Elise Gaillard: Advocating for young winemakers

Diary #3: I’ve found it harder to be young than to be a woman. People don’t often take us seriously, and they don’t listen to us much. But I’ve always loved a challenge!

Elise Gaillard, daughter of Pierre Gaillard, talks to us about the credibility of young winemakers

There isn’t much intergenerational mixing (the “old” stick with the “old,” and the “young” stick with the “young”!). I was quite surprised by the lack of interest in young winemakers, the newcomers. And I’m not necessarily talking about myself—I’m lucky enough to be a “daughter of”—but I’ve noticed this quite often!

The guides tend to focus on established names, and consumers are more likely to go with people they’ve seen before and trust (it seems obvious!). Plus, I don’t think you’re really credible until you’re over 40! Luckily, I’ve got a few gray hairs to lend me some credibility (and a nice last name)!

Elise Gaillard, the feisty winemaker at Domaine Madeloc

When I arrived in Banyuls, I had just finished my studies. I’d done a lot of traveling (and had a blast!), and now it was time to get down to business! It was a lot to handle on my own, but I was “raring to go”! I love a challenge, and that’s the mindset I started with—and I still have it today! The first thing that was a bit difficult for me was realizing that, in fact, I knew nothing! I thought I’d learned things in school, during my internships, and in my summer jobs… But there are so many concepts to grasp that all of that was nothing! I called my dad every day—mostly with technical questions, since my training hadn’t covered much of that. Should the pump go before or after the filter?! What tool do you use to clean the tanks?

What's this thing for? … I've been asked that a lot!

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