At MacRostie, we are a true Women-Led Winery, with Winemaker Heidi Bridenhagen and Assistant Winemaker Carolina Guerra guiding every aspect of production. This deep bench of female leadership goes even further, with Grower Relations Manager and Viticulturist Taylor Abudi overseeing both our Vineyard Partner program and our two estate vineyards, Thale’s in the Russian River Valley, and Nightwing in the Petaluma Gap.

Though born in California, Taylor was raised near Portland, Oregon, where she would take regular trips with her family to wine country in the Willamette Valley. With an interest in science and a deep love of the outdoors, Taylor went on to earn a degree in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis. During university, Taylor gained invaluable hands-on experience at Rajat Parr’s Evening Land Winery, where she was mentored by acclaimed Winemaker Isabelle Meunier. After working at Vavasour Wines and St. Supery in California, Taylor traveled to New Zealand and Australia to work southern hemisphere harvests, and then to Bordeaux, where she lived and worked at Chateau Le Grand Verdus. “Up until Bordeaux, I was following a winemaker’s path. But at Chateau Le Grand Verdus there was so much emphasis on the vineyards and the soil that it changed my perspective. I realized my passion was growing grapes and that viticulture was every bit as important to the final wines as the winemaking.”

Returning to California, Taylor embraced her new career path, spending four years in grower relations at the Boissett Collection, where she worked with upwards of 100 vineyards, and later at the Hess Collection, where she was the grower relations manager overseeing nearly 50 properties. Shortly after the birth of her first daughter, Taylor joined MacRostie in 2022. “I live in Sonoma County with my family, and it’s where my heart is. It’s also the perfect place to grow my two favorite grapes—Pinot Noir and Chardonnay—so when I had the opportunity to join MacRostie, I was thrilled.”

At MacRostie, Taylor manages every aspect of the farming at our two estate vineyards, while also overseeing relationships with close to 50 Vineyard Partners for both MacRostie and Clockwise. “From the beginning of the year when we do our grape sourcing plan to the final picking decisions at each site, Heidi and I work closely and collaboratively.” While her experience as a woman in the wine industry has been very positive, Taylor takes pride in being part of a Women-Led Winery. “I take pride in the responsibility and in the culture. We all get along so well. It’s a supportive, loving, and fun environment and I think that positivity comes through in our wines.” The importance of working in a supportive environment was driven home when Taylor’s second daughter was born during harvest. “I was really grateful to our amazing team. Everyone stepped up. Everyone helped and supported me. It was wonderful.”