Jobs for the Girls
Our resident wine expert asks some fearless females for their take on life in the industry
As the world gradually wakes up to the workplace challenges experienced by women in many industries, a recurring theme is a lack of female role models and mentors. The wine and spirits industries are still assumed to be largely male-dominated, but the reality—especially in Asia—is not so straightforward.
My own story is an example of what can happen when powerful women support newbies. Over a decade ago I landed a dream first job as executive director of Meiburg Wine Media, founded by Debra Meiburg, one of Asia’s first Masters of Wine. While we worked together, Debra was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the South China Morning
Post newspaper, and ranked seventh most powerful woman in the global wine industry by The Drinks
Business magazine. Through it all, she never failed to publicly acknowledge my contributions to the business, helping me build industry credibility, nor to gently correct anyone who referred to me as her personal assistant, which—given my tender age—happened frequently.
Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working with and befriending so many inspiring, supportive women in the industry globally, and especially in the region, that when
I get asked the inevitable question about being a woman in a male-dominant industry, my first instinct is to shrug it off. However, given the disparities that remain, to say nothing of the appalling predatory behaviour some women have been subjected to, it would feel like a dereliction of duty. While the wine scene in Asia is blessed with countless successful women—winery owners and winemakers, business owners and executives, educators, journalists and Masters of Wine—some areas of the industry are less diverse. In Hong Kong, it is still fairly unusual to see a female sommelier, and wine collector circles still skew male—though the balance is slowly shifting.
I asked a handful of friends and colleagues from different corners of the wine and spirits industries to share their stories (lightly edited for brevity). I asked whether they had many female co-workers, employers or employees, and if not, what the barriers to greater female participation might be and whether businesses were working to overcome these. I asked whether they’d observed differences in the opportunities and challenges for women. Finally, I asked what advice they would give young women starting their drinks careers today.
CHARLENE DAWES Managing Director, Tastings Group (Hong Kong)
I started in 2008 with Tastings Wine Bar, one of the first places in Hong Kong using the Enomatic Wine dispensing system, and have since opened various speciality bars and restaurants.
We’re definitely seeing more and more women in this industry, from my
office support staff to frontline staff. However we still see far fewer female bartenders and sommeliers, although it’s better than it was 10 to 15 years ago. As an employer, we don’t look at gender when it comes to hiring; we are more focused on personality and experience. But we actually don’t get that many female CVS for bartender jobs—there is a perception that this job is for males and not females, maybe due to the physical nature of the job. However, I think with the recent success of some female bartenders winning world awards, it’s an inspiration for young women to join the industry.
HER ADVICE: Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself: you are as good as everyone else who’s prepared, motivated and interested in their job!
YULIA EZHIKOVA Sommelier, Brut! (Hong Kong)
Ever since seeing that first Somm movie (a documentary about the attempts of candidates to pass the Master Sommelier exam) in 2012, I was fascinated by the world of wine but it felt out of reach; none of the people I saw in the movie were women or located outside of [major US cities]. I decided to try sake, basing myself in Hokkaido for a few years, then earning a sake sommelier title at SSI (Sake Service Institute) in Tokyo. I arrived in Hong Kong in early 2018 for a job at Japanese restaurant Sake Central. Once I learnt everything I could in that role, I thought I had nothing to lose, so I jumped into the world of wine at last. My first proper wine job was at the popular Shady Acres restaurant, and eventually I went back to Brut, a tiny, charming restaurant where I’d had a few casual shifts previously, which is where my first very own wine list was born.
There are plenty of women working in hospitality, especially in marketing, operations or front of house, but very rarely are they seen in leadership roles. Out of 69 Michelin-starred restaurants in Hong Kong, I can name only three that have female sommeliers in charge of wine buying, which is the ultimate position of power for a beverage professional. The main barrier is the lack of role models.
Unfortunately, I don’t believe there’s a lot of effort on the part of local businesses to course-correct and embrace diversity. My hope is to create change myself by hiring and mentoring those who have been consistently overlooked in the world
of wine in Hong Kong. My own home country of Russia is going through a bit of an F&B renaissance at the moment, and it’s incredible to see how many young women there head restaurants, kitchens and wine programmes.
HER ADVICE: Prepare to work twice as hard as your male colleagues and get half the credit until you build your reputation. Invest in your knowledge. Seek other women in the industry. Speak up. Prepare to be the only woman in the room, which means you need to make an effort to become friends with the boys. The truth is, there are people out there, both men and women, who would love to mentor and support you in your professional journey. Find them and keep pushing for your dreams.
EMMA GAO Winemaker andco-founder, Silver Heights Vineyard (China)
My father encouraged me to go to Bordeaux University to study oenology in 1999. After graduating in 2004, I worked in France, then in China’s Xinjiang region and city of Yantai before returning to Ningxia to create the first bottle of Silver Heights with my father in 2007.
Most of our vineyard workers are women. They are very attentive and diligent; our industry requires a lot of stamina and hard labour, and you have to be comfortable with solitude as well. The younger generation loves urban life and probably won’t be able to cope with life in the countryside, but we do regularly take interns who are studying oenology. The opportunities outweigh the challenges.
HER ADVICE: Being a winemaker is like being an interpreter of nature; it is essentially the process of understanding and enjoying nature’s four different seasons, then sharing that knowledge with people around the world. It’s the best challenge life could give you.
BETSY AND LILLIAN HAYNES Managing director and director, Northeast Wines & Spirits (Hong Kong)
Lillian Haynes: Twenty-nine years ago, I saw a niche in the Hong Kong market for New World wines, and soon after this, Northeast Wines was born.
