Should we still be talking about women in wine ?

Tomorrow is National Women in Wine Day in the USA. Created as a social initiative by the co-founders of Papapietro Perry Winery in California it has the laudable aim of creating a scholarship fund to help with education for women in, or wanting to enter, the wine industry. This initiative is part of the annual March International Women’s History Month.

Do will still need to shine a light on women in the wine industry? There are many women leading the way across the wine world, opening doors for others from inside and outside the industry. We’ve come a long way from women being banned from French cellars because they made the wine turn!

The team of women at Château de Ferrand

This was brought home to me when I researched for an article for Decanter Magazine highlighting Women in Wine in Bordeaux for International Women’s day. I feel as if I only scratched the surface. As soon as I submitted my piece, so many other Bordeaux women in wine sprang to mind, (sorry if I left you out) . Women are not only owners, cellar masters and managers but also cellar and vine workers, back office admin, guides and chefs.
In France, a lot of women make up the army doing the back breaking work of tending the vines, de suckering, pruning, attaching. These are often part time jobs, fitting around child care. Picking up my kids from school, these women would be at the school gates in wellies and muddy fingers.

Historical Heroines. Even if it was exceptional, as we’re in Women’s History Month, it’s good to remember a few Bordeaux historical heroines as well as contemporary ones. Champagne isn’t the only wine region with wine widows! Francoise-Josephine d’Yquem,Caroline de Villeneuve, Virginie Comtesse de Lalande and Olive de Lestonnac are headliners, interesting with women following in their footsteps today. I’m sure many lesser known women ran and grew family domaines that I’m unaware of – I’d love to hear from you if you know their stories.

Today there are many industry organizations, events and tasting groups aimed at women. The third edition of Women in Wine Expo, created by Senay Ozdemir, takes place in the UK this May. Queena Wong started the Curious Vines community around 7 years ago. Originally for consumers it has evolved to support the industry and make it more accessible for women through in-person events and an engaging newsletter. Battonnage with the strap line ‘Stirring up the conversation on women in wine’ is a community driven platform that creates channels for women to enter, grow and thrive within the wine business through an annual forum and a mentorship programme. Deborah Brenner organized the first Women of the Vine & Spirits Global Symposium in Napa in March, 2015,. it is now a global organization pushing the wine, beer and spirits industry towards a more diverse future.

Women for Wine sense visit Bordeaux women in wine

These initiatives aren’t new, the American association Women for Wine Sense (WWS) was created in 1990 by Californians Michaela Rodeno and Julie Johnson to increase knowledge about wine through education as a counterweight to the anti-alcohol lobby. Their premise is a better understanding of wine leads to more responsible consumption. WWS now has a network of 10 chapters through the US and their charitable arm sponsors wine education for women in the industry.

In France ,Les Aliénor is a group of Bordeaux women wine makers. 3rd and 4th April 2023 sees the 17th anniversary of Feminalise, a wine and spirits competition where the wines are tasted and assessed uniquely by women.

Encouraging women to enter the industry is great, but so is giving women confidence choosing a wine and navigating their way around a wine list – traditionally seen as the man’s role. A shout out to the amazing women somms*, wine critics and writers making what can feel like an intimidating world more accessible.

Raise a glass

Wine and wellness An advocate for wine and wellness, I’m acutely aware that women have a physiological disadvantage when it comes to drinking wine, this aside, the best way to support these women in wine is to buy their wines. If you need inspiration read my piece for Decanter Magazine mentioning some of them or scroll through my blog. You’ll see many of my favourite women in wine regularly pop up in these pages. I love them, their wines and the supportive community they’ve created.

Power in our purse. Women across the world buy well over 50% of wine, so let’s raise a glass to them with of one of their wines and not only in March.

*According to Batonnage there’s a $7000 average wage gap between women and men somms in the US.

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