Women Leading Change in the Wine Industry
- Sipping Sense
- Apr 13
- 4 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
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We just finished women’s history month. Have you ever pondered why we even need women’s history month? I do. Women are half of the population. Women in leadership have more revenue success and have greater EQ (EQ, or emotional quotient, refers to emotional intelligence, the ability to recognize, understand, and manage your own emotions and those of others, crucial for personal well-being and strong relationships) in business but we still only make 80-85% on the dollar compared to men. And we continue to have to work harder to gain a seat at the board table as it seems that the gains of the 1960’s and 70’s are being reversed by the current political environment.
The wine industry is no different. I researched three women making change around the globe. One of which I had the pleasure of helping to reach more women and people of color during my leadership of the Divas Uncorked Collaborative Consortium.
The consortium worked with giants in the industry like Mendocino Wine Company, Hess, St. Supery, Wente and our first client Vision Cellars, a Black owned wine company whose winemaker Mac McDonald co-founded the Association of African American Vintners who works to promote and educate consumers on Black owned brands.
During a charitable event appearance I had the opportunity to present the wines produced by these amazing women in this post all of which have arrived at prominence through different paths. Through innovative and creative marketing these brands have managed to be very popular among consumers in their countries and they continue to deliver high quality wines year after year. But all three occupy a rare seat of 18% of women leading wineries or vineyards in the United States and even fewer world wide markets. If you were to track only Black women the percentage is less than 1%, and Blacks as a whole only make up 2% globally.
Susana Balbo
Our first leader, Susana Balbo is a family-run winery, focused on high-end wine production, located in Mendoza, Argentina, at the foothills of the Andes mountain range. It was founded in 1999 by Susana Balbo, Argentina's first female winemaker.
*An entrepreneurial, revolutionary and pioneering spirit and several failed attempts, Susana finally founded her own winery, thus achieving her lifelong dream to create wines with her signature personality under her own name.
After ten years of sustained growth on international markets, her children, José and Ana, decided to join her team and work side by side with her in order to continue to build up the family legacy. They produce four lines of wines: Nosotros, Susana Balbo Signature, Crios and BenMarco.
Chrissy Whitman
Our second leader, Chrissy Whitman, Director of Winemaking leads a team of over 100 growers in northern California. She works diligently bringing together exceptional fruit to produce a family of intriguing wines unrestricted by tradition, one of which is The Prisoner. *This wine, The Prisoner, was released two decades ago as one of the first complex blends of some of California’s best and most unusual grape varieties.
The Prisoner brand name has an interesting history. It’s flagship label were inspired by an etching by the 19th century Spanish artist Francisco Goya. Its subtitle translates to “the custody is as barbaric as the crime”. The sketch was created as a visual protest to the injustice and brutality of the Spanish War of Independence in 1808. The use of the sketch has implored The Prisoner Wine Company to take a stand against oppression while embracing creativity after some national public protest in 2021.
As a Black person, fighting injustices in our society, especially those tied to our prison and policing systems feels very close to home. Black men and women make up 37% percentage of the prison population despite being only 13% of the total population.* “We have much to understand and change around our policies and practices in society around incarceration” and this part of the Prisoner Wine identity and a focus of their commitment as an organization to change the problems in the U.S. prison system is commendable. (See 2024 article: Napa’s Prisoner Wine Co. is changing the narrative around mass incarceration with the help of Jesse Krimes, a formerly imprisoned artist) They believe that change can happen and that it starts with conversation, collaboration, and creativity.
Christine Wente
Our final winery owner, Christine Wente, 5th generation, now leading the Wente family, has always had its roots firmly planted in a family of hard-working farmers. *In 1883, Carl H. Wente, a German immigrant, purchased 48 acres of vineyard land in Livermore Valley, California and began building a winery.
In 1912, 2nd Generation Ernest Wente persuaded his father and founder, C.H. Wente, to import Chardonnay cuttings from a well-known vine nursery, F. Richter Nursery in Montpellier, France, to the Livermore Valley. After they grafted the two together, and propagated those characteristics forward. The result was aptly called the ‘Wente Clone’, which today makes up over 75% of all Chardonnay planted in California.
Today, Wente Vineyards is the longest, continuously family-owned and operated winery in the United States. Now run by Cristine Wente daughter of the 5th Generation winegrower Karl D., Wente continues the Wente Clone through the family’s legacy of Chardonnay with four different styles: Morning Fog Chardonnay, Riva Ranch Chardonnay, Small Lot Eric’s Chardonnay and nth DEGREE Chardonnay.
Working with Christine when she was head of marketing was one of the highlights of my wine career. She was smart, creative and open to find new ways to build new consumers during times when the wine industry in the U.S. was struggling to convince consumers to spend more of their disposal dollars on good value products.
Because as we all know any alcohol purchase is a choice.
Percent of Black Americans in the general U.S. population: 13%
Percent of people in prison or jail who are Black: 37%