Female Winemakers in Roussillon

Diary #6 by Elise Gaillard, winemaker at Domaine Madeloc: A female winemaker and daughter of Pierre Gaillard, Elise Gaillard is a feisty woman who won’t let anyone walk all over her. Gender stereotypes don’t faze her.

The Role of Women in the Roussillon Vineyards

People often ask me about the role of women in the wine world, and more specifically in the Roussillon vineyards. I actually don’t have much to say on the subject! There have been many women winemakers before me, and there are many in Roussillon. There’s even an association for women winemakers, but I’m not a member. Without wanting to get all feminist about it, we’re beyond the male/female divide!

Elise Gaillard, a pragmatic winemaker at Domaine Madeloc

Of course, everyone is different. At the estate, we accommodate all body types: I can’t fit through narrow gaps, while my partner, who is the vineyard manager, needs doors that are at least 2 meters high! As a result, he can’t go into the white wine cellar because the ceiling is too low!

We also have an employee who speaks half Catalan, half French. So we’ve developed our own little language, and we understand each other perfectly. Another one of our employees is really strong. He breaks anything that’s even slightly fragile. So we don’t let him touch it…

So our daily routine involves adapting to each person and understanding their limits. I know my own physical limits, and I rely on others’ skills when there’s something I can’t do myself. For me, there’s no difference between men and women—rather, there’s a need to adapt to each person’s unique circumstances. In any case, this allows us to go further and faster, together!

Find Domaine Madeloc on Les Grappes

Elise Gaillard (Madeloc Estate)