Pam Adkins

Meet Pam Adkins

Winemaker and Winery Owner, Adrice Wines

Pictured from left: Julie Bulrice: Operations Manager, Co-founder. Pam Adkins: Winemaker, Co-founder.

June is Pride Month. Join us as we bring you this special series on the Grapevine, celebrating this community of Washington wine industry professionals, while learning what the culture of wine and Pride means to them.

Suman Kumar: As AWWaWine celebrates openly gay members of our Washington Wine industry during PRIDE Month, one area that I find which remains relatively unrepresented is the queer community. LGBTQIA+ wine professionals as a result, have their stories typically go untold. How do you build the momentum to change this for yourself or for your business?

Pam Adkins: First and foremost, we are women winery owners with a woman winemaker - that's how we primarily identify. Surprise! We're married and gay and that’s just one of many parts of who we are. Our winery is open to all and we embrace, as well as encourage diversity, inclusion, and place where everyone belongs - and are family (including dogs.) We want people who visit our winery or become wine club members to feel empowered to be authentically themselves, and that they are part of our wine family and included in all we do. To be honest, we don't feel the need to stand on the corner yelling to all that we're LGBTQIA+. We'd rather have people visit our welcoming tasting room and realize that we make beautiful, award-winning wines that you won't find in many of the wineries across Washington. We show up authentically, so YOU CAN TOO! We'd be pretty darned surprised if any of guests ever left our tasting room not knowing we are gay - both Julie and I refer to each other as "my wife and I....". Our statement is about making beautiful wines that are affordable and different - and if you bring a bottle home (or gift one to a friend) and they then hear that this beautiful wine was made by a Lesbian winemaker....then yay! Adrice Wines supports how ever people identify. We want to embrace the LBGTQIA+ community to come in and be a part of this industry while knowing you are safe with us. Many guests laugh at the signs next to our bathrooms, indicating that we don't care if you're male, female, two- headed, or an alien, please just wash your hands!

SK: The language of wine has been largely built upon binaries that meet at intersections of gender. Structured wines are commonly described as masculine. Conversely, delicate and elegant wines, feminine. What in your opinion does it mean to define wine in this way?

PA: I do believe that men and women approach winemaking differently - because men and women’s brains are wired differently. Fact is, every winemaker approaches winemaking differently! And the great news is - there are seven billion different palates out there all looking for something different. Rather than pointing out the differences between masculine and feminine qualities - or male vs. female wines - we say BRING THEM ALL ON! Let's celebrate diversity!

SK: What challenges do you believe are unique to the LGTBQIA+ community in the wine industry?

PA: I think every winemaker would say they've forged their own way through challenges - and with any business, there are challenges. Being authentic and collaborative are key to making friends and building our reputation and business.

SK: What are some ways the wine industry can show up for the LGTBQIA+ community to foster more inclusivity ?

PA: Help your customers feel like they are a part of something bigger - rather than separate. Don't judge. Don't separate. Just let people be people and enjoy your wine.

SK: Is your partner also a part of your business? How is it like working together? How do you find ways to support one another?

PA: Yes. I make the wine, Julie markets it and runs the tasting room. We try to leverage each other’s strengths and make decisions collaboratively. We are keenly aware when the other is tired or at their wit's end. We encourage rest and time off to relax as needed.

SK: What is your favorite thing to do together when your not at the winery?

PA: Enjoy time with friends by inviting them over to our home to enjoy our outdoor kitchen and Italian pizza oven and of course, some Adrice Wines! We love to travel around the world tasting wines from other regions.

SK: What are some things that have surprised you by becoming a winery owner ?

PA: How supportive the wine community is with each other. You'd think there would be much more competitiveness but at the end of the day, my neighbor's success breeds my success.

SK: Tell me about your favorite wine, without telling me about the wine?

PA: Our favorite wine to make is Syrah… and we're not going to tell you why!