40 Under 40: Madelyn Calderon

Madelyn Calderon, the newest winemaker at Washington State University’s Department of Viticulture & Enology, is based out of the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center on the WSU Tri-Cities Campus.

“I am very happy to welcome Maddy to lead the research winemaking team here at WSU,” said Jim Harberston, Calderon’s main supervisor in a press release from Washington State University. “She is an amazing addition to the team, and I am excited for the upcoming harvest.”

Calderon has been working with wine for 10 years, starting with a job at a Wisconsin winery after high school. She continued her education by pursuing a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business at the University of Minnesota while working as a vineyard hand. Through summer internships at wineries in Argentina and Chile, she gained valuable insights into the importance of communication in the winemaking process after dealing with language barriers. 

In 2017, Calderon moved to the Pacific Northwest after learning about WSU’s V&E program and decided to transfer to WSU Tri-Cities to complete her bachelor’s degree. Throughout her college years and beyond, she continued to refine her winemaking skills in the Tri-Cities region by working at various vineyards and wineries, such as Tapteil Vineyard and Winery, Hogue Cellars and J. Bookwalter.

As the winemaker at WSU, Calderon’s main focus is on quality control, working closely with wine science faculty to produce research wines for the classroom. She also assists undergraduate students with their Blended Learning wines and supports graduate students in their research projects in the vineyard and winery. Calderon’s efforts align with the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences’ goal of creating a Resilient Washington by building a versatile workforce.

In her role, Calderon ensures that the fermentation process runs smoothly, oversees the aging of the wine, and ensures that it is bottled on time for students to conduct their experiments, including chemical and sensory analysis. She finds fulfillment in getting to know the grad students and learning about their research, which may inspire her to pursue further education in wine science.

“This is a great role, and I’m honored they picked me for it,” Calderon said in a press release from Washington State University. “I can tell that everyone is really excited to have me here, and it feels amazing to have their support. I love being surrounded by the important work that’s taking place.”