Despite not being born among the vines, this proud Frenchman had a long-held dream to take his love of wine to a whole new level. In 2000, after 30 years working for the retail giant Carrefour, Michel left to make something that looms large in his country’s culinary identity – and to be true to his own passion and surname.

When it comes to wine, Italy’s Piedmont region – the charming, hilly terrain southwest of Milan – has two faces. The southwestern sector produces mostly big red wines made from the Nebbiolo grape that are generally very tannic and need time to mature before being consumed. The northeastern part, in close proximity to the River Tanaro, which imparts a slight marine influence that allows the grapes there to mature faster and produce less-harsh tannins, is better known for lighter, more modern-style wines, such as Barbera and Barbaresco.

North of the equator, if the weather cooperates in June, July and August, the world’s vineyards grow lush and verdant. Much like the avid St. Louis gardener, it is during this period that the experienced vignerons, winemakers and vineyard managers know that their role is largely to ensure that the vines take fullest advantage of what Mother Nature may throw at them, as their leaves grow larger and greener, and their fruit matures.

Debbie Thompson remembers a moment 15 years ago just after she had started working as winemaker at Simonsig Wine Estate, located outside of Capetown in the sumptuous Stellenbosch region of South Africa.  “Someone asked me to handle a group wine tasting,” she says, “so there I was before 200 people – me, a real greenhorn, before a roomful of elderly wine aficionados.  Everything I said about the wines, the vineyards and terroir was met by a sea of stony faces.

Born and raised in San Rafael, a small city in the southern part of the Mendoza region of Argentina, Adriana Astorga always hoped that she would travel the world, meeting people from cultures far removed from her own. Adriana prepared for this life by studying international business and marketing, graduating from the local university with a degree in foreign trade. During her senior year, she worked as an assistant to a customs broker in the area.

Late winter in the United States is actually harvest time in countries below the Equator. So, it should be no surprise that South Australian winemaker Kim Jackson is spending nearly every waking hour now in the vineyards of the two high-quality wineries for which she works – Shirvington in McLaren Vale and Henry’s Drive in Padthaway. Unless you knew her before she found her life’s work...