INTERNATIONAL WOMAN'S DAY Celebrates Leaders on 3/8

March 8th is International Woman's Day. Marked annually, the theme for 2021 is "Choose to Challenge." We want our readers to know about six impressive women who are making outstanding contributions to the world of food, wine, and spirits. They have challenged the norms to rise to the top of their respective fields. Celebrate them and all women who are working hard to make a difference in their businesses, homes and communities.

Rachel Barrie, Master Blender of The GlenDronach, Benriach & Glenglassaugh

• Rachel is one of a handful of female Master Blenders in the world with nearly 30 years of experience.
• Also known as the "First Lady of Scotch," she creates some of the world's finest Single Malt Scotch whiskies
• Rachel joined Brown-Forman in March 2017 as Master Blender for The GlenDronach, BenRiach and Glenglassaugh distilleries, and is responsible for developing, testing and expertly fine-tuning each distillery's unique signature character and range of expressions.
• She has tasted 150,000 casks throughout her career & can intuitively bring together an expression.

Elizabeth McCall, Assistant Master Distiller of Woodford Reserve

• Elizabeth McCall is one of the youngest female distillers in the United States.
• She followed in mother's footsteps starting as a sensory expert and worked in the quality department at Brown-Forman.
• Her ongoing devotion to quality, and interest for all things spirits, led her to become Master Taster in 2015, and in 2018, Assistant Master Distiller of Woodford Reserve.
• Elizabeth currently works with Master Distiller Chris Morris and R&D on innovation and the development of new products within Woodford Reserve.
• Elizabeth is also dedicated to her newest role of motherhood, making her Brown-Forman's first distiller in history to be a mother.

Zindanelia Arcidiacono, Pinot Noir Winemaker of Sonoma-Cutrer

• Zindanella was born in Texas and grew up in Argentina, in a region where winemaking is the primary economic industry.
• She received her bachelor's degree in winemaking in Argentina, and after working in France, Zindanella moved back to the US in 2007, joining Sonoma-Cutrer as an Enologist.
• She oversees all the sustainability programming at Sonoma-Cutrer, which includes the "Certified Sustainable" stamp on each label and a long-term commitment to adopting environmentally-friendly and efficient measures
• Zindanella loves nurturing Pinot Noirs throughout the process and seeing others enjoy the wine.

Cameron Diaz & Katherine Power, founders of Avaline Wine

• Avaline Wine was launched in 2020 by global Icon and wellness author Cameron Diaz & entrepreneur Katherine Power (Who What Wear, Versed Skincare, Merit) whose mission is to champion a new industry standard by making clean wine accessible to everyone.
• Drawn together by a shared love for wine and wellness, Power and Diaz knew the contents of everything that went in and on their bodies-why not wine?
• The founders agreed on the style of wine they both enjoyed and wanted to make: a crisp and clean rosé and a mineral-driven, dry white.
• After extensive research, they identified winemakers in France and Spain who owned organic vineyards and could produce these styles at the scale necessary for Avaline.

Bronya Shillo, founder of Fishers Island Lemonade

• Bronya is a native of Fishers Island, NY, situated off the coast of Connecticut and the Hamptons, and grew up working at her family's restaurant, the Pequot Inn, where Fishers Island Lemonade has been the most popular cocktail of the summer (and the island).
• She was in charge of bartending and batching the restaurant's famous cocktail when she had her ah-ha moment in 2014 to can the cocktail and share the island with the rest of the country.
• Bronya was heavily influenced by her sister and mom, both of whom help her manage the business.
• Fishers Island Lemonade is a signature concoction of lemonade with premium vodka and whiskey and is one of the only spiked lemonades on the market.

Photo Credit: Cameron Diaz & Katherine Power by Justin Coit