The following appeared in the March 2020 issue of Wine Enthusiast.It’s hard to imagine just how different the wine world looked when Simon received her degree in enology from the University of California, Davis, in 1976. After a brief stint making wine in California, Simon moved to Washington to become assistant winemaker at Chateau Ste. Michelle in 1977.
These were the earliest days of the Washington wine industry, with less than two dozen commercial wineries in a state that’s now home to more than 1,000 operations. In 1983, Simon founded Chinook Wines with her husband, Clay Mackey.
While women remain underrepresented in Washington’s winemaking ranks, Simon has honed her craft there for more than 40 years.
Read an interview with Simon here.