In an industry where women make up just 15–25% of the workforce nationwide, Idaho is standing out for doing something remarkably different; nearly half of our wine industry is powered by women.
Here, women aren’t just part of the story, they are actively reshaping the direction of the industry by blending science with sustainability, global experience with local stewardship, and innovation with authenticity.
And because Idaho’s wine industry is still young and growing, it's becoming a haven for women who want to lead, innovate, and build something that lasts. There are fewer gatekeepers. More room to take risks. A culture that prizes collaboration over competition. And that environment has quietly become one of the most welcoming in American wine for ambitious women ready to do things differently.
At the heart of Idaho wine is agriculture. And increasingly, that agriculture is guided by women who see stewardship as both responsibility and opportunity.
Sophia Martin, Vineyard Manager at Emerald Slope Vineyard, represents a new generation of viticulture. “At 17 years old, working alongside my dad in the vineyard during COVID, I fell in love with both the science and the artistry of growing wine grapes,” she shares. “Something clicked.”
Since then, she has completed six harvests in three countries — all before turning 23. From leading night shift crush operations at a 3,000-ton winery in Marlborough, New Zealand, to working harvest in Trentino, Italy at the biodynamic estate Foradori, Sophia has absorbed global lessons in efficiency, leadership, and regenerative farming.
“Immersed in low-intervention winemaking — surrounded by amphorae, old casks, and concrete tanks — I saw firsthand what it means to farm and make wine in true partnership with nature,” she says. “That experience solidified the direction I want my career to take.”
Today, she applies that perspective back home in the Snake River Valley. She tracks phenology dates, monitors irrigation and spray schedules, builds historical vineyard data systems, and works to improve labor efficiency — all while pursuing a business degree at Boise State University.
“My goal is to continue learning the land I steward, grow exceptional fruit, and build a regenerative farming system where we work with nature, not against it,” she says. “I hope to contribute to a future for the Snake River Valley wine that is both innovative and deeply rooted in the health of our land.”
This is the future of viticulture in Idaho — data-informed, globally influenced, and deeply rooted in respect for the land.
The women in Idaho’s wine industry share a common thread: a deep, almost instinctive commitment to the land they work. At 3100 Cellars, Emma Davidson sees sustainability as more than vineyard practices. It’s a mindset that carries through production, marketing, and hospitality.
Raised in Weiser, Idaho, Emma grew up in a family of farmers and gardeners. She later studied sustainability and marketing at Montana State University before working on organic farms in Spain and Ireland through World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). A harvest internship in South Africa’s Swartland region ignited her passion for wine — and reinforced the importance of adaptability and resourcefulness in challenging climates.
“My greatest accomplishment has been launching my own wine label, Mowby Wines, while continuing my role at 3100 Cellars and working toward my Enology Certificate through Washington State University,” she shares. “Starting my own brand has been incredibly rewarding (and a little scary at times)… I’m so proud that I was able to take this big leap of faith and build something of my own within the Idaho wine industry.”
As Tasting Room Manager and Winemaker’s Assistant at 3100 Cellars — and owner and winemaker of Mowby Wines — Emma embodies a new generation of Idaho leadership: entrepreneurial, sustainability-driven, and globally informed.
At Holesinsky Vineyard + Winery, innovation is guided by science and long-term vision. Co-owner and winemaker Caitlin Holesinsky is a trained chemist who understands wine at a molecular level. While she collaborates in production, her focus extends to strategy, distribution, and long-term growth; areas where scientific thinking informs big-picture decisions.
Holesinsky is home to Idaho’s only USDA-certified organic vineyard and has grown into one of the state’s largest case producers. But growth here doesn’t mean abandoning values. It means expanding them. "From farm to glass, everything we do honors where we have been and where we are going," she says.
Caitlin has expanded Holesinsky Family Brands beyond the vineyard into craft potato vodka, grown and distilled entirely on their estate, and Idawater, a sparkling water brand that is doing something almost unheard of in the category; being finished in champagne tanks rather than inline CO2 injection.
"We are 100% disrupting the sparkling water game right now," Caitlin says. "By using the same traditional methods trusted by the world's finest sparkling wines, we create a softer, more balanced effervescence — one that people can truly taste, feel, and remember."
The move is a masterclass in cross-category thinking — taking the expertise, equipment, and philosophy of fine wine and applying it somewhere entirely unexpected. It's the kind of innovation that doesn't come from playing it safe.
This spirit of blending science with stewardship is reflected across Idaho’s wine industry.
At Koenig Vineyards, enologist Jill Hawkins brings both technical training and lived experience to the cellar. Raised in the farming community of Buhl, Jill originally built a career in corporate tax after graduating from Utah State and moving to the Seattle area. Years later, a simple moment helping a friend in their vineyard sparked a realization that would change her path.
“That ‘ah-ha’ moment ultimately led me back to school at Washington State University to study enology and viticulture,” she explains.
Today she serves as enologist at Koenig and winemaker for Fujishin Family Estates, bringing together technical training, farming roots, and a lifetime of perspective.
“By going back to school and re-entering the farming world with new knowledge in winemaking and grape growing — and life experience — I came full circle,” she says. “And I’m proud of that.”
At Dude DeWalt Cellars, owner and winemaker Johnna Buchert draws inspiration from Idaho’s rugged history.
“We believe this rugged and unrefined land played a huge part in the makeup of Idaho’s rich history and tradition,” she says. “Each bottle of wine tells its own story.”
But Johnna isn’t just focused on the wine, she’s building an integrated team model that reflects a more collaborative future.
“I am most proud of creating a team here at Dude that is fully integrated in all aspects of the industry. From vines to wines, the individuals who serve our wines have been involved in picking, harvesting, bottling and marketing.”
That hands-on involvement creates ownership, passion, and authenticity. It breaks down silos between production and hospitality, reinforcing that wine is both an agricultural product and shared experience.
“We’ve heard wine connoisseurs say certain varietal styles we’ve created aren’t typical,” she adds. “The funny thing is your average Dude loves it. That’s exactly what we’re trying to accomplish.”
In challenging tradition and prioritizing approachability, Johnna is helping expand who feels welcome in Idaho wine culture.
With nearly half of its wine workforce made up of women, Idaho is an outlier. But maybe it's also a compelling vision of what the wine industry can become when barriers come down and talent rises to the top: Innovative yet grounded, globally informed yet fiercely local, and bold yet deeply respectful of the land.
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This is not a comprehensive list — there are many more extraordinary women shaping Idaho's wine story. The industry is young, and so is this list.