tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post777888231930972908..comments2024-03-18T04:47:16.199-07:00Comments on The Gray Report: Sexism in the wine industry: Observations from a blog postW. Blake Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17755307711801965966noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-39237238975557771122013-06-29T12:58:14.978-07:002013-06-29T12:58:14.978-07:00You are so cryptic, m'dear. I think your final...You are so cryptic, m'dear. I think your final comment merely refers to the anonymity and homogeneity of the male sans his signature frames (?)<br /><br />Don't underrate your ability to swim amongst the fishes. As Mr. Finch said on the t.v. series Person of Interest, <b>"Anonymity is power."</b>Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08839236994990699117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-24238129954992158692013-06-25T09:14:34.092-07:002013-06-25T09:14:34.092-07:00Thanks Lisa. Red is so 2012, but a column sig does...Thanks Lisa. Red is so 2012, but a column sig doesn't change as quickly as one's face. Without red, I am anonymous. I may be eating at your local coffee shop right now. W. Blake Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17755307711801965966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-15110075735285343412013-06-25T08:24:06.513-07:002013-06-25T08:24:06.513-07:00Blake,
Don't let Alana bully you; the questi...Blake, <br /><br />Don't let Alana bully you; the question is valid, and silence outside of the walls of feminist academia is not the answer. Frankly, it simply institutionalizes the problem, so bravo for asking.<br /><br />We are exploring sexual parity, such as it is, in the military this week at our blog <br /><br /><a href="http://www.rangeragainstwar.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08839236994990699117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-91043184003626677982013-06-24T08:43:15.339-07:002013-06-24T08:43:15.339-07:00I think that Sadie Drury's comment is most rel...I think that Sadie Drury's comment is most relevant to my career. I am an enologist, my winemaking crew is only the winemaker, cellar master and myself. I do a lot of heavy physical labor and I get really dirty, but I LOVE it and it shows. I have had problems within the industry with sexism but I think it is mostly confined to certain companies, not really the whole industry. Its true that Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-69472723837156781532013-06-24T08:19:53.015-07:002013-06-24T08:19:53.015-07:00I think about this topic quite often. I have been ...I think about this topic quite often. I have been in the wine industry for 17 years, as a wine rep and as a retail wineshop & winebar owner. The movie Somm just brought it to the fore again for me...it is a movie about 3 men trying to attain the level of Master Sommelier. But, I questioned...where are the women? When will there be a story about the female sommeliers in the world? There are Breckwineandcheesehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09215709096777281526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-18348141629046609812013-06-23T21:49:32.746-07:002013-06-23T21:49:32.746-07:00Alana: OK, so your suggestion is what -- we just n...Alana: OK, so your suggestion is what -- we just not talk about it? We've been doing that, and I'm done with this for now so we can go back to it.W. Blake Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17755307711801965966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-53374050435823698142013-06-23T17:41:45.552-07:002013-06-23T17:41:45.552-07:00PS: to ask us for examples is boring for most of u...PS: to ask us for examples is boring for most of us mature women...it gets very tiresome.... Also conclusions can't be drawn (30% means what?) as to whether ir exists more in this industry or not.Alanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05243050081315078092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-5519062746350846462013-06-23T17:37:33.423-07:002013-06-23T17:37:33.423-07:00Blake, the problem with the question itself is how...Blake, the problem with the question itself is how can you even ask such a silly Q? You're so much smarter than that and I know it. Take 6 weeks (and that's more than necessary really) of college level Gender Studies courses and you'll agree that it's a silly question. I poise to you...name one industry where there is gender parity.Alanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05243050081315078092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-51947642948187505702013-06-22T10:19:10.897-07:002013-06-22T10:19:10.897-07:00I am a woman assistant viticulturist at a leading ...I am a woman assistant viticulturist at a leading Washington state vineyard. This is the second top vineyard I've worked in. I've also worked harvest in the cellar at two top Washington wineries. Women ask me frequently about viticulture being a man's industry or sexism in this industry. Maybe I've had unusually good experiences, but so far I have only been treated with respect Sadie Druryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00342427997754671436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-34663800491990907922013-06-21T10:19:28.998-07:002013-06-21T10:19:28.998-07:00Even the tiniest woman can develop the upper body ...Even the tiniest woman can develop the upper body strength to huff around wine boxes- maybe we won't be as fast shelving but we can get the job done. ;)sidewaysandtothelefthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14011635399085199835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-66620067212613204912013-06-21T09:04:59.283-07:002013-06-21T09:04:59.283-07:00Regarding Emily's observation about the scarci...Regarding Emily's observation about the scarcity of women in retail, it may have to do with the amount of heavy lifting usually required in these positions. Being a restaurant sommelier is physically demanding,to be sure, but retail tends to be more so. The question might be, do fewer of us want these jobs, or are we not hired because of an assumption that we are not capable?Joanna Breslinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06813446200730435779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-37745847438846254952013-06-21T08:07:17.136-07:002013-06-21T08:07:17.136-07:00As a female wine steward I'm "tested"...As a female wine steward I'm "tested" by male customers fairly often. Just love it when they tell you they were testing me and I passed. I am finishing up my level 4 (diploma) WSET. I am also a beer steward. The conversations are very different here. It more along the lines of wow another beer geek who speaks the language, cool. I'm from the Pacific Northwest so work in both Debannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14249020059768539759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-51346848302065460342013-06-21T07:13:06.434-07:002013-06-21T07:13:06.434-07:00This is a topic that could be written about ad nau...This is a topic that could be written about ad nauseum, but I find some of the most telling examples in marketing. Wines marketed to women seem to be synonymous with wines for the uneducated chug-a-lug plebeians. Just slap a cute label on some mass-produced plonk and watch the stacks fly. I really can't believe that this works or can be a successful long-term business model for a winery. Emily H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/08353884042212038651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-82909837613094068152013-06-20T10:39:26.486-07:002013-06-20T10:39:26.486-07:00TS: You're making more money as a freelance wi...TS: You're making more money as a freelance wine writer than as a somm? There's hope for us all!<br /><br />Can you address Amanda's comment?W. Blake Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17755307711801965966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-50586901934790728822013-06-20T10:25:13.360-07:002013-06-20T10:25:13.360-07:00Blake, thank you for bringing this issue to the fo...Blake, thank you for bringing this issue to the forefront. Women in our industry have had some giant hoops to jump over.<br /><br />As a sommeliere in Manhattan from 1999=2002 (keeping in mind that even now, NY is more conservative than the West coast where I now live), I got quite a few raised eyebrows and "where is the wine GUY" remarks. But I am a woman not easily intimidated. I amThe Sommelierehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05373623446507975769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-37426455143807765832013-06-20T10:23:40.795-07:002013-06-20T10:23:40.795-07:00Amanda: This surprises me, because media -- especi...Amanda: This surprises me, because media -- especially at the bottom level, which is writing (sigh) -- tends to be very open to women. Tell me more: what specifically have you seen?W. Blake Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17755307711801965966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9210235767643862872.post-50006191407990674932013-06-20T09:22:17.919-07:002013-06-20T09:22:17.919-07:00I found this an interesting topic and some surpris...I found this an interesting topic and some surprising results, Blake. Another issue to explore might be sexism in wine writing in particular. As a female who has worked in the business for only three years, it's surprisingly prevalent for such a creative, 'open-minded' group of people. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08681497933605207432noreply@blogger.com