In
each of our classes thus far we’ve gotten to meet and hear from a number of
successful female wine moguls. Between guest speakers Christine, Terry and Courtney
(not to mention our very own Alyssa and Amanda), we have heard from female wine
entrepreneurs leading and dominating the production, distribution and branding/marketing
sides of the industry. So, I couldn’t help but ask myself, are women beginning to
dominate a segment of the wine industry or have we simply been lucky to hear
from a select few?
In
an attempt to answer this question, I did a quick google search and stumbled
upon the following article which explains the evolution of women’s role within the
wine ecosystem. “The
Rise of Women in the Global Wine Industry” traces the origins of women and
wine from ancient Greece (when women found drinking could be sentenced to
death) to their role as winemakers in the 21st century. The article
also explains the unique relationship between wine, women and religion and the
modern evolution of “feminine wines.”
Ultimately
the piece answers my (naïve) question that yes women are still an overwhelming minority
in the industry (like many other industries) but those numbers are growing
steadily. Furthermore, the article suggests that women maintain a unique set of
skills including interestingly enough a superior tasting profile upon which
they can continue to grow their footing. As the article optimistically concludes
“women have risen to unexpected heights throughout
the wine world. The real answer to the question “Where are the women?” --is
“everywhere.”
Super interesting - I was having the same thought after seeing so many speakers in our class. I'm bummed that your research showed that our experience with speakers was disproportionate. One additional idea I was thinking might contribute is that a lot of wineries are family businesses and therefore some of the hiring biases that exist might be less of a factor. But glad to hear your research ended with an optimistic note for the future!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting about this, Lannie! Our class with Terry Wheatley also made me want to reflect on the general diversity of the industry. I came across the Women in Wine Leadership Symposium in New York as well and am really inspired by the stories shared by some of the women. Ann B. Matasar, author of "Women in Wine: The Rise of Women in the Global Wine Industry", writes about how no business or industry reaches further back in history or is more global in scope than the wine industry, yet no industry has so resolutely excluded women from positions of influence for so long. Dorothy Gaiter is another woman who I enjoyed reading about. She has worked in the wine industry for many years, but has dedicated so much of her work and writing to speaking up on diversity related issues.
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