women in wine: kirstyn mayers

When we first moved to Prince Edward County we had no idea that we were living down the road from a winery that was ready to completely shake things up and take on a whole new direction. If you have been watching the PEC wine scene throughout 2020, you are probably no stranger to Redtail Vineyards and the playful spirit to winemaker Lee Baker’s wine. Behind the carefully crafted stories leading up to each wine release, the ever-changing wine label designs, engaging social media strategy and more is the one-woman show, Kirstyn Mayers who quite literally does it all.

Somehow we found the windiest day in March to catch her at the winery to chat — she later told us she was also in the middle of renovating her house, as well as renovating The Bean Counter Café, which she owns with her husband — oh yeah, and managing her kids in virtual school. How she found time to chat with us is beyond us, so let’s just add stellar time management to the growing list of things she can do.

We sipped on Field Hand, Redtail’s newest wine release, while chatting about how the pandemic completely shifted the winery’s expansion plans in 2020, how she had the chance to experiment with spray paint with Lee when designing the County Crush labels and how she carved out a niche for herself in the wine industry while combining so many of her passions.

HTB: Is there a moment you remember when you knew you wanted to pursue working in the wine industry?
KM: I didn’t realize I wanted to work in wine until I was already doing it. I took a job in the industry because it seemed like a great learning opportunity. I was 19-years old at the time, and just starting to develop my palate. I think there were probably a few great bottles — a vintage Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a perfectly aged Mosel Riesling, and a revelatory experience pairing Chardonnay with truffled asparagus — that created an epiphany moment. I realized there was so much depth and complexity to wine. It was cerebral yet hedonistic. And it was possible to do this as a full-time job. At the time, I didn’t know exactly what a career path looked like. But I started taking courses and dove in. 

“I learned so much through owning a business, including how to market and brand myself.”

HTB: What was your first experience working in the wine industry and how did you end up in your current role at Redtail?
KM: I actually fell into wine by way of an interest in culinary. I was offered a job at a winery in Prince Edward County where I had the chance to do a little bit of everything. Over six seasons I did production, tasting bar, and managed the outdoor pizza kitchen. I left to start a family, but couldn’t stay away from the industry for long and opened a pop-up food business (Outlet Food Co.) when my youngest was six months old. I learned so much through owning a business, including how to market and brand myself. 

Right around the time I was thinking about returning to full-time work, I was offered a job at Redtail managing their food program. I was familiar with Lee’s wines from his time at Keint-he and saw a ton of potential in the project. I accepted but also asked to have digital media management as part of my role. 

When the shutdown happened in spring of 2020, it was clear that a food program was a non-starter. At that point I had already redesigned our flagship wine labels, and started to approach our small batch wines as individual brands with their own design. Those first few alt-wines, Act Natural and Field Hand, really took off in popularity and became the wines that people were seeking us out for. By summertime I had also taken on our licensee sales, and my role developed into what it is now: product development, design, brand management, digital media, and sales. I feel incredibly fortunate to have carved out this niche for myself that combines so many things I love into one job. It’s so rewarding to see a wine go through the cycle of concept, production, design, marketing, and sales — and then to get amazing feedback directly from our customers through social media. 

“This is a cultural change that must happen in the wine industry.”

HTB: What does your role or day-to-day at Redtail look like?
KM: My day-to-day at Redtail changes so much with the season. During the winter we’re getting set up for the rest of the year. I’m planning out wine releases, designing labels, and working with Lee to get as much into bottle as possible before the craziness of summer hits. In summer my focus is more on getting face-to-face time with our customers. I’m looking forward to hosting guests in our outdoor tasting room, visiting our restaurant licensees, and doing cellar tastings with friends of the winery. Fall is all about harvest. I think the harvest experience is what pulls a lot of people into the wine industry. There’s this energy, this excitement about all the things to come. It’s a crazy time of year, with long hours and last minute surprises, but I love being involved in whatever way I can. I think having a hands-on connection to the wine is really important, whatever your role is at a winery. Throughout the year, I’m also managing our digital media, advertising, and wine club. Redtail is still growing, so there are always new challenges and opportunities.

HTB: Why do you think women are underrepresented in this industry? What do you think needs to change in order to move forward?
KM: The Court of Master Sommeliers scandal showed that systemic discrimination against women in wine is indisputable. 

Elizabeth Schneider made an excellent statement on the issue in her podcast Wine for Normal People (Episode 353): “The only way to make this work is to enlist male allies... Men and women must work together to create a productive solution that doesn’t make this problem a women’s issue, thus giving these predators and subtle sexists the power to make the situation an us versus them issue. This is not a women’s issue. This is a cultural change that must happen in the wine industry. It can’t be done with scholarships and conferences of women alone. It must be a joint effort from everyone who is willing to be educated and to advocate for fairness. Unless we address the problem and come up with an innovative and inclusive solution, the engine of sexism and discrimination will continue in wine, stifling creativity, destroying the self-esteem of outstanding people, and holding the entire wine industry back from the progress it deserves.” 

I don’t know what specific solutions will improve women’s representation in the industry, but I know that the onus for change is on all of us. 

HTB: Do you have any tips or advice for women looking to get into the industry?
KM: Taste as much as you can, as often as you can. Volunteer at a winery during harvest. Make connections with people in all parts of the industry. Be confident and trust your own palate!