Back in 2015, when pioneering Winemaker Merry Edwards was considering the next chapter of her life, she knew she needed to find someone to take the reins and continue her legacy. That someone was Heidi von der Mehden, who was hired as Associate Winemaker and shared Merry’s passion for pinot noir and her dedication to carrying on the heritage of Merry Edwards Winery.
I had a chance to meet Heidi and hear her story about her journey to Merry Edwards Winery. As you expect from anyone who would replace Merry, she has an interesting background.
About Heidi
Heidi grew up in Sonoma. After receiving a degree in chemistry from Santa Clara University in 1997, she volunteered for the Peace Corps and taught high school chemistry in Tanzania, Africa. Her dad, a big wine lover, suggested she put her knowledge to work in the wine industry. She returned to Sonoma County and became a lab technician for Kenwood Vineyards during the harvest of 2000 and stayed there for 4 years. She was the assistant winemaker at Mauritson Winery and joined Arrowood Winery as an associate winemaker. She was promoted three years later to winemaker when Richard Arrowood departed.
In 2015 she was hired by Merry Edwards. She became deeply involved in the winemaking process eventually working on new projects and making vineyard and winemaking decisions that Merry would make in the past. At the beginning of the 2018 harvest, Merry announced that Heidi would succeed her as winemaker, becoming the only other person to hold that position at Merry Edwards Winery.
“We had similar approaches to winemaking and Merry liked that I had a passion for Pinot, but had no experience with the grape,” she said (She previously worked with Cabernet and Rhone blends). She told me that “Merry didn’t have to undo years of bad habits with a temperamental grape.”
The Winery Was Acquired
In 2019, Merry Edwards Winery was acquired by Louis Roederer Champagne House, a champagne producer based in France. For a year, Merry continued to be involved in the winery’s operations following the acquisition, but by that point, Heidi was fully at the helm as winemaker. “Merry always told me I had this, gave me the freedom to make changes and innovate,” she said.
The Changes That Were Made
And she did. One big focus was farming organically. She started with the Meredith Estate Vineyard, a flagship vineyard for the winery. They currently are farming Meredith Estate organically and are in the second year of a three-year certification process of using sustainable and renewable farming practices. Cover crops are maintained between the vine rows, reducing erosion of the steep terrain, and supporting beneficial insects. While she did it successfully at Arrowood, the Russian River was different. “But it’s working out very well and I love watching how alive the vineyards are today,” she said.
Adding a sparkling wine to the portfolio was another passion project. She told me she worked on this wine for a few years before its release. Heidi told me with the current climate chaos, “we must innovate to make the best quality wines from Mother Nature.” I had a chance to try the 2017 Merry Edwards Cuvee Eclipse Sparkling Wine, which was lovely. It had notes of apple, citrus, almond, ginger and fresh brioche.
There is also a Sauvignon Blanc from Meredith Estate primarily grew Pinot Noir in the past. The Sauvignon Blanc is made in both barrel and amphora and will be released in 2025.
She also continued the legacy with Merry by signing a long-term lease for Richaven, a vineyard located at Merry Edwards’ home in the Sebastopol Hills. Richaven is a new single-vineyard Pinot Noir for us that was first made in 2021.
Continuing the Focus of Helping Women
And like Merry who was a trailblazer for women in the wine industry and articulated the issues with women in wine, Heidi is dedicated to helping women and she has worked to hire females. “I was the first woman to work in production at Kenwood and I’m determined to keep breaking stereotypes.” Of note, women hold the primary leadership roles at the winery.
Heidi’s rise from a chemistry graduate to the winemaker of Merry Edwards Winery embodies her unwavering dedication to continuing Merry’s legacy. Assuming the role as the winery’s second winemaker, Heidi not only upholds the winery’s heritage but also brings her passion to try new things. With a firm commitment to innovation, sustainability, and making quality wines, Heidi’s pioneering approach ensures that the legacy of exceptional winemaking continues to thrive, resonating with both tradition and innovation.
