Taylor Abudi grew up in the Pacific Northwest, attending high school in Portland, Oregon. She learned quickly about the importance of making connections with other kids, since she’d moved frequently as a child. When it came to college, Taylor was interested in science, but she knew that a job in a science lab wasn’t for her. Instead, she sought an occupation that would challenge and invigorate her throughout her lifetime. She chose Viticulture & Enology. Today, she works with Heidi Bridenhagen at Distinguished Vineyards & Wine Partners, helping to produce world-class wines for MacRostie, from Nighwing Vineyard in the Petaluma Gap. Here’s her story.

You grew up in Portland, Oregon, in the 90s.  Tell us about your favorite memories during childhood. Some kids are into sports or camping, while others are into playing house or with bugs and nature. What was your favorite pastime?

I moved around a lot when I was a kid and landed in Portland for high school. I think changing communities and schools has made me good at creating relationships and understanding people. My parents loved taking family road trips around the western United States and those are some of my favorite memories. Good thing, because I ended up in a job where I drive 20,000 miles a year! Hah!

You’ve spoken about visiting the Willamette Valley and its many wineries with your family while growing up.  Did they work in the wine industry or was wine just a part of family life?

No one in my family worked in the industry, but wine was always “around”. An early memory was making friendship bracelets with my sister on the grass outside the Bennett Lane Winery in Calistoga.

You attended UC Davis and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Viticulture and Enology.  What attracted you to science and nature?  When you matriculated at Davis, did you think you’d become a winemaker or winegrower or follow some other path?

I love science, but didn’t want a job in a lab. I was also looking for something less of a 9-5 position and more of a lifestyle. Something that would challenge and invigorate me for a lifetime.

After graduating from Davis, you worked in a few different wine regions around the world.  Tell us about your winemaking experiences in France, Australia, and New Zealand.

I’m so glad I took those opportunities to gain experience and explore in my early 20s! I went to a larger New Zealand producer after having only worked at a tiny, high-end winery in the Willamette Valley. So, I got whipped into winery shape real quick; no hand-holding at all! In Australia, I met the best and funniest people. And in Bordeaux, I lived and worked in a small (super old!) chateau with my now husband. You better believe we took advantage of the buy 4, get 1 free baguette deal at our local boulangerie!

In your bio, you stated that “Grape growing is every bit as important in making wine as the winemaking itself.”  Can you expand on that and tell us why you chose to pursue viticulture instead of the traditional route of winemaking?

When I was working in Bordeaux, I noticed that the winemakers weren’t around the winery much. They worked in close partnership with the vineyard managers, and it seemed like they really respected one another. No Kings (or Queens)!

You are part of a women-led winegrowing team at Distinguished Vineyards & Wine; can you describe how you and Heidi work as a team and how that is different from other experiences you’ve had working with a male winemaker?

I think there is a false idea that women are spiteful and competitive with each other in the workplace, but my experience in the wine industry couldn’t be further from that! Our team is quite empathetic and deeply caring for one another. When you are surrounded by that level of support, you don’t fear taking risks and failing or speaking your mind.

Tell us about the development of MacRostie’s Nightwing Vineyard in the Petaluma Gap AVA.  Why was that property chosen as a new source of grapes?  How many acres, what varieties, rootstocks, and clones were chosen, and how is the vineyard laid out? How does it compare to other properties where you are growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay?

Heidi worked in close partnership with Atlas Vineyard Management to develop the Nightwing Vineyard, which sits along the western-facing part of Sonoma Mountain at around 1200 ft above sea level. The soils are mostly volcanic in origin and vary from super rocky to clay-loam. There are nine Pinot Noir clones, nine Chardonnay clones, and six rootstocks across the 73 acres. The blocks are quite small (average size is 1.8 acres) since they need to nestle into the plantable portions of the mountainside. With all this variation, there is a lot of learning happening each season. The vineyard is starting to come into its prime at seven years old so we are excited to experience the full expressions of these wines!

What was your first job in the industry?

My first job in the industry was as an intern at Evening Land Vineyards during my summers in college. The woman who hired me was Isabelle Meunier, the winemaker there at the time. I am super grateful she gave me that opportunity as a launching point for my career! I appreciated that she was a very precise, yet intuitive winemaker.

How did you meet your husband, Nicholas Abudi?  Does he share your love of wine and viticulture?

My husband, Nick, is a winemaker at Merry Edwards in Sebastopol. We both studied viticulture and enology at UC Davis at the same time. Nick and I reconnected while we were both working harvests in New Zealand. We travelled around the country after harvest and then continued to Southeast Asia together. The rest is history…

Do you have children?  Tell us about your family life as relatively new parents.  Is wine regularly on your dinner table?  If so, what’s your favorite pairing?

We have two daughters: Cleo (4 yrs) and Thalia (2 yrs). So, life is crazy! If you want to feel good about your own personal health, just take a look at my Oura ring sleep and stress scores.

And, of course, there is always wine open at our house.  A classic pairing is Dino Nuggets with Pinot Noir.

You’ve traveled the world and visited many iconic regions.  What’s left on your bucket list, and why do you want to go there?

I’d love to go to Oaxaca, Northern India, and the Alps (all for food and drink-related curiosities).