Local picked for wine event to toast women

Dormilona Wines’ Josephine Perry is preparing for a night away from “sticky grapes” after being chosen to showcase her wine at an International Women’s Day function in Sydney next month.

The Cowaramup-based winemaker will join 12 leading female winemakers in pouring 40 award-winning wines from across Australia at the Cellarmasters Meet the Makers: Women in Wine event on Thursday, March 8.

Dormilona, which means “lazybones” in Spanish, began as a product from Perry’s boutique contract winery and wine consulting services, Perryscope.

Spending her younger years working at wineries in France, the US, New Zealand and Spain, Perry also completed her degree in wine science.

Now she puts her time into her one-woman operation, taking on the challenges of harvest to create quality wine from naturally farmed fruit.

“I don’t hire anyone, I like doing harvest myself,” she said.

“It’s physically exhausting and I think that’s probably why the industry is so male-dominated.”

The mother of two said while women often took a step back from the industry after having children, she was taking a different approach by directing her energy into natural and raw winemaking.

Mrs Perry said the Meet the Makers: Women in Wine event next month was important in getting young winemakers together.

“It’s about highlighting women and their presence in the industry,” she said.

“It’s also beneficial for the brand and puts it in a different light.”