By Wendy Williamson and Derek Schlennstedt
Some of the region’s most talented winemakers have banded together to form Yarra Valley Wine Women (YVWW).
Their objective is to celebrate, promote and support the success and achievements of women, often overlooked in an industry dominated by men.
“In the Yarra Valley, female winemakers are punching well above their weight, with a highly talented and credible list of stars making the wines and driving some of the most successful and awarded wine brands in the country,” said Nicole Esdaile, a founding member of YVWW.
It is estimated that women hold less than 10 per cent of the senior or leading production and management roles in the Australian Wine Industry, despite close to equal male and female numbers studying and graduating from oenology and viticulture courses.
Meg Brodtmann, a founder of the group, and chief winemaker at Helen and Joey in Gruyere said the group started YVWW to promote women in the industry and wasn’t surprised by the statistics.
“We want to promote women in the industry and we think it’s not an easy industry to stay in as your life changes,” Meg said.
“Once you have kids, during vintage … you have to be able to dedicate at least 12 hours a day, seven days a week to the job and if you have kids it becomes very difficult.”
“Studies have shown 50 per cent of graduates are women, but 10 years later they drop out of the industry and they don’t return.”
“So we want to say to women that you can make a career out of it, and to come and do it … because it’s great fun … we want to let women starting in the industry know that we are here in the industry.”
Members of the group are now promoting the Yarra Valley and its wine on the other side of the world.
Six members of YVWW are flying the flag for the Yarra Valley wine region and specifically its women at the 2017 Australian Women in Wine Awards in London.
The awards were established in 2014 to ‘celebrate and reward the work of women in the Australian wine community, as well as community leaders who champion equality and fairness for all sexes in the workplace’.
Representing YVWW are Sarah Crowe from Yarra Yering, Sarah Fagan from de Bortoli Wines, Clare Halloran from Tarrawarra, Caroline Mooney from Bird on a Wire, Sandra de Pury from Yeringberg and Kate Goodman from Goodman Wines.
In conjunction with the awards, the winemakers have run a masterclass at the new Institute of Masters of Wine in London and followed this up with a tasting of current and museum Yarra Valley wines for an invited group from the wine trade and media.
They also addressed wine students at Plumpton College in Brighton and hosted a number of small consumer events in London and beyond.
“YVWW believe their stories can add value, character and diversity to the broader regional wine message,” Nicole said.
