal/professional front, you've cited some of the female (Merry Edwards, Heidi Barrett, Mia Klein) and Mexican-American (Elias Fernandez) trailblazers who paved the way for you as a winemaker. What about your experience as a lesbian?

T.H.: I wasn't aware of any "out" lesbian winemakers when I came out, but I definitely wanted to be one of the first to be open about my sexuality in this somewhat rigid industry. Mostly, I didn't want to hide or lie, and I wanted to feel equal, meaning I wanted to feel that I could be myself, just like everyone else. I have yet to encounter anyone in my career who felt that they needed to treat me differently because I'm a lesbian, a woman, or because I'm of Mexican heritage. Now that I think about it, the only issue I encounter is that people sometimes look at me, mostly consumers at tasting events, and assume that I work in sales, in the office or in the tasting room.