Ladies with Purple Hands

"I took the one less traveled by, and that had made all the difference." Those words by Robert Frost seems to be the consistent sediment from each of thw women winemakers I met. As the Finger Lakes are rapidly growing in terms of wineries and reputation, so has the number of Ladies with Purple Hands converting the fruit of the vine into delicious wines. The only common theme about them was their paths and backgrounds were completely uncommon from a pHD in wine chemist to a lawyer even students seeking a challenging career. Also, the level of experience prior to starting in the wine trade varies from being a next generation winemaker's daughter to no real experience at all except the willingness to learn the vintner's craft. And with the entry barrier being a woman winemaker disappearing, more qualified talent are considering the possibility of joining their ranks.

Except from Rochester Women Magazine