Closing the Gender Gap in Winemaking
Women make up nearly two-thirds of the workforce at Virginia wineries, including a substantial number as owners and in other positions of leadership. So why are fewer than 20% of winemakers women? Is it the phyical labor? Cultural bias? Pregnancy concerns?
How can we all support women in this all-important role, and what opportunities for improving the industry, and Virginia winemaking, does that open up?
This paper is a chance for Virginia Women in Wine to surface the issue of winemaker equity, which most people don’t realize is an issue.
Virginia is not unusual in having just 17% women in head winemaker roles, but with the Virginia wine industry’s reputation for being highly collaborative and its legacy as an innovator, this is a challenge that Virginia is particularly well suited to address.
Our hope is that this paper can be a starting point for conversation, action, and change.
Our Sponsors
Virginia Women in Wine thanks these generous organizations for financial support of Closing the Gender Gap in Winemaking.
Woman-owned and family operated, the Winery at Sunshine Ridge Farm on Lake Manassas is Northern Virginia’s only lakefront winery. Adults-only, offering wine & beer, with a full slate of music, food trucks, and creative events, TWSRF is a peaceful getaway for wine lovers, and a proud Founder of Virginia Women in Wine.
Wolf Gap Vineyard and Winery is a 48-acre estate located in the Shenandoah Valley with spectacular views of the Great North Mountain from the covered pavilion. Award-winning wines are estate-grown and crafted. Wolf Gap Vineyard proudly supports Virginia Women in Wine as an original Founding Winery.
Drink (and think) like a somm: AHsomm offers digital, interactive wine profiles curated by our team of sommeliers to help take your customers beyond the label and tell the full story of your wine.
Bouchard Cooperages is a family owned winery supplier serving the international winemaking community since 1979. We offer French, Austrian, Hungarian and American Oak barrels, puncheons, tanks and French Oak Adjuncts, from Damy, Billon, Maury, European Coopers, Master Coopers, Schneckenleitner and Canadell. In addition, we offer unique vessels for fermentation and aging including Ceramic Amphorae from Tava, Glass barrels from Wineglobe, Stainless Steel Eggs from Egginox, Concrete tanks from CLC and Cocciopesto Eggs from Drunk Turtle. We are proud to support the Virginia winemaking community and Virginia Women in Wine!
For over 100 years, Farm Credit has supported agriculture and rural communities with reliable, consistent credit and financial services. From hillsides to dirt, stakes to grapes to vinting, we have a strong commitment to our Borrowers’ passion for all things wine. We’d love to talk with you about yours.
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