Women In Wine: Shifting Paradigms And Shaping The World Of Wine

PUBLISHED June 20th, 2023 09:00 am | UPDATED July 18th, 2023 02:38 am

Whether consumed for religious reasons, healing purposes, or to pair with meals, wine has been enjoyed through the centuries in various ways and many cultures. And women have long played important roles throughout its history, from their accidental discovery of wine in the Palaeolithic times and wine-making nuns like Saint Hildegard of Bingen, to icons such as Madame Clicquot – the Grande Dame of Champagne revolutionised the industry with innovation and the bold act of establishing luxury Champagne house Veuve Clicquot.

Even though we don’t see and hear about female vignerons, sommeliers, and educators in wine as often, they have been shifting paradigms and shaping the world of wine in immense ways. In the past month, since Vinexpo Asia made its debut in Singapore, we’ve had conversations with three women in wine about gender roles in the industry, representation, and changing perceptions.

When asked about the history of winemaking, Elaine Chukan Brown, wine educator and 2020’s Wine Communicator of the Year, shared that “winemaking was not always male-dominated, but it tended to be the men who have been talked about.” Vineyards were run as a family effort; men went out to sell and market the wine, while women stayed behind to tend to the farm and family. As a result, men became the representatives, creating the perception that men founded wineries when the family established them, so people looked to them as leaders in the world of wine.

Shifting Paradigms

However, in recent years, women are breaking away from their backend roles; they are stepping up to perform other functions and moving into the limelight. More women are working in the farms as vignerons, are taking on more specialised roles in cultivation as viticulturists, and are holding professional roles as sommeliers and educators. Despite that, people are still (pleasantly) surprised to hear that women make and work in wine.

Whilst it is common to see Masters of Wine who are men, it is less common to meet a woman who has been recognised with the same title. Jennifer Docherty, the first Chinese-speaking female Master of Wine, has “experienced dismissiveness and challenges, sometimes for gender but also because of ethnicity, age, and socioeconomic status.”

Similarly, 67 Pall Mall’s Assistant Head Sommelier, Bonnie Yap, has had her fair share of surprise doubts from overseas members who are less accustomed to seeing female sommeliers in the wine club. And as Elaine notes, female winemakers sometimes have a more challenging time getting buyers and distributors to taste their wine.

“To make it an inclusive industry, the focus should be on the wine. It should be about the stories and passion of the winemakers, regardless of gender. There should not be a gender profile when it comes to wine selection.”

– Bonnie Yap, Assistant Head Sommelier, 67 Pall Mall

Shaping the World of Wine

With their passion and abilities, women in wine pushed through the challenges and shaped new worlds to get to where they are today. Elaine forged her path where there was none, Jennifer met dismissiveness with empathy, and Bonnie continues to win customers over with her astute recommendations. Some wineries that women run take on a different route through collaboration.

These women establish their wineries side by side and create shared spaces where their children and families can spend time together. Not only do they help each other with childcare, but they also share equipment and assist each other in the winemaking process. Their enthusiasm and dedication have led to new ways of working together. Collaborative communities can be found at wineries like Ryme Cellars, where they carve out space for small wineries to make wine together – think co-working space for wineries. 

“The case with women is that they usually need support in childcare and need support in doing more interviews and public speaking. If we can build more support with collaborative communities in wine or other industries, then it’s easier for women to succeed in those industries.”

– Elaine Chukan Brown

Supporting Women In Wine

Being women in wine themselves, Elaine, Jennifer, and Bonnie support other women in wine by talking about and recommending good wines made by women. Other inspiring women winemakers and women-run wineries to look out for include:

• Delia Viader of Viader, Napa Valley
• Renée Ary of Duckhorn Vineyards, Napa Valley
• Nikki Lohitnavy of GranMonte, Asoke Valley, Khao Yai
• Akiko Freeman of Freeman Winery, California
• Samantha O’Keefe of Lismore Estate Vineyards in Greyton, South Africa 
• Andrea Mullineux of Mullineux and Leeu Passant Family Wines in Swartland and Franschhoek Jane Eyre of Maison Jane Eyre in Burgundy, France
• The Näkel sisters of Weinhaus Meyer-Näkel in Ahr, Germany 
• Wang Fang of Kannan Winery in Ningxia
• Judy Chan of Grace Vineyards in Shanxi 

“I aspire to show that you can be successful no matter how you are perceived by others, because it is only how you perceive yourself that counts.” 

– Jennifer Docherty

Vinexpo Asia will be heading to Hong Kong next year from 28 to 30 May 2024. For more information, please visit website.

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