Where Are the Women in Wine?
Where Are the Women in Wine?
With Fikayo Ifaturoti, Henna Zinzuwadia, Melinda Kearney and Helen Johannesen
By HURS Team
The $340 billion industry is largely male-dominated and overall lacks in diversity. Men still outweigh women when it comes to Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers and senior positions in wine companies and boardrooms. And among all winemakers in the U.S. only 17.8% are women, while women make up the majority of wine drinkers. But it seems the traditional wine industry is slowly moving towards long awaited change.
The world of wine has expanded past the dusty and elitist image it once had. With new players entering the market, there’s something for everyone. From natural wines to wines sold in cans to low-alcohol and alcohol free wine. Additionally, the choices you make within this spectrum go beyond just your taste preferences. Your beverage choices can almost become an aesthetical choice that represents the lifestyle and style tribe you identify with. Lastly, along with many other industries, the world of wine has become more accessible. From being able to research and purchase online through apps dedicated to exploring different types of wines and under-the-radar wine regions. All these developments have allowed wine drinkers to become their own wine experts. It’s still not the same as the real thing, though.
We asked four women working in wine about preconceptions about the wine industry, the biggest shifts in the world of wine and their hopes for the future.