Betsy Haynes: I studied hospitality and worked in the hotel and F&B industry in the UK for 12 years; I returned to Hong Kong 12 years ago to learn about the wine business, and now oversee the Northeast Wines & Spirits operation.
LH: When we first started the business, there were very few women in the industry, mainly because the wine market was small—wine was regarded as a luxury product for the affluent community only. Only in 2008, when the Hong Kong government abolished the wine duty and tax altogether, did Hong Kong become Asia’s wine hub and the wine business grew tenfold or more. In our company we have always had more female employees than male. I don’t see any barriers for women in the wine business so long as they are interested in the industry and prepared to learn.
BH: I’m lucky to have Lillian as my mentor and have certainly met some strong female figures in the industry, from importers to media and Masters of Wine.
Wine education in the city has definitely been growing steadily, and wine drinking is more accessible to the general public. In terms of wine importation and distribution, I don’t see too many barriers for females—they often have a great palate.
LH: In the past 15 years we have seen more and more females joining this industry and taking up significant positions; the challenges are similar around the globe and the opportunities exist everywhere.
LILLIAN’S ADVICE: Be prepared to put in long hours and work hard, but above all enjoy wine and be enthusiastic. BETSY’S ADVICE: If you are passionate about wine, food and people, you will love this journey you are about to embark on. STEVIE KIM Managing director, Vinitaly International (Italy)
During a sabbatical year, I visited some friends in Verona—where I also met my husband; we’ve been together for over 25 years— as I originally wanted to start a wine investment fund. Through that, I made many wine contacts and ultimately was recruited by Vinitaly’s parent company Veronafiere. As managing director of Vinitaly International, my team and I promote Italian wines on behalf of Vinitaly at home and internationally, through events and initiatives, educational programmes, media and publications.
As an Asian American woman in the maledominated Italian wine sector, I’m pretty much a trailblazer. As an employer, I try to employ smart women and give them access to mentorship and supervisory positions. I definitely think that some countries have more open doors for women than others, especially if you compare the US to Italy. However, in light of the recent global #Metoo movement and very public
scandals in Hollywood, politics and particularly the Court of Master Sommeliers (which was hit by a sexual harassment scandal in 2020), I think we must keep a spotlight on female equality in the wine industry, as well as on the need to include Bipoc (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) individuals.
HER ADVICE: Just do the work. Apply for the job you want, not the job you think you are qualified for. Be a good listener, but speak your mind. Find a good mentor— and be a good mentor.
CAROLINE QUE Head of sales, Goedhuis & Co Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
I interned at a few Bordeaux chateaux during university then joined the OIV’S Masters of Science in Wine Management programme, where we spent 11 months travelling to 26 wine countries. Once finished, I had the opportunity to join ASC Fine Wines in private customer sales in Hong Kong.
There is a healthy number of women in sales roles in the industry, both here and in the UK. At Goedhuis, we have a healthy gender balance across all areas of our business. The main challenge for a career in sales in any industry, irrespective of gender, is your personal willingness to put the time in to build lasting and most importantly trusting relationships with your customers and suppliers. The same opportunities and challenges exist for women globally. It is easy enough, and fun, to learn more about wine, but what gives you more opportunities is how you channel your skills into allowing you to move up your respective ladder.
HER ADVICE: Do it! This industry has so much to offer. Besides the opportunity to taste amazing wines and see where they come from, you get to interact with a very diverse group of individuals with similar interests, who are able to open many more doors for you.
JESSICA SPENCE President of brands, Beam Suntory (USA)
I joined the beer industry in 2006, partly because I loved drinks, but mostly because it sounded like an adventure and a wonderful way to travel the world. There are not enough [other women] by far—i’ve often been the only woman at my level, and I think the industry has a long way to go to attract and retain women. It’s getting better, but not fast enough. The lack of female representation at senior levels has been a big issue, but also the preconceptions many companies have about “what it takes” to succeed in the industry.
I think the US is probably the most advanced in actively wanting to promote opportunities for women in the industry and there are many vocal advocates there. But I’m really excited to see the growth in interest in the industry in Asia—at whisky festivals in China, we see a very high level of engagement by women— far above other regions, which I hope will fuel the industry to think differently about who we engage with and who are the right leaders of the future.
HER ADVICE: If you love the industry, jump in. Seek out female mentors; many senior women are incredibly supportive of younger talent. Don’t be afraid to challenge the preconceptions of who our drinkers are and who is best to lead our brands and [industry].
KARLA WANG Founder & CEO, Lady Penguin (China)
After graduating from a wine programme in France, I founded Lady Penguin in 2015 to create China’s friendliest wine content and community for millennials. Since then, our social media has garnered over 5 million fans and we have sold more than 15 million bottles of wine. Of my company’s 200 employees, about 60 per cent are female and more than half of our key management positions are held by women.
My business covers e-commerce, social media, wine clubs and wine education, areas which don’t have barriers precluding more women from joining. I’m not sure what’s it’s like elsewhere, but I do sense that the proportion of females in China’s wine industry is comparatively large, especially in terms of stellar winemakers and owners, like Kanaan Winery’s Wang Fang and Tiansai Vineyards’ Chen Lizhong.
HER ADVICE: There is a very famous Buddhist proverb that essentially says, “If you don’t think something is an issue,
(本來無一then it won’t be”物，何處惹塵埃).
Forget about gender, and fight as hard as you can—then gender will no longer be a thing.