Diversifying the wine industry: implicit bias
Only 14% of bonded wineries in California report a woman as lead winemaker, and fewer than 0.1 percent of all winemakers in the US are Black. Diversifying the industry goes well beyond hiring people of color.
For the past two years, many parts of the wine industry — from winegrowing to distribution, hospitality and wine education — have been faced with tackling a serious lack of diversity. Through social unrest, Americans expressed their support for racial justice and demanded social change throughout civil society, the justice system, business and the economy.
For the wine industry, a 2020 study updated in 2022 found that only 14% of bonded wineries in California reported a woman as lead winemaker, and that fewer than 0.1 percent of all winemakers in the US are Black. Diversifying the wine industry goes beyond just hiring people of color. The industry needs to create hospitable spaces and environments, meet folks where they are, and do some intrapersonal work.
Importantly, we need to look within to combat our own personal implicit biases. We all have an unconscious need to categorize people. We all have implicit biases that get in the way of successful diverse businesses. Implicit bias is the automatic association between a racial group and a stereotype that may unintentionally influence judgments and actions, especially in the workplace.
While we often think of bias as an individual issue, it may actually be the degree of racial inequality and discrimination in one’s environment — in other words, racism that has become embedded and normalized within an industry. Inequalities do not reflect inevitable truths about the ability of different groups to succeed; they reflect systems of oppression rooted in historical imbalances of power. It is not enough to examine our own hidden biases. We should use our biases as a starting place for examining our workplaces, our communities and, in this case, our entire industry. Implicit biases do not emerge in a vacuum but reflect our daily exposure to an environment of racism. If we desire a more equitable society, we need to address not only the biases we hold inside, but also the system under which those biases were formed.
It is no longer enough to not be racist, to not be sexist. You must be anti-racist, anti-sexist, and do better. This starts with recognizing and acknowledging that implicit bias is the primary concern. At every level, the wine industry must examine its workplace cultures and look more closely for bias.
The wine industry is predominantly white, and it is not OK to retreat to the comfort of “I’m not a racist” in a very white industry. Beyond the history and culture of the industry, financial status is a barrier preventing people of color and historically marginalized people from entering at all levels. Sommelier certification exams alone are costly — add to that the cost of the wines, classes and materials to prepare for them. Many wineries are family owned and run, unfortunately discriminating against communities of color and the advancement of women.
A good example of highlighting implicit bias in the wine industry comes from the Boisset Collection — leadership from the top. Their DEI mission, value statement and engagement is also where you will find resources for how to approach implicit bias.
Albeit long overdue, it is promising that conversations are now including voices of color and gender. Yet there is much to be done.
As an African American sustainability professional and social responsibility advocate working in wine, it is clear to me how sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion are strictly intertwined. The wine industry globally is very focused on integrating sustainability into operations at many levels, though in most instances the priority is environmental responsibility. The first step towards implementing a sustainability strategy is to ensure that you are providing your people a workplace where they can be themselves and contribute to their best abilities. In my mind this is as critical as setting the right environmental goals.
A diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace improves the ethical and social impact of a business. Napa Green has made social equity a pillar of its sustainability programs, and shares details of the work at Pine Ridge Vineyards and Charles Krug Winery.
The concept of diversity and inclusion goes beyond hiring more people of color and other historically under-represented groups; we need to make spaces welcoming, safe and equitable first. Many of our systems are inherently built for folks without any thought of generational trauma, diverse backgrounds and differing persistent economic conditions.
Wine companies should fund and partner with organizations already doing this work, and recruit from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Tribal Colleges, such as Florida A&M University, Las Positas or Napa Valley College. Better yet, create paid internship or apprenticeship programs specifically targeted at students of color interested in the wine industry, at all levels, with the goal of hiring from that pool.
When recruiting for diverse applicants, post recruitment advertisements, host networking events, and amplify the work of organizations already serving non-white wine students, producers and enthusiasts — The Roots Fund, Wine Unify, The Hue Society, The Women of the Vine and Spirits Foundation, the McBride Sisters SHE CAN Fund, the Mexican American Vintners Association.
And remember: when you are interviewing a candidate, they are interviewing you as well, to make sure your workplace is welcoming and that they can be successful in an organization where they are under-represented. Rather than highlight one employee of color, create and support employee resource groups. Do you have a diversity council? What funding and opportunities are available for professional and personal development? What training is required of all staff, no matter the seniority, on implicit bias, microaggressions and inclusive practice? What percentage of senior leadership is non-white, non-male, or identifies as LGBTQIA+?
Change does not happen overnight — we need to invest in and amplify communities and organizations already supporting this work. Distributors can promote wine produced by Black, Indigenous and people of color. Supporters can fund initiatives such as The Black Winemakers Scholarship Fund, Urban Connoisseurs, the Association of African American Vintners or Black Wine Professionals.
Education and awareness are the foundation for building a more inclusive community. The thirst to understand, empathize and act all starts with finding the right resources and building relationships with partners who can truly make a difference.
Jean-Claude Boisset
Words are not enough. My hope is that the expressed commitments of the industry are real and lasting. We need to see enduring results in response to social unrest and the exposure of inequality and discrimination in the wine industry, not simply good words in the heat of this moment in our history. Efforts to diversify the industry can also pay off financially — the subject of my next post.