Inspiring Mothers of the Wine World

This weekend, we’re raising a glass to all mothers, without whose hurricane strength and boundless love the world would cease to turn. In honor of Mother’s Day, we asked the children of five powerhouse women in wine to share what inspires them about their mothers. From California to Italy, France to Argentina, here’s what they had to say: Shannon Lail and Erin Lail on their mother Robin Daniel Lail, owner and founder of Lail Vineyards in the Napa Valley : “‘No’ is not part of our mom's vernacular. She'll charge at the door a thousand times until it opens on the thousand and first try. She's tenacious as hell, but always leads with grace – whether it's a bank loan, a grape contract, or simply righting a wrong. You could strip her of all her successes and she would still bloom wherever she was planted.” Eddy Leiber-Faller and Théo Faller on their mother Catherine Faller, vintner of Domaine Weinbach in Alsace : “We had to grow older and eventually become fathers ourselves to understand Catherine Faller, our vintner of a Mum. All the non-stop running around, tasting, travelling, worrying, is hard to grasp when you see with a hint of envy from your friends at school with their 5-days-a-week-job parents. Not even mentioning their retired spoiling grandmas, as this could be about our late grandmother Colette as well. But one day you realize that being a vintner is not just a job. It’s not something you ever apply for, take time off or retire from. It’s about legacy and transmission. About growing amidst something bigger than you that is going to shape you. And then it becomes clear that your mother is not working for herself or even for the winery, she is working for your own kids and their children after them, for something as immaterial as the notion of excellence in wines and in the same time as very palpable as a ripe grape cluster freshly harvested. Perhaps for those ‘fragments of eternity,’ as she likes to put it.” José Lovaglio Balbo on his mother Susana Balbo, President and founder of Susana Balbo wines in Mendoza : “What I value most from my mother is she has no regrets. I’ve never seen my mom second-guess herself, she is a true believer and always trusts her gut. She values the timing of decisions over the depth of decisions, and while not every decision is the right one, she has far more successes than failures. My mother has taught me that in making decisions, it’s easier to change the course of things in motion rather than starting from scratch. It’s that approach, combined with gut feel, experience and intelligence, the inspires me to keep making my own way and trusting myself.” Maya Dalla Valle on her mother Naoko Dalla Valle of Dalla Valle Vineyards in the Napa Valley: “My Mom has always been a constant inspiration to set my goals high and living proof that hard work pays off. Watching her run a successful winery by herself while raising me was always something I admired and was a big motivation to join the family business. I am honored to now be working alongside her and continuing Dalla Valle Vineyards into the next generation. Not to mention she is the greatest person I know!” José Rallo on her mother Gabriella Anca Rallo, co-founder of Donnafugata in Sicily : “For me it’s a woman looking forward who wants to escape and change [speaking about the winery’s name ‘Donnafugata,’ which roughly translates to ‘woman on the run’]. I saw my mother change and become a real entrepreneur. The fact that women are mothers and are responsible for creating the home environment is often translated into actions taken in the winery. Women are very concrete and look at the context of the environment where they work. A woman's sensibility is at the heart of Donnafugata, I'm convinced that the values at Donnafugata are linked to my being a mother and involved in society." Are you uncorking something special for mom this weekend? We can’t wait to see how you’re celebrating. Scan the label and add your tasting notes on Delectable!