Grafted, the Inaugural Event!

Grafted
Uniting Women in Texas Wine

Join us for our inaugural event!

Grafted is a personal and professional development organization focused on enriching the community of women in wine. Our mission is to empower, educate, and to provide engaging and equitable spaces for us to thrive as leaders, students, and advocates of Texas wine.

Event Program

• Arrival with wine
• Keynote speaker on “Confidence & Clarity” with Q&A
• Guided pop-topic discussion “A Shift in Modern Wine Terminology”
• Happy hour with self-guided educational wine flight & bites

Keynote Speaker, Maryam Ahmed

Maryam Ahmed is a social impact entrepreneur, speaker, writer, and community builder who is making waves in the world of food and wine. Maryam is the creator and co-founder of the biannual Diversity in Wine Leadership Forum, which helps connect diversity initiatives in the wine industry to foster collaboration and problem solving among advocates and leaders.

She currently serves on the Executive Leadership Board for the UC Davis Department of Enology & Viticulture. Maryam is the recipient of numerous awards from within the wine industry, and in 2022 she was named one of Wine Enthusiast’s Future 40 Tastemakers. Learn more about Maryam at www.maryamandcompany.com.

In 2022, Maryam launched Field Blends, an immersive food and wine travel experience rooted in conversations that explore emergent and evolving movements in wine and agriculture. She also serves as an advisor to Black Wine Professionals and Bâtonnage Forum; a program advisor to the Wine Writers’ Symposium; and is an active member of the San Francisco Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier.

What is Grafted?

Grafted is a personal and professional development organization focused on enriching the community of women in wine. Our mission is to empower, educate, and to provide engaging and equitable spaces for us to thrive. We aim to sustain women to confidently own their positions as leaders, students, and advocates of Texas wine.

The name Grafted originates from the process and purpose of grafting a scion to a rootstock. Grafting marries the top half of a grapevine to the rootstock that will best ensure its ability to thrive in the place that it grows. The root system sources nutrients, water, and stores the energy of a vine. Like a grapevine, we best thrive where we have access to a strong system of roots to pull what we most need from our environment.

What can you expect from Grafted?

Grafted is an inclusive organization open to everyone. Our primary goal is to empower women to become everyday leaders both in their communities and in the wine industry. By participating in Grafted events, you’ll have the chance to grow personally and professionally. We provide practical tools and actionable advice to strengthen your role as a woman in the wine industry. We believe in creating community through connection. Educational tastings led by industry professionals will allow you to develop your palate and broaden the scope of your wine knowledge. Engage with women in the wine industry for a dynamic opportunity to exchange perspectives, collaborate on innovative ideas, and grow your network. Grafted is a non-profit organization and all proceeds generated go directly toward supporting our current and future programs. We invite you to join us as we kick off our inaugural event for Grafted on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, at 2:00 pm at Texas Wine Collective.

Who can attend?

Our events are open and inclusive to individuals of all ages, races, genders, sexual orientations, and levels of experience. Standing by our mission to empower women in the wine industry, you can expect topics related to this to be at the core of our community events.

In need of financial assistance?

Making our events accessible to all includes ensuring that financial constraints do not prevent attendance. If the ticket price is not financially feasible for you, please contact Tina Melcher at info@hillcountrywineacademy.com to learn more about opportunities for need-based assistance, courtesy of our sponsors. We look forward to welcoming you!

*Texas Wine Auction Foundation, a 501(c)(3) is accepting the funds on behalf of Grafted TX. 100% of proceeds will be used for current and future programming. @grafted_tx