We are a GenXer and a Millennial with a shared passion for wine.
Ute (the GenXer) is a born and raised German, and Ali (the Millennial) is American. Our love of wine led us to a wine certification class in Portland, Oregon. We became study buddies, then friends, then business partners.
Ute’s dream has always been to host a podcast and be able to record episodes from all over the world, now that she is an empty-nester with lots of free time on her hands.
She started the Thru The Grapewine podcast in July of 2022 with the vision to make wine accessible to women who love wine and want to learn about inspirational women in the wine industry.
In November of 2022, she asked Ali to join her at Thru The Grapewine, and together, they will record many more podcast episodes, create online courses, and offer in-home private tastings.
I grew up in a wine region in Southern Germany and I was always surrounded by wine. But my appreciation for it didn’t grow beyond a casual glass here and there until I was in my late 30s, and I only started working in the wine industry in my 40s.
I love the Willamette Valley and its rich wine culture, but I also noticed that women are still under-represented. This is why I started getting wine certifications, and it is also why I founded Thru The Grapewine.
Sharing wine knowledge and featuring women in the industry has become my passion and joy and will be for many years!
I grew up in a small town in Iowa and ventured out to the PNW in 2013. Cut to 2020 — I was burnt out and wanting to find a new hobby that gave me a spark of joy again. That’s when I discovered wine education courses.
What started as a fun passion project grew into my full time career in Summer 2022, when I left my long time library career for the wine industry!
My background includes many years in libraries and higher education so, naturally, I have a love of history, story-telling, and research.
I find joy in the production side of the industry (where my harvest hands at??) and am driven to make wine knowledge accessible to all!