The wine industry entered my life when I was just a high school freshman, and it all started with an unexpected encounter with a tiny insect called Phylloxera. Native to North America, Phylloxera wreaked havoc on European vineyards in the 1800s, devastating entire crops of wine grapes and threatening the winemaking industry. However, American grape vines came to the rescue through grafting, saving European varieties. This captivating tale ignited my deep love for wine grapes, and ever since, my heart has belonged to the world of winemaking.

My passion for research led me to win state science fairs and even compete in the National ISEF competition. At the end of high school, I received an invitation to work abroad via an internship at Lallemand in Toulouse, France. Thus, in the summer between high school and college, I was introduced to enology (winemaking), participating in industry-led research on Oenococcus oeni fermentations. This is the wine bacteria that is commonly used to complete malolactic fermentation, a second fermentation in wine in which the bacteria convert the harsh tasting malic acid into a softer tasting lactic acid.

After graduating from Penn State, I pursued a Master’s degree in Food Science and Technology at Virginia Tech University, focusing on enology—the science of winemaking.

In graduate school, I learned how to identify wine problems through taste, smell, and analytical assessments. During my time at Enartis Vinqury (Enartis U.S.A.), I was hired as their Sensory Scientist to put this skill to use. Not only did I participate in regular wine sensory evaluations and provide suggestions for improvement, but I led cork aroma screens and professional sensory panels so that wineries and wine companies could make educated decisions on wine alterations. 

Through this position, I traveled throughout most of Pennsylvania’s wine industry, educating industry members on current winemaking practices and wine quality improvement. I also spent a lot of time traveling to other winemaking regions throughout the U.S. to provide education speaking engagements on wine production practices.

During those 6.5 years, I was able to visit several winemaking regions throughout the U.S. and taste wines from all sorts of wine grape varieties: natives, hybrids, and European varieties. I also made some wine for research purposes. Having to coordinate my own harvests provided me with a lot of insight into challenges winemakers face throughout the U.S. It also gave me a profound opportunity to experiment with winemaking techniques and make some fabulous wines!

While I had a lot of really cool experiences and opportunities through my career, it was time to take a leap of faith and start a business that I had been mulling over for years: Denise Gardner Winemaking.
 
It started in my home, at the kitchen table, with nothing more than a name, a logo, and a book about running a consulting business. That first year was both terrifying and gratifying, and I’ve never looked back.

I eventually started this business: Denise Gardner Winemaking.

While the Sip & Swirl continues to be a focus for the DGW Wine Lovers, in 2023 I launched the first ever virtual tasting group, “Taste Wine with a Pro.” This is the first tasting group of it’s kind! You can taste from anywhere and select any wine that appeals to you within the wine theme for that tasting class. Unlike most tasting events, which are fueled to promote a specific brand, this allows you to explore whatever wine you want…