5 Women who are defining the wine industry
Below are just 5 of the many women who are defining the wine industry. The female powerhouses who are changing the way we enjoy and drink wine whilst contributing to this billion dollar industry.
Vintage women drinking wine - image source Pinterest
This article is part of my “Celebration of women in the drinks industry” series for women’s history month.
You can check out some of the other articles so far in this series below.
Women master blenders & distillers - coming soon
Overlook of women bossing the drinks industry - coming soon
The wine industry generates billions of pounds every year and is expected to be on the rise. But where are the women?
Evidence of wine making dates between 6,000 BC and 4,000 BC, making wine one of the oldest tipples in history. Speaking of history, historically this has been a man's world.
Don’t get me wrong, there have always been women in wine, usually kept back of house, out of sight and out of mind. Whereas the vineyard owners, CEO’s and winemakers (the decision makers and faces behind a brand) have been men. The women in the industry have been slaving away in the vineyards, crushing grapes and labelling bottles.
Even on the buying side of the industry in more recent times. Head wine buyers for major supermarkets and suppliers have usually been a position held by men.
I should mention, this isn’t a man hating post by no means. I myself am a man trying to make my own mark on the world of drinks. This isn’t about discrimination oh any gender. What I’m trying to get at is the fact that even though the industry is made up of a majority male team. Some of the major influential people in wine, the people making real changes to the way we drink wine are in fact women.
Women in wine
The world of wine is a complicated thing. Wine has a massive respect for tradition and culture, with older wines generally demanding the higher prices and accolades. However, even with this, the world of wine is still ever evolving with generation after generation.
A great example of this is English wine. Something that 10 years ago was thought to be, well, to put it in my best wine critic impression, an offence to the taste buds.
These days however, things have changed, English wine is getting better and better. English sparkling wine in particular has been snapping up awards year after year and making a real name for itself as some of the best sparkling wine in the world. Often rivalling the likes of champagne.
I’m proud to say that some of the biggest names in English sparkling wines are women. Women really seem to be leading the movement of English sparkling wine which is wonderful to see, especially being English myself.
Then there's the voices of wine. In today's world thanks to the easy access of the internet and social media, influential voices have become a major powerhouse. And one of the most influential voices in wine? A woman, who is on this list.
So as you can see, although there's not as many women in the wine industry as we would all like, the women that are involved, are making influential steps and defining the way we drink and enjoy wine. This list is a celebration of just a small handful of them women.
5 of the women in wine at the top of their game.
#1 Emma Rice - Hattingley Valley Head Winemaker
Emma rice - Image source
English wine has been growing in popularity over the last couple of years. Snapping up awards at international competitions and making a name for itself. In part due to the winemakers who are using British grown grapes to make show stopping sparkling wine.
And when it comes to English sparkling wine, Emma rice is a key player.
Emma has had an versatile career in the world of wine, from becoming the editor of highly regarded Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book for three years, to oenologist and laboratory manager at Cuvaison Estate Wines in Napa valley for two years.
Today, Emma is the Head Winemaker of Hattingley Valley Wines where she oversees the development of the vineyards, including producing Hattingley’s signature wines, manages the growing winemaking team and as a director of Hattingley Valley, is involved in running the business at board level.
That work speaks for itself as Hattingley valley wines are some of the most awarded wines in England. With their wines gathering 80+ awards since 2015.
As well as being the head winemaker at Hattingley Valley, Emma rice is also the founder and Laboratory Manager of Custom Crush, a wine analysis laboratory and consultancy. Being as diverse as she is, Emma is also the Chair of the Wines of Great Britain Winemaking Committee, sits on the Management Advisory Committee for WineGB, and is twice winner of the UK Winemaker of the Year award.
#2 Virginia Willcock - Vasse Felix Chief Winemaker
Virginia Willcock - image source
One of Australia's most awarded Chief winemakers and wine extraordinaire Virginia Willcock is the woman behind some of Australia’s most critically acclaimed wines.
In 2006 she joined the team at Margaret River’s founding wine estate, Vasse Felix as the chief winemaker.
“Virginia has an insatiable curiosity for the role microbiology plays in grapes and vineyards in making more environmentally expressive wines. This has driven the revolutionary development in winemaking style at Vasse Felix and served as inspiration for many other producers around Australia – in particular her work with wild-yeast fermentation in Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon” - Vasse Felix Virginia Willcock Biography
Being such a powerhouse of Australian wine, it’s safe to say Virginia has gather up quite the impression list of awards. Here’s an overview of some of Virginia Willcock’s award cabernet so far.
