Celebrating Women in Wine: Lisa, Angela and Victoria Miranda, Lou Miranda Estate

Named for their father Lou Miranda, his daughters, Lisa (General Manager), Angela (Winemaker) and Victoria (Marketing) run the family boutique Barossa vineyards, winery and cellar door. It started when their Nonno, Francesco ‘Pop’ Miranda came to Australia in 1938; the one thing he knew from his Southern Italian upbringing was that good wine was as important as a loving family and close friends, with his son Lou and wife Val spent a lifetime building on Pop’s passion while adding his own unique style. They've now passed the business onto their daughters, who with their own individual skills each contribute to the winery.

Check out: The Upgrade Case - Lou Miranda Single Vineyard Shiraz 2018

“We are raising educated, capable women who can do anything. We just need to make space for that, being a women is not an affliction that stops us from being able to do any job from the ground right up to smashing through that glass ceiling.”

What I wanted to be as a kid: 

Angela: "I always wanted to be a winemaker. I knew from the age of 8 that’s what I wanted to be. Just like my Dad, Lou."

Lisa: "We spent a lot of time with our Pop at the winery and the Griffith Vintage festival was such a highlight growing up, so I was certainly drawn to do something within the business, but wasn’t sure what that would be…."

Victoria: "I wanted to work for Italian Vogue as a designer!"

When I first realised winemaking could be a job: 

Victoria: "As a kid I loved being at the winery on the bottling line or the crushing pit. I would see the pristine clean lab that the winemakers used, but I preferred the action of the workshop and the machinery of the bottling line."

Angela: "I’ve been around winemaking all my life. I was very fortunate to grow up within the industry… so winemaking has always been a family thing for me."

Lisa: "I’m not a winemaker and I didn’t know what I wanted to do with wine; it wasn’t until I did some work experience with Scholle Industries a Company that made bags for cask wine. During my 2 week work experience I moved around within different departments & I loved the Export department. The following week I signed up with the Institute of Export and completed the International Business course."

“It’s my way of connecting. I love to make delicious wines that people enjoy. There is a sense of satisfaction seeing our wines being shared with family and friends.”

The reason I chose to make wine here: 

Victoria: "Our family moved to the Barossa in the early 90s and I can’t see myself being anywhere else."

Lisa: "We moved to Adelaide in 1991 when our family purchased the Barossa winery that is now Lou Miranda Estate. Our dad and his brothers wanted to expand their business as they wanted to make premium wine and Barossa was the pinnacle grape growing region."

Angela: "Dad loves big bold red wines and knew that super premium winemaking was going to be our focus."

What winemaking means to me:

Victoria: "I leave this part up to Angela. She has an amazing affinity with wine, it’s best to leave her to it."

Lisa: "I will let Angela answer this too as I don’t make wine, I only taste the parcels of wine she makes then and give constructive feedback haha!"

Angela: "It’s my way of connecting. I love to make delicious wines that people enjoy. There is a sense of satisfaction seeing our wines being shared with family and friends."

My biggest win & fail:

Angela: "Taking the leap to join the family business in 2019 and working with my sisters Lisa and Victoria. I should have done it sooner."

Lisa: "Working with my 2 sisters… this doesn’t happen very often, so this is definitely a proud achievement. Biggest fail; I had to think about this as I feel we have been really fortunate and that failure or missing an opportunity only makes you stronger."

Victoria: "Seeing our wines on my favourite restaurants wine list and up on the shelves of independent bottle shops. Biggest fail - communication. I do a lot in my head and am learning to speak up and contribute, rather than let things happen around me."

Who I look up to in the wine industry: 

Victoria: "The internationally renowned wine writer Jancis Robinson."

Angela: "My Dad first and foremost. Then the women before me…thank you especially to Susan Mickan."

Lisa: "My dad and Pop, if it wasn’t for our Pop and the sacrifices he made, we wouldn’t be in the wine industry and if it wasn’t for our dad who backed us and believed in us, we would not have Lou Miranda Estate today. Dad’s advice and knowledge is invaluable and we continue to learn from him every day. He’s a real character and keeps us grounded."

"There are opportunities there for you, believe in yourself and just go for it."

The biggest barrier for women entering the wine industry:

Angela: "I think the barriers are coming down all the time and often it’s a question of self-belief."

Victoria: "This might be controversial, but our biggest barrier is ourselves. We are raising educated, capable women who can do anything. We just need to make space for that, being a women is not an affliction that stops us from being able to do any job from the ground right up to smashing through that glass ceiling."

Lisa: "I think women in wine continues to grow as more women are joining the wine industry. I think women within the industry need to support other women in the industry and help them where possible."

What I would like to see happen next for Women in Wine:

Angela: "For gender not to be noticed. For people to be who they are and what they are and only judged on the wines they make."

Lisa: "Women are certainly finding their voice. I would like to see more Women in CEO positions, especially in the big corporate companies!"

Victoria: "I think it is happening. From a consumer facing point of view you have female writers such as Katie Spain and Erin Larkin landing huge jobs with really important publications. In the past these roles would have been reserved for older knowledgeable gentlemen, but these women have come out making a space for themselves."

Advice I would give to women wanting to enter the wine industry: 

Angela: "Just do it! Then give me a call and let's have a glass of wine or 2."

Victoria: "There are opportunities there for you, believe in yourself and just go for it."

Lisa: "It can be great fun and never a dull moment. We are so lucky to be part of a wine community. I find that the wine industry is a wonderful community, we are all willing to help other wineries where possible and this says something about Australian wine."

My wine of choice to relax on a Friday: 

Victoria: "Cabernet, it's delicious, it might not be the flavour of the month, but you can’t go past a great chocolatey, cherry cab."

Angela: "An oaky Chardonnay, I can’t go past them."

Lisa: "I can’t go past a good Sagrantino… while making pasta ragu and put some in the sauce while cooking!"

My current music jam: 

Lisa: "Miley Cyrus - Flowers."

Angela: "I don’t have a favourite genre of music. Just like I don’t have a favourite wine style, there is a place and time for most."

Victoria: "My old school favourite is a Buddha Bar mix, I haven’t grown out of my early 2000s taste in music."

We're committed to ALWAYS having wines available that are made by women. In an industry that’s still dominated by men, we believe in celebrating the incredible work women are doing. Here’s to our Women in Wine!