Celebrating the Women of ORW
This year the women of ORW have been recognized globally by the Women of the Vine & Spirits giving us an extra reason to celebrate International Women’s Day and Women in Wine this year.
March 8th, 2023
Posted In News
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Women Driven Business
Over the past year, Oak Ridge Winery has had the privilege of joining Women of the Vine & Spirits as a Women Powered Brand. Women of the Vine & Spirits is the leading membership organization, worldwide, dedicated to boldly pushing the wine, beer, and spirits industry toward a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive era that empowers all to succeed.
Raquel Casity, General Manager, says, “It has been gratifying to see a traditionally male dominated industry transition over the years to passionate women paving the way for future industry leaders. In our organization, we are proud to have key roles filled by women.” Some of those key roles include: Chief Winemaker, General Manager, Managing Partners, Director of Marketing, Tasting Room Manager, Lab Supervisor, Weigh Master, Human Resource Manager, and Business Unit Director.
Raquel, along with her two sisters Lisa Kammerer and Shelly Maggio-Woltkamp, are the fourth generation of the Maggio family that came from Italy to Lodi in the early 1900’s. The first cuttings planted by the family in 1928 evolved into 8 million gallons and new technology over the years, leading Oak Ridge Winery and the Maggios to today’s world of farming and premium winemaking.
With their efforts to advance Oak Ridge Winery, they brought on Chief Winemaker Laura Durham. Laura grew up in the Lodi area then went on to study viticulture and enology at UC Davis. Over the past ten years she has sharpened her skills in Paso Robles, Monterey County, and Napa Valley in winemaking and product development. As Chief Winemaker at ORW, Laura is guiding the winery away from strictly commercial varietal bottlings toward wines that highlight Lodi terroir. One of her favorite wines in the portfolio is Moss Roxx Reserve Zinfandel.
“I love this wine because it represents a true Lodi Zinfandel in it’s best form. Tons of bramble and boysenberry in the nose. Leather, cedar and tobacco in the background. Medium body, well-rounded tannins, and a super smooth finish. The alcohol content is a little higher in this blend, which is reflective of the hot Lodi summers that give us so much sugar in the grapes. This wine is super session-able and goes with just about everything.”
This year to celebrate Women in Wine, Laura will lead a guided tasting through some of our portfolio here at Oak Ridge Winery on March 25th. Tickets can be found on our website!