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750Daily: Women in the Wine Biz

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TomHill

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750Daily: Women in the Wine Biz

by TomHill » Wed Jun 20, 2018 10:42 am

And here's something different....as linked in WineTerroirist, an article on the difficulties of being a Mom in the wine biz:
750Daily:WineMoms
by StevieStacionis, owner of BayGrape in Oakland.
They have an organization, BattonageForum:
BatonnageForum
that is having a gathering in the NapaVlly in July to discuss many of these issues. Lots of familiar faces in their organization.

I have nothing but the highest of respect for Moms (and Dads as well) who are working in the wine biz, and have to struggle to hold down a full-time job and yet still keep a semblance of real life raising a family. I know a couple in the NapaVlly who are both winemakers and have two grade school age children. When I stay with them, I come away in complete awe of how they do all the things necessary to raise a family and still maintain their day jobs and yet keep their sanity (presumably).
Several other winemakers up in Healdsburg, one a single Dad, I know that leave me in complete awe as to how they are able to pull it off. Raising a family is the highest calling a person can ever have, in the wine biz or outside the wine biz. When it's all said & done, that task dwarfs any 100-pt btl of wine they'll ever make. Hats off to all of them.

OK...end of rant...back to our regularly scheduled wine-geek talk.
Tom
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Re: 750Daily: Women in the Wine Biz

by Tim York » Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:15 am

Over here in Europe too, more and more women are taking leading roles in wine businesses. It is good to have an article highlighting the problems of combining this career with motherhood, although this is a problem shared with women in many other careers. I greatly admire the contribution that many talented women are making to wine but had never previously given much thought to this aspect.

I am now wondering how far the premature demise of Laurence Faller, at the pinnacle of my Pantheon of vigneronnes, was induced by the stresses of combining raising a young family with participation in the family wine business.
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Bill Spohn

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Re: 750Daily: Women in the Wine Biz

by Bill Spohn » Thu Jun 21, 2018 5:52 pm

I think that if I were a woman I'd find that sort of thing a tad demeaning. I know a lot of winemakers and owners wives that take a big role in the business, partnering with their husbands. To have to highlight a woman's role as being any different than a man's (other than the usual greater involvement in child rearing which would reduce time left for business, although that is changing too, with father's often taking a larger role) seems so last generation.

I know that inequalities in wage etc. continue to exist between women and men in many/most areas, but I would have thought that the wine industry would have been an example of a milieu where worth was judged on performance not gender.

Or maybe I'm overly sensitive to the issue having spent my working life in another area where it was immaterial what gender an opponent was, what counted was whether their mind was sharper than yours.
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Re: 750Daily: Women in the Wine Biz

by Rahsaan » Fri Jun 22, 2018 2:05 am

Bill Spohn wrote:... I would have thought that the wine industry would have been an example of a milieu where worth was judged on performance not gender.


Because it's so progressive?

In Europe, winemakers are often conservative-leaning farmers. Not the most progressive demographic.

But I admit to not knowing very much about the subject.

Still, it does give me a certain pleasure to think about Barthod and Louis Boillot, where the wife's wines are much more expensive and highly-acclaimed. (And out of my price range)
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Re: 750Daily: Women in the Wine Biz

by Bill Spohn » Fri Jun 22, 2018 11:25 am

No, certainly not progressive, but money talks and there are enough women winemaking that it isn't the same as it was a quarter century ago.

I guess I'd just prefer to see these winemakers featured not because they are women, but because they are good winemakers.
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Re: 750Daily: Women in the Wine Biz

by Jenise » Sun Jul 01, 2018 7:27 pm

Bill Spohn wrote:I guess I'd just prefer to see these winemakers featured not because they are women, but because they are good winemakers.


So true. I was asked to do a tasting of wines made by women, and I declined for the very reasons you named. There's no flavor to gender, so to my mind it's a little demeaning to single out women-made unless it's your point to prove that it doesn't show. And we can solve that by just acknowledging it.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Re: 750Daily: Women in the Wine Biz

by tea.dakic » Tue Jul 24, 2018 3:48 am

The first thing that crossed my mind is an amazing story about three sisters who are running an incredible winery and have their vineyards. I tried several and enjoyed each. I highly recommend you check out Podrum Aleksic. Unfortunately, there is no website in English and you'll probably hardly get to try their wine, but if you ever visit Serbia or Balkan region in general, try it out. There commitment winemaking and the struggle to succeed within this business which is majorly men-oriented is unreal and they deserve the credit. And what is even better, their wines are truly good!
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Re: 750Daily: Women in the Wine Biz

by Robin Garr » Tue Jul 24, 2018 8:51 am

tea.dakic wrote:... if you ever visit Serbia or Balkan region in general ...

Tea, welcome to the forum! I've had the good fortune to spend some time in Slovenia, and on one of those trips had a quick look at Croatia. I loved the wines, the scenery, the people. I look forward to exploring more of the Balkans some day.

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