During the past decade, wines made by Mireille Sauvé, a
Naramata-based wine educator and sommelier, have raised more than $20,000 for
scholarships awarded by the 60-member Vancouver chapter of Les Dames
d’Escoffier.
Once again, she has released two wines for, as she puts it, “a good
cause.” Both are well made, worth drinking even without the incentive of
supporting a good cause.
Some time ago, she moved from being a sommelier to wine
education and marketing under her own company, The Wine Umbrella. One of her
two recent releases is a red wine under The Wine Umbrella label, as she begins
a transition from the Dames label. It still raises funds to support wine
professionals.
A recent president of the Dames chapter, Mireille has a considerable
history with this organization that supports women in the wine business. She was a previous scholarship recipient through the Dames program.
She credits that support for allowing her to graduate from George Brown College
in 1997 as Canada’s youngest female sommelier.
Her history was detailed three years ago in a press release
accompanying an earlier release of wines under the Dames label.
Back in 1991, a 22-year-old Mireille was
struggling with her career. Having started working in restaurants at the young
age of 14, she was an established server in fine dining with vast experience
but frustrated that she was unable to find anyone to take her under their wing
to attain management status; and a professional sommelier degree from Toronto’s
George Brown University was both out of financial reach and necessitated a move
across the country.
A few senior women in the industry knew of
her talents and ambition and encouraged her to apply for a scholarship from the
local chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier, money they raised throughout the year
for exactly this type of need. Mireille received a generous scholarship, scored
honours distinction in her course, and went on to become the youngest certified
sommelier (yes, of any gender) in Canada.
Apprenticeship at a Washington State
winery, work experience with Eric von Krosigk at Hawthorne Mountain
Vineyards (now See-Ya-Later Ranch) behind her; her own successful wine
consulting business; travels across the world judging wine and no less than
three children later, Mireille had reached a level in her career and was
invited to join Les Dames as member - the very same organization that had
helped her to pay for the schooling she needed to reach this place in her
career. Talk about full circle.
Jumping into the fundraising arm of the
chapter committees she saw an opportunity to move away from silent auctions and
give back, include other members in an amazing winemaking experience and, if
she was lucky, be able to involve and give back to a whole new generation of
female winemakers and sommeliers by making and bottling wine with all the
profits being donated back to the chapter.
Mireille started to experiment with the
white wine a few years ago as she discussed her dream of creating a special
Dames wine. An early prototype blending Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat was good
enough to inspire her. With that presentation, the chapter approved her use of
their branding and gave her their blessing to move ahead.
Under the Dames label, Mireille
previously released a 2013 red (a Merlot/Syrah blend) and a 2015 white (a blend
of Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer and Riesling) and a 2016 Rosé (a blend of 80%
Pinot Blanc and 20% Pinot Noir.)
“I can only make one wine a year,”
she says. Her style: “My philosophy is non-intervention.”
Her current releases are a 2017
sparkling wine under the Dames label and 2018 red wine under The Wine Umbrella.
Here are notes on the wines. Look
for the wines in private wine stores.
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