This Silver Lake Wine Shop Is First in L.A. to Spotlight Female Winemakers

Coly Den Haan has been working in the wine industry for ten years, and when she decided to open her own wine shop she realized there was a simple way to stand out in the male-dominated field—focus on wines made by women. She said, “From what I can tell, there isn’t another wine shop out there that focuses on female winemakers. This is an exciting space for me, and with the political climate, it’s an exciting time to make a statement like this.”

She partnered with developer Dean Harada to create Vinovore, which offers hundreds of unique, handpicked bottles from all over the world. Not sure which wine is right for you? Vinovore uses an animal-themed wine chart and color-coded bottles to make it easy for customers to find particular styles of wine. For example, “Pink Pony” wines are frisky like a fruity white or a juicy rosé, while “Bronze T-Rex” wine are audacious and opulent, like a bold red.

How are women-made wines different? Den Haan said, “This is a generality of course… but they tend to be a little bit more elegant, a little bit more refined. They have a bit more of a softer touch in the vineyard and the winemaking process. They tend to use less new oak to impart big, bold flavors, which a lot of male winemakers love to do. They seem to celebrate the characteristics of the grape.”

She added, “There are also a lot of female winemakers in the natural wine movement. They tend to be thoughtful about organic, biodynamic farming, using native yeast, and not adding any chemicals to the process. It tends to be a soft, sexy, smooth-drinking wine that showcases whatever grape varietal they’re putting in the bottle. Not to say that men don’t do that as well, or that women don’t make big juicy, jammy wines, but for me, that has been the overall vibe. “

Vinovore is slated to open on Friday at 616 N. Hoover Street in Silver Lake.

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