Hello!
I’m SO happy you can be here to learn more about wine and winemaking using the perfect blend of science, heart, and practicality.
This is my vision for winemaking consulting and education in the 21st century: virtual, accessible, heart-driven, and result-oriented.
I love to work with wineries of all shapes and sizes, encouraging them through the winemaking process to make decisions that tell their unique story in each glass poured of their wine.
My 19 year wine journey in 30 seconds: How did I get here?
My winemaking journey started when I was a sophomore in high school. Yes, high school.
As an active member in our school FFA program, I participated in agriculture-themed public speaking competitions. Through the duration of this program, my speeches were always about grapes, wine, and wine science.
The knowledge I gained through that program led to science fairs, internships in France and California, a B.S. in Food Science from Penn State University, and a M.S. in Food Science and Technology from Virginia Tech University.
My first official, out-of-school job was with Enartis Vinquiry (now, Enartis U.S.A.), an enological supply and wine analytical company based in California. I acted as the company’s Sensory Scientist, leading wine industry sensory trials, evaluating new products used to make wine, and learning A LOT about the California wine industry.
Eventually, my heart wanted to travel back to the Eastern wine industry where my wine roots had been planted.
In 2011, I accepted my dream job as the Penn State Extension Enologist. As the state enologist, I had opportunities to meet winemakers from wine regions all over the U.S., develop tomorrow’s winemakers through research and education, and teach winemakers how to improve their wine. This is also where I took a couple certification programs through the Society of Wine Educators (SWE) and Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) to deepen my tasting skills and appreciation.
And then one day, I wanted to start something I saw missing from the industry:
A new era of winemaking consulting services in which technology is used advantageously to meet the growing needs of winemakers and wine enthusiasts like you.“
Photo by: Savannah Smith Photography
My Mission
If you’re a winemaker, I’m going to help you grow into the winemaker you dream about: ease the cellar chaos, make timely decisions, use science to guide you, and give you the encouragement you need to take that next step. No matter where you are on the experience ladder, together, we can advance your wines’ quality bar one step at a time.
If you’re a wine enthusiast, I’m going to keep wine fun and accessible for your daily life. Read our Wine Lovers pages for more ways to keep in touch!
How can we connect?
Easily.
You can contact me anytime at [email protected] for your inquiries on consulting services and educational content.
If you want my tips on wine production, subscribe to our blog here.
And if you’re into social media, you can find me on Instagram using the handle @dgwinemaking.
Looking forward to meeting you!
The Wine World Has Been a Big Part of My Life
It has shaped my life experiences in unique ways. My interest in wine has also taken me all over the world and granted me opportunities to meet a lot of fascinating people and taste some extraordinary wines. If you want to find out a little bit more about me, please feel free to read through. It’s a longer version of my story…so, pop a bottle and enjoy!
2001
Phylloxera: The Story That Got Me Hooked
The wine industry entered my life when I was just a high school freshman, and it all started with an unexpected encounter with a tiny insect called Phylloxera. Native to North America, Phylloxera wreaked havoc on European vineyards in the 1800s, devastating entire crops of wine grapes and threatening the winemaking industry. However, American grape vines came to the rescue through grafting, saving European varieties. This captivating tale ignited my deep love for wine grapes, and ever since, my heart has belonged to the world of winemaking.
2001-2003
A Thirst for Exploration
My love for learning and my thirst for exploration drove me to delve into the world of wine. As a member of FFA, I participated in public speaking competitions centered around the wine grape industry, which sparked my interest in wine chemistry, grape growing, and its history. Mark Chien, my mentor and Penn State Extension Viticulturist, introduced me to the wine industry, connecting me with experts in grape tissue culture, vine disease research, and winemaking. Together, we established “Grapery Hollow Vineyard” at our high school, where I tended to Chardonnay and Chambourcin grapevines while pursuing phylloxera research.
