Penny Gadd-Coster takes pride in her winemaking and enjoys the creative crafting that comes along with producing sparkling wines.
Penelope “Penny” Gadd-Coster came to the North Bay more than 40 years ago, after a nomadic childhood moving all over California. With a degree in microbiology from Sonoma State University and a yearning to find creativity in her career, in 1987 she landed her first wine-industry job as crush help at Jordan Vineyards & Winery in Healdsburg. “The rest is history, hard work and a lot of luck!” she laughs.
“When I was at Jordan, J Vineyards [then owned by family member Judy Jordan] started up with some of its production done [at Jordan Winery]. Fourteen years later, a position opened at J and I transitioned to full-time bubbles there. I fell in love with doing something that not many winemakers get the chance to learn—and I just loved the wines.”
In the years since her move to J Vineyards, she’s established herself as an expert in the sparkling wine field and is now a sought-after teacher and wine judge in addition to her winemaking efforts for numerous clients in the North Bay. “I learned winemaking from the mentors I worked with in the wineries—hands on, in the trenches,” she says.
After eight years at Jordan, Gadd-Coster shifted to Rack & Riddle, a Sonoma County-based custom crush that specializes in all styles of sparkling wines, including traditional methods, Charmat and pét-nat. “I loved the immersion [in sparkling wine production] and getting to work with a lot of clients that are winemakers,” she says of her time there, adding that she relished in the challenge of “working with different clients on what style [of sparkling wine] they were looking for. This is where creative crafting comes in.”
Now a consulting winemaker for the company, Gadd-Coster focuses most of her time on Breathless Wines—where she is head winemaker—and on her own brand which she makes in concert with Naked Wines.
This year, she’s been voted Best Winemaker by NorthBay biz readers. Not only that, but her position at Breathless Wines was also recognized, as the winery was voted Best Sparkling Wine.
“I love that I get to craft something that I can share with people—and that they can share with others,” she says, when asked about her job. “I love the creativity and the science. I’m always learning something new.”
But it’s not all about new things. Asked about her favorite wine-and-food pairing (every winemaker has one), she says, “I still love the simple bubbles with plain salted potato chips. I do this a lot and it still makes me happy.”
Speaking of being happy, when Gadd-Coster was asked about what she thought about the NorthBay biz award she was elated. “Thank you for this honor! Not all of us [are able to] do jobs that we love or are recognized for those positions,” she says. “I also have to say, there are many people who helped me reach my goals and aspirations — an extra thank you to them!”
Raise a glass, Penny! You’ve earned it.
