Conversations In Wine – Leah Adint Erath Winery

The Vancouver International Wine Festival is on and we’ve interviewed a few of the attendees that you could meet at the 2025 Festival if you hit the right tasting booth. Here’s our Q&A with Leah Adint from Erath Winery from Willamette Valley, Oregon. Find more on the Wine Festival here.

For Leah Adint, a love of winemaking has taken her around the world, making her the perfect fit for the Traveling Winemaker position when she joined Chateau Ste. Michelle in 2015. In 2018 she was promoted to Red Winemaker based at Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Canoe Ridge Estate red winery in Eastern Washington. Through Leah’s winemaking journey, she has worked in viticulture and winemaking positions in California, Australia, France, Switzerland and Washington. “I was really attracted to the wine industry as a trade that could take me around the world, and it has!” says Leah.

Leah graduated from Washington State University with a bachelor’s degree in Viticulture & Enology as a recipient of the Chateau Ste. Michelle scholarship. Following college, she worked several vineyard and winery internships in California, including internships at Hall Wines in Napa Valley in 2007, Balletto Vineyards and Dutton-Goldfield in Russian River in 2008, and at Trinchero Family Estates in Napa Valley in 2009. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Oenology at the University of Adelaide in 2012.

While in Australia she participated in work experiences in the Hunter Valley, Adelaide Hills and Riverland and as red winemaker at Berri Estates, the largest winery in the Southern Hemisphere. During her five years abroad, Leah also worked three harvests in Burgundy, central England, and Switzerland. After living in Australia for five years, Leah decided it was time return to the U.S. and joined Chateau Ste. Michelle in July of 2015.

When and how did you know the wine industry was where you belonged?

It’s the only industry I know. My interest in winemaking started from the concept of joining art and science to produce something tangible, and be able to do it around the world. The travel opportunity of winemaking was a huge perk to me.

Who inspired you to be in wine? Do you have a mentor?

I’ve had a few wonderful mentors in my career. It started with my dad, who got me my first book on winemaking and really encouraged my interest in this career. I’ve worked for plenty of amazing winemakers, two of whom I consider excellent mentors. They both encouraged my growth, intuition, and strength to become a better winemaker.

What is your favourite food & wine pairing?

I grew up in Alaska and love just about everything seafood. The magic between a complex Chardonnay and king crab, scallops, or halibut is too perfect.

Do you have a favourite style of wine?

I don’t. One of my favorite aspects of wine is how much diversity and options there are! I love big fruit-forward styles, I love Old World wines of place and texture, I love the wine trends, and I love the classics.

When you are not in the vineyard/winery, what are you doing?

If I’m not at the winery, you’ll find me exploring the great Pacific NorthWest. I’m a big snowboarder and spend every winter weekend in the mountains. I love hiking, camping, fishing, and paddleboarding in the summer.

Where did you study/learn to make wine?

I started my winemaking studies at Washington State University – it was such a perfect university experience, and not too far from Alaska. I got my Masters degree from University of Adelaide, a completely different but similarly amazing experience.

Any advice for women wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Work hard! It’s the same advice I would give anyone, especially young or new people entering the wine industry. Winemaking is hard, it takes a lot of time, a lot of patience, and a lot of hard work. But it’s the most rewarding industry – holding that bottle in your hand that you spent 2 years working on… there is nothing like it.

Are you part of an organization for women in wine?

I’ve been active with Les Dames d’Escoffier in the past, but not currently a member. I’ve also attended the World of Women in Wine in Napa, and a similar organization here in Oregon. I always look forward to those events and hearing the incredible stories.

How are you reacting to climate change in your part of the world?

I think it’s important to recognize that small changes are achievements – we won’t change the world overnight but every piece is a step in the right direction. Making smarter trucking decisions, using lighter glass when we ship long distances, finding the right winery equipment that uses less energy and less water. It’s all important.

Do you have a favourite wine region aside from where you are working/living?

I have so many! I’ve been so fortunate to work in some amazing wine regions. Rolle, Switzerland was probably the most beautiful; Napa, California is the mecca of wine; but my favorite is probably the Adelaide Hills. It’s a young winemaking region where the community is so friendly, so collaborative, and so entrepreneurial.

What do you love about your current winery/role/job?

I love that I get to make premium, tasting room-only wines that are really small scale. They are my intimate projects, my experiments, my expressions of a single vineyard in a single year. And that I also get to make Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris that reach such a wide audience – so many people have tried those wines around the world. It’s a little intimidating at times, but so fun to think about.

If wine wasn’t your career, what would you be doing?

I hope something outdoors – maybe I could be GM of a ski resort. That sounds pretty cool.