From investing in female-owned businesses to spotlighting female growers, some of the most influential women in the trade tell db how we can make wine more approachable for women.
Ahead of International Women's Day on Saturday 8 March 2025,
db catches up with women at the top of their game in the wine trade to find out how we can open more doors for women in wine.
According to PR veteran Fiona Campbell, who has worked with everyone from Champagne Krug through to retailers such as Majestic, huge progress has made in the last half century regarding the visibility of women in wine.
"In the past 50 years I have seen women make huge strides in breaking down barriers and male prejudices," Campbell tells
db. "Many of us were pioneers. Now we see women play an equal role to men whether it is in the boardroom, on the shop floor, in the buying department, or in marketing and journalism. Think of every sector, and you will find strong and powerful women making decisions that in the 1970s were unthinkable."
Room for growth
However, while doors have been pushed open, and many women have walked, run or been shoved through them, "there is still room for growth in creating an environment that is truly inclusive," says Valeria Rodriguez, head of fine wine at Bibendum.
For Rodriguez, this involves hiring and promoting more women to fill senior roles. "We need to see more women in leadership roles within wineries, importers, distributors, and wine media," she says. "Women bring diverse perspectives, and this is particularly important as more and more women are engaging with wine, not just as consumers, but as critics, educators, winemakers, and sommeliers."
Salaries too, must reflect the level of commitment and expertise.
"It seems that 'a career' in something is not necessarily synonymous with reward," says Barbara Sandrone, owner of leading Barolo producer Sandrone, based in the heart of Piedmont. "Hard work should be recognised, and salaries reviewed and well adjusted."
Fair recruitment
The recruitment process too, could use an overhaul, says Hannah Tovey, event director for the London Wine Fair. "I firmly believe that all companies should do an honest review of their recruitment process and policy, from where they advertise, and how their existing employees are represented on their website, to how they shortlist candidates to ensure a fair balance of applicants," she tells
db.
"The London Wine Fair team is female-led and I was its first female head when I was appointed in 2017. We ensure we give equal, if not more, visibility to women across our marketing materials, ambassadors and panels – even if they are sponsor-led, we insist on this."
It is no coincidence, therefore, that there has been an uptick in women attending the fair. "We are slowly approaching equality with a 60:40 male: female split last year," says Tovey. "In fact, for our 2021 digital-only event, our audience was 51% female, which we attribute to a generally younger audience."
Out in the field
It's certainly true that women are now occupying positions in many facets of the wine trade, but could the world of growers be lagging behind?
"Traditionally, like in any agricultural field, wine growing and production hires mostly men, and old inherited habits of machoism are quite common," says Jeanne Fabre, president of organic trade fair Millésime Bio. "It has evolved in the last 10 years thanks to wonderful female professionals, but I feel there is still an effort that needs to be made both on the education level to show testimonies of women growing and making wine, and on the law enforcement side, too, to make sure there is respect towards women in all the different moments of their winemaking career, from the cellar to the wine fairs."
In Spain, the numbers are climbing, but slowly. According to the 2023 report
La Relevancia social y económica del sector vitivinícola en España (The social and economic relevance of the wine sector in Spain), published by Spain's Wine Interprofessional, there were 20,051 female vineyard holders in 2020. That represents 30.4% of the country's total, compared to 27.9% in 2009.
Speaking to writer Amaya Cervera, Bárbara Sebastián, who works for viticultural agency Viticultura Viva, said: "When I finished my degree in agronomy, there was more or less parity [between genders], the problem is that many of my female colleagues ended up working for irrigation, phytosanitary or agro-insurance companies. During my years at El Coto, we only received one internship application from a woman, and I hired her."
Biology and bigotry
For Emily Brighton MW, head of technical for UK importer North South Wines, "businesses should first and foremost put policies and procedures in place to protect women when it comes to maternity, menopause, flexible working arrangements etc. to prevent female talent being lost from the industry."
Last year, London Wine Fair hosted two panels on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion during the event, and for 2025 will host a panel to "guide drinks companies on how to be better at supporting women in and around the workplace," reveals Hannah Tovey.
Workplace culture is everything. "One really important area in which men can support their female colleagues in the industry is by calling out sexist and misogynistic behaviour, and challenging stereotypes and assumptions, rather than letting inappropriate comments or actions slide because they are a ‘joke’ or have been historically commonplace," says Brighton.
Put simply, women will not join our sector without feeling safe.
"We have acted to support the whole sector to adhere to the law change in October which requires businesses to protect against sexual harassment," says Nicola Bates, chair of WineGB, the trade body supporting English and Welsh wine businesses.
"Our legally approved safeguarding toolkit is available to all who are interested in making safety in wine spaces the minimum standard, implementing zero-tolerance policies for harassment, as well as training staff to enable respectful environments at tastings, bars, and industry events."
Money matters
Ultimately, where the money goes, people will follow. "I call on investors to better support and financially invest in women-owned wineries to put the industry onto a more equitable platform," says Bates. She also emphasises the importance of offering bursaries and scholarships to help train women in the trade.
"We need to make training a vital part of the sector and use schemes such as the Curious Vines MW support programme, and scholarships and bursaries available through institutions such as the WSET, Vintners’ Company, Wine Scholar Guild, Lallemand, IWSC and Golden Vines," she adds.
London Wine Fair is also supporting Drinkslusive, through offering "paid work experience and pro bono access to the show, including travel and accommodation costs,” says Tovey.
What about female consumers?
Countless marketing howlers have been made by brands attempting to target female consumers. From producers marketing their wines as 'mommy juice' to brands targeting the largely female audiences of reality TV shows with products like Love is Wine,
a Cupcake Vineyards-made Chardonnay launched in tandem with Netflix series Love is Blind, the feminisation of alcohol products led to a social media initiative taking off called #DontPinkMyDrink.
Tori Cook, group PR and Communications manager for C&C Group, which includes Gerard Bertrand, Catena Zapata, Viña Santa Rita and Bottega among its portfolio, shares how brands can attract women consumers without patronising them or falling back on tired gender stereotypes.
"As the gap in the trust that consumers have in companies continues to grow, it's crucial for brands to carefully consider campaigns targeted at women," Cook says.
"Authenticity is essential, and thorough research is key. Equally important is ensuring that women within the company actually contribute to campaign development. Campaigns should carry real meaning, prioritise action over words and have a clear call to action."
Getting it right
Millésime Bio's Jeanne Fabre spotlights the work of US distributor
Wander + Ivy, founded by Dana Spaulding, which packages premium wines made with certified organic grapes in "chic, eco-friendly, single-serve glass bottles", as an example of a brand getting it right.
Spaulding started Wander + Ivy in 2017 because she "wanted the freedom to enjoy a great glass of wine any time without the guilt of knowing some of the bottle would probably go to waste."
"Don’t get me wrong—there’s a time and a place to polish off a bottle of wine by yourself—but that time and place isn’t always on a Tuesday night at home on the couch after putting the kiddos to sleep.
"Our mission is to provide sustainable wine options, offering one serving of wine in each bottle for an elevated single-serve wine experience."
Because as Fiona Campbell puts it: "Refined palates are not just a male prerogative."
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