Maura Kinsella’s path from Webster Groves to Sonoma County winds through Belgium, Spain, France, New Zealand, and Chile. Once a professional cyclist on the U.S. National Team, Kinsella experienced both the triumphs and heartbreaks of international competition. It was from racing through the vineyards across Europe that she piqued her interest in wine. “I was passing all these vineyards at 30 miles an hour with the rest of the cyclists, and I started to have more of a curiosity,” she recalls.
With a bachelor’s in biology, she decided to put off going to medical school to learn more about the wine industry. At the suggestion of a winemaker, Kinsella traveled to New Zealand to work a harvest and ensure it was something she wanted to pursue before starting a master’s program. “It was fantastic advice, to make sure I understood the super physical, grape-covered, hose-dragging reality of it,” she says.
In New Zealand, she and her two colleagues brought in 200 tons of mostly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Because the crew was so small, Kinsella was exposed to all aspects of the harvest, from lab work to wine movements. “I think everyone’s first harvest is an eye-opening experience,” she says. “You’re learning everything from A to Z in terms of hose sanitation and how to prep a tank to receive grapes.”…