‘Gourmet Traveller WINE Australian Winemaker of the Year’ - 2012
‘Winemaker of the Year’ by The West Australian Good Wine Guide 2013
‘Winemaker of the Year’ in the 2017 Australian Women in Wine Awards
Nominated as ‘Winemaker of the Year’ in Wine Enthusiast Magazine USA’s 2014 Wine Star Awards, and ‘Winemaker of the Year’ in the ASVO (Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology) Award for excellence 2016.
#3 Cherie Spriggs - Nyetimber Head Winemaker
Cherie Spriggs - Image source
Another key player in English wine is none other than Cherie Spriggs, the head winemaker at Nyetimber.
Located in southern England, Nyetimber is one of the leading producers of English sparkling wine. Cherie joined Nyetimber back in 2017 when she and her husband Brad Greatrix had a bottle of Nyetimber wine gifted to them by Cherie’s parents.
The couple instantly recognised the potential of this wine and later joined the team, becoming an integral part of making Nyetimber sparkling wine one of the best not just in the country, but in the world. Move over Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, there's a new power couple in town.
As head Winemaker, Cherie Spriggs assesses every handpicked parcel of grapes for quality, ripeness and character. The fruit is then gently pressed and vinified separately, so Cherie can distinguish the subtle yet distinctive differences between each vineyard parcel. Every year, this provides a varied selection from which Cherie will craft the masterpieces of the Nyetimber range.
#4 Tamara Roberts - Ridgeview CEO
Tamara Roberts - Image source
Tamara Roberts is the CEO of English sparkling wine producers Ridgeview. Yes, another English wine women powerhouse.
Ridgeview is a family business through and through, established in 1995 by Mike Roberts MBE. Who has been since recognised as a pioneer in the English Sparkling wine industry. Passing the business down to his children Tamara Roberts now CEO and Simon Roberts, Head Winemaker.
Tamara Roberts joined the family biz as general manager in 2004, taking her current position ten years later in 2014. She has overseen the growth of production in that time from 25k bottles per annum to 400k bottles, as well as the conception and construction of a brand new winery and cellar, which will allow production to double from 2020.
Throughout Ridgeview’s time, the wines have snapped up multiple awards with Tamara personally being award ‘Sussex Business Person of the Year’.
Other than her work with the family business, Tamara was also announced as the IWSC (International wine and spirits competition) President for 2020. A highly prestigious and recognised role, the IWSC president is selected for their stature and reputation in the industry, acting as an embodiment of the competition’s key goal of recognising quality wines and spirits throughout the world. This is the first time that an English wine producer had been selected as the President, a testament to the rising global status of the English Wine Industry and women within that wine industry.
#5 Jancis Robinson - Wine critic/author
Jancis Robinson - Image source
Voted as the world’s most influential wine writer, Jancis Robinson is a voice to be reckoned with.
Some of her work includes the daily writing for her website jancisrobinson.com as well as weekly writing for the financial times. If that wasn’t enough she is also the founder-editor of The Oxford Companion to Wine. And whilst we are talking books, let's not forget to mention that Jancis is also the co-author of The World Atlas of Wine which has sold over 4.7 million copies and co-author of Wine Grapes, the first ever winner of all six major wine book awards.
This work and recognition goes back to 1984 when she was the first person outside the wine trade to pass the rigorous Master of Wine exams, all the way to more recent times in 2018 when she launched her own hand-made, dishwasher-friendly wine glass and decanters.
If all this wasn’t enough to show just how much of a powerhouse Jancis is, in 2003 she was also awarded an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen, whose cellar she now advises. That's right, the queen.
Being a member of the Royal Household Wine Committee, Jancis isn’t just a major influential woman in the world of wine, but she advises on the wine selections for the most influential person in England, also a woman by the way.
Her work speaks volumes and as an aspiring drink writer myself, Jancis is a true inspiration not just to women in the industry, but to anyone, regardless of gender. Including myself. And that’s not because of her gender, but because of her work.
Check out some of the other articles so far in this month long series below.
Women master blenders & distillers - coming soon
Overlook of women bossing the drinks industry - coming soon
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