Women in Business

Wine for Women in Business

Women are in business in a big way. They now make up nearly 47 percent of the entire U.S. labor force and half of the managerial and professional specialty positions. If you're a woman in the workplace, sooner or later you'll be called on to conduct business over lunch or dinner. Mirassou is pleased to help you do so with confidence.

How Henrietta Mirassou Overcame the Obstacles with Optimism

Throughout their history, the Mirassou family has depended on the optimistic vision of the women members. They credit their success to matriarch Henrietta Mirassou for instilling their optimistic spirit.

In the late 1800s, Henrietta was the pivotal force that kept the family's winemaking tradition alive. When her husband died suddenly at age 33, Henrietta was an important link between generations, passing on the tradition of fine winemaking from her father to her sons. She eventually remarried and her new husband attempted to move the family away from the Mirassou property. Henrietta resisted. She was adamant that her sons learn their grandfather's winemaking techniques on the historic family land. In doing so, Henrietta became one of the first women to single-handedly run a vineyard and winery.

Overcoming Adversity

In the years that followed, the second and third generations faced some serious setbacks and hardships during a time when many vintners quit the business altogether. When the deadly vine disease phylloxera destroyed virtually all of California's vineyards in 1894, Henrietta and her sons replanted their land with native-American, disease-resistant root stock. She offered these cuttings to the neighbors and helped save the industry. As a result, many of the vineyards in the area today originated from the Mirassou cuttings.

A Tribute to Henrietta

Mirassou is honoring Henrietta's entrepreneurial spirit by hosting the "Make Your Dream Come True with Mirassou" contest to help a woman who aspires to open a new business. The recipient will receive $50,000 and a team of professional consultants, including a business and marketing plan writer, graphic designer, financial planner, legal expert and mentoring from an experienced entrepreneur from the National Association of Women Business Owners® (NAWBO®).

Women entrepreneurs were rare in the 1800s, but today more than 10.4 million women own businesses in the United States. These companies generate $1.9 trillion in annual sales and employ 12.8 million people nationwide.

Mirassou is pleased to announce that Jeannine Sargent of Charlotte, NC has been named the winner of the 2007 "Make Your Dreams Come True with Mirassou" contest.