Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/333548
1 0 4 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | J u l y - A u g 2 014 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m hen most people think of "ladies night," they probably imagine some seedy nightclub's attempt to lure women onto the prem- ises with two-for-one, bottom-shelf well drinks. Similarly, a "girls' night out" may bring to mind a cocktail-soaked evening at the local Chippendales venue. The idea of "ladies night" has a whole different meaning for Chaddsford Win- ery in Pennsylvania. Rather than smoke- machines and predatory mustachioed males, Chaddsford's "Ladies Night Out" events feature wine, paired with every- thing from fondue to fashion. For Ore- gon's Ponzi Vineyards, "Girls' Night Out" is a series of multicourse wine dinners hosted by sisters Luisa and Maria Ponzi. What the organizers of these and other female-focused events have dis- covered is that women are eager to enjoy and learn about wine in an intimida- tion-free atmosphere, in the company of other women. A DIFFERENT VIBE Ponzi kicked off its dinner series in Boulder, Colo., earlier this year, and fol- lowed up with events in Charlotte, N.C., Las Vegas and San Francisco. Dinners typically include 20-40 guests, and are held at restaurants with female chefs, sommeliers or owners. Although the events are marketed to women, men are also welcome. The idea for the series grew from a one-off winemaker dinner Ponzi held last year at a steakhouse in Indiana. "The restaurant had a woman sommelier and a woman co-owner, and I walked into this room, and it just had a whole dif- ferent vibe to it," said Maria Ponzi, the BY TINA CAPUTO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Attendees of a Wine, Women & Shoes Event in Aspen bid during the event's live auction.