2003
Working Abroad in France
My passion for research led me to win state science fairs and even compete in the National ISEF competition. At the end of high school, I received an invitation to work abroad via an internship at Lallemand in Toulouse, France. Thus, in the summer between high school and college, I was introduced to enology (winemaking), participating in industry-led research on Oenococcus oeni fermentations. This is the wine bacteria that is commonly used to complete malolactic fermentation, a second fermentation in wine in which the bacteria convert the harsh tasting malic acid into a softer tasting lactic acid.
2003-2007
Education in Winery
As a Food Science graduate from Penn State University, my college journey further immersed me in the world of wine. During my freshman year, I rediscovered my passion for phylloxera and had the opportunity to study this insect alongside a graduate student mentor in California. This experience not only introduced me to the California wine industry but also allowed me to explore Napa soils and participate in phylloxera harvesting. The dedication I poured into this project led to my first science publication, where I was granted authorship.
2007-2009
A Talent for Aroma, Flavor, and Taste
After graduating from Penn State, I pursued a Master’s degree in Food Science and Technology at Virginia Tech University, focusing on enology—the science of winemaking.
2007-2009
During My Graduate Studies, I delved into wine sensory and processing, honing my skills in making better wines and identifying wine-related issues through tasting.
2009-2011
Putting Wine Tasting Skills to Use
In graduate school, I learned how to identify wine problems through taste, smell, and analytical assessments. During my time at Enartis Vinqury (Enartis U.S.A.), I was hired as their Sensory Scientist to put this skill to use. Not only did I participate in regular wine sensory evaluations and provide suggestions for improvement, but I led cork aroma screens and professional sensory panels so that wineries and wine companies could make educated decisions on wine alterations.
2011-2017
Landing My Dream Job…
I was hired as the Penn State Extension Enologist in 2011. Because of my youth, I had never anticipated getting to this position so early in my career, but it was an exciting accomplishment for me! As the Extension Enologist, I traveled throughout most of Pennsylvania’s wine industry, educating industry members on current winemaking practices and wine quality improvement. I also spent a lot of time traveling to other winemaking regions throughout the U.S. to provide education speaking engagements on wine production practices.
2011-2017
Through this position, I traveled throughout most of Pennsylvania’s wine industry, educating industry members on current winemaking practices and wine quality improvement. I also spent a lot of time traveling to other winemaking regions throughout the U.S. to provide education speaking engagements on wine production practices.
2013-2015
Industry Accreditation
Over the course of my career, I have also spent time learning classic wine styles and winemaking regions. I did this by accruing two industry accreditations:
• The Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) through the Society of Wine Educators
• Level 3 Certification from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET)
I received both of these accreditations while I was working at Penn State Extension as the State Extension Enologist.
2017
DG Winemaking is Born
During those 6.5 years, I was able to visit several winemaking regions throughout the U.S. and taste wines from all sorts of wine grape varieties: natives, hybrids, and European varieties. I also made some wine for research purposes. Having to coordinate my own harvests provided me with a lot of insight into challenges winemakers face throughout the U.S. It also gave me a profound opportunity to experiment with winemaking techniques and make some fabulous wines!
While I had a lot of really cool experiences and opportunities through my career, it was time to take a leap of faith and start a business that I had been mulling over for years: Denise Gardner Winemaking.
It started in my home, at the kitchen table, with nothing more than a name, a logo, and a book about running a consulting business. That first year was both terrifying and gratifying, and I’ve never looked back.
I eventually started this business: Denise Gardner Winemaking.
2020-2025
Enter in Wine Lovers
During the global pandemic, I started working on a passion project, which became both the DGW Wine Lovers site and “Sip & Swirl” monthly wine appreciation blog series. While the generation of the Wine Lovers site gave me unique opportunities like speaking engagements at Longwood Gardens and Winterthur Museum, Library, and Gardens, in 2025 I closed this chapter of DGW to focus on other business pursuits.
2024
“Voices of the Vine” Drops (2024)
In 2024, winemaker and friend, Virginia Mitchell, and I launched “Voices of the Vine:” a podcast that focuses on wine industry topics through the perspectives of people that work in the wine industry. Topics go beyond normal discussion and reveal the inner details of industry work: from how barrels are made to crafting wines of style. You can find past episodes on most podcast platforms or access our show notes at dgwinemaking.com.
