Jen Pelka is the CEO and co-founder of Une Femme Wines, a sparkling wine company that began as the house pour at The Riddler, the all-women-funded Champagne bars Pelka opened in San Francisco and New York. Her team noticed a pattern: Any time a wine made by a woman appeared on the menu, it became the top seller. That insight became the seed for Une Femme. More recently, Pelka launched Someday in Sonoma, a Substack and recipe series inspired by her Wine Country life.
Amber Turpin: How did you get into this work?
Jen Pelka: My career has been a long, winding path, but the through line has always been food, wine and community, especially creating spaces and experiences that bring women together. I’ve always followed the things I’m passionate about and curious about, whether that’s restaurants, wine or cooking at home. I’m also definitely a starter. If I have an idea I’m excited about, my instinct is usually to figure out how to make it happen.
Did you ever have an ‘aha’ moment with a certain beverage? If so, tell us about it.
When I was in my early 20s, my roommate and I were regulars at Schiller’s on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. We went almost every night and became such regulars that the maître d’ would call me “Jenny from the Block.” The bartender knew our favorite seats, would clear them for us when we came in and pop open a bottle of prosecco that we’d drink for free (and then we’d tip generously).
It was the first place where I really understood the magic of being a regular. They took care of us with so much familiarity and generosity. We’d sit there drinking prosecco through these long nights, watching people come and go, and I fell in love with sparkling wine as much for that feeling as for the wine itself. There’s really nothing better than being a regular somewhere and feeling like you belong there.
What is your favorite thing to drink at home?
Assyrtiko. It’s a Greek varietal that’s light, bright, mineral-driven and so easy to drink, especially with food. We’re actually growing what we believe to be the first and only assyrtiko vineyard in Sonoma County. It gives me this little connection between our life in Sonoma and our love of Greece.
Where do you like to go out for a drink?
Scribe. They do such an incredible job of highlighting the craft and sense of place behind their wines, and the atmosphere at the Hacienda is unmatched in Wine Country. It’s the kind of place where you go for a glass of wine and very quickly decide you’re staying for the afternoon.
If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you want to be drinking (besides fresh water)?
Krug, of course.
Une Femme Wines, unefemmewines.com.
