Œnotourisme3 April 20269 min read

Women Winemakers of Burgundy: the Figures Shaping History

Simon Stoll

Oenosuite Founder

Ancient vaulted wine cellar with oak barrels in Burgundy, soft natural light, Côte de Nuits

In Burgundy, the vineyard is often spoken of in the masculine, yet some of its most decisive figures have been women. From biodynamics pioneers to the managers of legendary estates, they imposed their vision against the grain, transforming entire properties and inspiring a whole generation. From Lalou Bize-Leroy, the undisputed queen of the Côte de Nuits, to Anne-Claude Leflaive, pioneer of biodynamics in Puligny-Montrachet, and Perrine Fenal at the helm of Romanée-Conti, this collective portrait pays tribute to those who built their legend in Burgundy's vineyards, and to those who continue to shape it today.

Lalou Bize-Leroy: the Undisputed Queen of the Côte de Nuits

Born in 1932, Marcelle « Lalou » Bize-Leroy is the most legendary figure in the Burgundy vineyard. The great-granddaughter of François Leroy, who founded Maison Leroy in 1868, she co-directed the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti alongside Aubert de Villaine from 1974 until January 1992, when she was removed following deep disagreements over the estate's management. A painful departure that could have marked the end of a career, it was in fact the beginning of her greatest adventure.

As early as 1988, Lalou had anticipated the future: she founded her own estate in Vosne-Romanée, Domaine Leroy, placing it entirely under biodynamic farming from September of that year, one of the earliest conversions on such a scale in Burgundy. Its 22 hectares include 9 Grands Crus (among them Chambertin, Musigny and Romanée-Saint-Vivant), 8 Premiers Crus and 9 Villages. Critics Bettane & Desseauve described it as the «absolute summit of Burgundy». Its bottles, produced in tiny quantities, command some of the highest prices on the global fine wine market.

Anne-Claude Leflaive: Biodynamics Pioneer in the Côte de Beaune

At Puligny-Montrachet, Anne-Claude Leflaive (1956-2015) left an equally remarkable mark. Taking over Domaine Leflaive in 1994, she inherited 24 hectares planted exclusively in Chardonnay, including 4.8 hectares of Grands Crus and 10.8 hectares of Premiers Crus. Her most decisive move came in 1997, when she committed the entire estate to biodynamic conversion, making Domaine Leflaive one of the pioneers of this approach in the Côte de Beaune. A courageous decision that drew as much curiosity as scepticism from her peers.

Named «world's best white wine winemaker» by Decanter magazine in 2006, Anne-Claude Leflaive passed away on 5 April 2015, at just 59 years old. She left behind a fully transformed estate, a biodynamic philosophy embedded in every vineyard gesture, and a worldwide reputation for Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault of remarkable purity. Since 2015, Brice de La Morandière, great-grandson of Joseph Leflaive, has carried on this legacy with the same rigour.

Perrine Fenal: the Heiress at the Helm of Romanée-Conti

The link between these great feminine dynasties of Burgundy does not end with Lalou. Her daughter, Perrine Fenal, is today co-director of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. In November 2018, following the death of Henry-Frédéric Roch, the Leroy family appointed her to represent their interests at the helm of the world's most celebrated estate. She had already served on the supervisory board since 2004, having from 1992 to 2004 run her own company importing and distributing DRC wines in French-speaking Switzerland. Since 2022, she co-manages alongside Bertrand de Villaine, ensuring the continuity of both founding families.

A New Generation: Rooted in Terroir, Open to the World

These legendary figures have paved the way for a new generation of equally determined women winemakers. In Fixin, Amélie Berthaut of Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet embodies this renewal. Daughter of Denis Berthaut and Marie-Andrée Gerbet, she returned to the family estate in 2013 after studying agro-oenology in Bordeaux and completing internships in California (Dunn) and Bandol. Under her leadership, the renamed Berthaut-Gerbet estate now covers around 18 hectares across Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot and Vosne-Romanée. Her precise approach and territorial roots have made her one of the most closely watched winemakers on the Côte de Nuits.

These individual trajectories are part of a broader trend. In 2025, 31% of wine producers in France are women, and in oenology schools, they now account for 47% of students, a strong signal for the future of the vineyard. The association Femmes et Vins de Bourgogne, founded in 2000, brings together around forty members, winemakers, oenologists, sales professionals, and is part of a national network of approximately 300 women from ten French wine regions.

Meeting Them: Wine Tourism with a Feminine Touch in Burgundy

Encountering these winemakers is one of the most memorable experiences Burgundy can offer a wine enthusiast. Their stories, of resistance, innovation, transmission, lend human depth to wine tastings, transforming a simple visit into a genuine immersion in the terroir. Oenosuite.fr offers stays at the heart of Burgundy's vineyard, ideally located to discover these estates: whether in the Côte de Nuits, Puligny-Montrachet or the appellations of the Côte de Beaune, the platform's partners facilitate encounters with committed producers.

From the cellars of the Côte de Nuits to the clos of Puligny-Montrachet, from the villages of Fixin to the caves of Vosne-Romanée, Burgundy's women winemakers draw a map of the vineyard as demanding as it is inspiring. To taste their wines is to touch, through the glass, a conviction held against the tide, a vision of terroir built or inherited and defended over decades. And in Burgundy, these visions very often bear a woman's name.