Winemaking Mama

Welcome!

I’m an Oregon based winemaker, entrepreneur, holistic nutritionist and mama!

Before I got into the worlds of wine and nutrition, I graduated from Sweet Briar College for women with a degree in English Literature & Creative Writing and was published in various literary magazines and compilations for poetry, fiction and non-fiction.  I went on to write about food and wine for several Pacific Northwest based magazines – including the former Mix Magazine, Oregon Wine Press, Wine Press Northwest, Northwest Woman Magazine, and I have contributed for a couple of beverage books, including the Wine Country Guidebook (2009).  There’s more, but I’m forgetting (mom brain).

My career in the wine industry began in 2000 when I left a corporate think tank in Washington, DC to manage a charming little wine shop in the Dupont Circle neighborhood.  I built an exciting career in wine from distribution sales in DC to national sales, marketing and communication posts at a handful of pioneering wineries in the Pacific Northwest – including Erath Vineyards, Ste. Michele Wine Estates and Adelsheim Vineyard.  I decided to get into production in 2008 and started interning in cellars at Anne Amie Vineyards, Shea Wine Cellars and Alloro Vineyard.  I studied enology, the science of winemaking, at the Northwest Viticulture Center near Salem, Oregon, and in 2011 I launched my very own wine brand, Leah Jorgensen Cellars.

My life is entrenched in so much more than winemaking and wine selling.  Wine is great.  In fact, I write about it at length.  But, I am also a holistic nutritionist and I have a lot to share about food, nutrient deficiencies, digestive disease, inflammation, mood, whole foods cooking, and so on.  Since becoming a mother in January of 2019, I have a lot to say about being pregnant over 35, fertility, healthcare for women, this wild idea of “self care” and navigating motherhood, in general.

Since life has taken me down a few different yet specific rabbit holes, which may or may not be some kind of leap into a series of quantum worm holes, I am committed to the following  3H’s, or three buckets of content, which often collide:

HYSTERICAL ME:
The Mom Bucket.   I never intended to write a “mommy blog” but so much of my time and energy occupies this space.  So I am now unapologetically diving into the mommy-sphere and sharing, I hope, material that may be helpful for others.  At minimum it’s a kind of therapy for me to rant about the wildness of being pregnant, giving birth, and then having to raise a small human.  Hysterical – not as in ha ha funny – but I love knocking the root of this word.  Hysteria comes from the Greek hystera, which means uterus; it was believed that hysteria was caused by a defect in the womb, and thus, only women could become hysterical.  No joke.

HEDONISTIC ME:
The Winemaker Bucket.  I am a mompreneur.  My work life has changed considerably since I became a mother.  I am looking at winemaking – the nuts and bolts of my craft to the ethos of my company and the greater industry trends and issues – from the lens of a new mom.  This isn’t just about the deliciousness of wine – it’s really more about the wine geek in me, the scientist in love with the creative process.  Writing content on winemaking for this blog is also kind of like rolling dice – I’m not sure what I’m gonna get, but I always hope for snake eyes!

HOLISTIC ME:
The Nutritionist Bucket.  Food is medicine.  How we eat directly impacts how well we will live.  I don’t believe in preaching food to people.  That’s just annoying.  But, I am going to get on my soapbox about fad diets (stay away), there’s no one perfect diet for everyone, we are bio-individuals with unique biochemistries and needs, our needs change with our ever-changing stations in life, and at the end of the day you just need to eat real food!  I love to cook and write about real food, talk about real food, but most importantly – I love to eat real food.

Thank you for joining me as I write and chat (stay tuned for my podcast – coming very soon!) about subjects that are important to me – areas where I hope to build community.  I have learned a lot during the coronavirus pandemic – and building community virtually when it’s difficult to do so in person is critical for our well being.  While my audience is largely mama centric, I hope to engage women of all walks of life to connect through common interests around women’s issues, wellness and wine.

Women, wellness and wine – so much to share!  I plan to cultivate virtual workshops here and beyond, along with an annual retreat using platforms like Zoom and social media until we can all meet in person.  Please follow me on Facebook and Instagram to keep the social connection going!

@winemakingmama (coming soon)

  @winemakingmama

 

EDUCATION CREDENTIALS:
B.A. from Sweet Briar College – Virginia
Major in English Literature & Creative Writing
Minors in Chemistry, Classics, Anthropology

Intermediate & Advanced Diplomas
Wine & Spirit Education Trust, Ltd.
Washington, DC

Enology Degree (Science of Winemaking)
The Northwest Viticulture Center
at Chemeketa Community College
Salem, Oregon

Certified Holistic Nutritionist (CHA)
The Wellspring School for Healing Arts
Portland, Oregon

Member, National Association of Nutrition Professionals (NANP)