‘Know Your Worth’: Nine Women Winemakers on Mentorship and More
From the vines to the lab, tasting table, boardroom and beyond, women have long made waves in wine production. They’ve developed farming techniques, proved yeast’s impact and connected clonal specificity to terroir; they’ve built businesses and brands to share research, and created quality wines for all palates. However, they’ve also faced incredible adversity within the wine world simply because of their biological gender.
In recent years, such struggles have increasingly been highlighted by the media. And thanks largely to the work and counsel of female pioneers before them, so, too, have several of women’s vinous accomplishments. This recognition may be a significant stride toward equality in the industry, but crucial conversations around diversity and inclusion remain and mustn’t be overlooked.
To explore how wine business hurdles, and perspectives of those encountering them, have and have not changed over time, consider the paths taken by nine very different U.S. women winemakers.