Gizem Billur Duyar is a Turkish winemaker focused on indigenous grape varieties, ecology, and traditional winemaking. In 2019 she founded Kerasus Wines, concentrating on reviving forgotten or endangered grapes in the Black Sea region. She uses ancient techniques like amphora fermentation and aging, “married vine” cultivation, and works with village-grown grapes in small-scale vineyards. Her approach emphasizes sustainability, minimal intervention, and honest expression of terroir.

Anna Kelland is a young viticulturist based in Marlborough, New Zealand, currently serving as a Viticulture Technician at Constellation Brands. She began her vineyard journey in 2020 while pursuing studies in Viticulture & Wine Science, and also holds a WSET Diploma. In both 2024 and 2025, she was named Marlborough Young Viticulturist of the Year, highlighting her strong proficiency in both theory and practice. Anna focuses on all key aspects of vineyard management, including pruning, trellising, pest and disease control, irrigation, and nutrient management, where she values both precision and efficiency. She is also deeply engaged in understanding climate and soil variability, exploring sustainable viticulture and innovative technologies for the future. As part of the next generation of female viticulturists, Anna not only excels technically but also contributes to greater visibility, diversity, and inclusivity in the industry.

Anna Martí Pitart is a leading practitioner of regenerative viticulture at her family’s historic Ca N’Estruc estate in Catalonia, . She manages the estate's 22 contiguous hectares of vineyards, which have been organically certified since 2012 and are farmed biodynamically, with active efforts underway to achieve formal Demeter certification. Her deep commitment to the land is reflected in her uncompromising, low-intervention winemaking—all her wines are made without additives, filtration, or fining, and are bottled by gravity alone. By fusing this rigorous sustainability philosophy with artisanal innovation, Anna Martí Pitart has emerged as one of Spain’s most distinctive and authentic voices in natural winemaking.

Marine Descombe is the fifth-generation head of Vins Descombe in Brouilly, Beaujolais, France. Founded by her grandfather in 1905, she assumed leadership of the family winery and its bottling operations while still under 30. The domaine comprises about 30 hectares of vineyards, planted exclusively with Gamay, with vines aged between ~15 years and nearly 100 years. Marine’s winemaking reflects strong commitment to tradition and terroir: hand harvesting, ~40% destemming, Burgundy-style slow pressing and 10-day maceration, followed by aging in large cement tanks. The vineyards are managed under HVE sustainable farming, focusing on minimal use of phyto-sanitary treatments, controlled fertilization, water reduction, and biodiversity preservation.

Marie-Laurence Porte is a consulting oenologist based in Bordeaux. Since 2007 she has worked with the Enosens laboratory in Cadillac, advising winegrowers from vineyard to bottle. With an academic foundation in biology and plant physiology, she merges laboratory-based research with field practices to support estates in technical optimization and innovation. She is seen as a bridge between scientific method and winemaking application. In 2024, she was named one of Vitisphere’s “Les 20 du Vin” personalities, recognized for her pedagogical spirit, dynamism and influence in the wine community.

Sandra Tavares da Silva is the winemaker and co-founder of Wine & Soul in Portugal’s Douro Valley. In 2001, she and her husband Jorge Serôdio Borges launched their winery from scratch. She emphasizes terroir through field blends from old vines (over 40 varieties) — a signature style she calls “the Douro’s biggest secret.” Her flagship Pintas 2011 garnered 98 points from Wine Spectator, and Wine & Soul has earned global praise including Critic’s Choice recognition. As the first prominent female winemaker in the Douro, she champions minimalist, natural winemaking—manual harvest, foot-trodden lagares, native yeasts, and minimal intervention. Her work redefined international perceptions of Douro, elevating its prowess in dry wines. Sandra was named among the top 24 female winemakers worldwide by the Financial Times.

With dual degrees in Oenology and Agricultural Engineering, and a WSET Diploma, Sara Bañuelos has emerged as one of Spain’s most dynamic winemakers. After honing her craft across multiple wineries in Rioja, she joined Ramón Bilbao Rueda in 2016, where her leadership has been instrumental in redefining the region’s white wines.Renowned for her ability to capture terroir with precision and personality, Sara’s vision came to life in Las Amedias (2019), awarded “White Wine Discovery of the Year” by Tim Atkin. Today, as Technical Director, she continues to expand the horizons of Verdejo, bringing fresh energy and elegance to this emblematic Spanish variety.

Marie Dubillot is the winemaker and co-owner of Domaine des Marnes Blanches in France’s Jura region. As one of the key figures shaping the new wave of Jura wines, she embodies both scientific precision and artistic intuition. Her work emphasizes purity, tension, and crystalline minerality—hallmarks of her Savagnin “Les Molates,” which has been acclaimed for its “saline acidity, wild minerality, and profound freshness.”

Under her stewardship, Domaine des Marnes Blanches produces only 7,000–9,000 cases annually (approximately 84,000–108,000 bottles), reflecting a philosophy of controlled yields and artisanal craftsmanship. She also launched the experimental label Coup de Jus, creating cross-regional blends from organic Gamay, Grenache, and Alsace varieties that celebrate the freedom and creativity of the new generation of winemakers. By harmoniously merging Jura’s traditional savoir-faire with modern precision and sustainable viticulture, Dubillot has helped natural wines from Jura achieve global recognition and respect.

Debbie Thompson is a prominent South African winemaker, currently serving as Head Winemaker at Le Grand Domaine. A Stellenbosch University graduate, she spent nearly two decades at Simonsig leading red wine production before joining Le Grand Domaine in 2020. She champions terroir-driven premium wines, and in 2025 led her all-female cellar team to win Best International Cabernet Sauvignon, highlighting her leadership and craft in challenging styles.

Marlene began her whiskey career in 1990 at Jim Beam (Kentucky), then in 2018 joined Milam & Greene in Texas as Master Distiller, overseeing fermentation, distillation, aging, blending, and batching. In 2025 she was inducted into Whisky Magazine’s International Hall of Fame, a landmark recognition, after also earning awards such as Women of Whiskey Awards — confirming her technical mastery and leadership in the spirits world. Her main contribution lies in bridging scientific experimentation with creative whiskey craftsmanship. She conducted a pioneering multi-state aging comparison by maturing identical distillates in both Texas and Kentucky warehouses, analyzing how variations in climate affect whiskey’s flavor, color, and texture. At Milam & Greene, she further advanced blending and finishing techniques by combining Bourbon and Rye expressions, skillfully employing diverse cask types, toast levels, and maturation times to create whiskies of greater depth, complexity, and balance.