Top 50 most powerful women in wine: 40-31

34. CELIA WELCH

Celia Welch. Photo Credit: Karen Ulrich

Welch is responsible for the biggest cult wine phenomenon since Screaming Eagle – Scarecrow. Launched in 2006, Scrarecrow’s debut 2003 vintage, made from old vine Cabernet Sauvignon grown on a 10-hectare plot in Rutherford, was given 98 points by Robert Parker – a feat only bettered by Screaming Eagle. A year on, the 2004 vintage sold out in a mere 16 hours. Throw in a celebrity following, and the 2003 vintage is now selling for 10 times its original US$100 price tag on the secondary market, with just 400-800 cases produced annually. Welch also has her own side project, Corra, made from Cabernet grapes grown in Rutherford, Oakville and Pritchard Hill.