Wine and Women+
Fort Wayne Foodslut Series: Shame, Patriarchy and Misogyny that plagues those who drink, sell and make wine.
In this three part series, A. Eiser outlines the deeper issues rooted in the superiority-complex of the wine community. She teaches us how to choose a wine we like, sharing her knowledge on basic wine tasting, without the condescending tone.
Wine and Women+ "Not Your Daddy's Wine World"
A well-stocked wine rack is like a bookshelf: full of stories, history, and humanity; steeped in turmoil and triumph–smeared with the fingerprints of civilization. That is, of course, except when it’s not–because perhaps, to you, a well-stocked wine rack isn’t full of dusty, European, vintage bottles that cost as much as a used car, give or take. Maybe that isn’t the wine you can afford–or even the wine you like. Maybe to you, the ideal wine collection looks like you carried home an entire low-level shelf from Kroger, or you’re starting a collection of bottles with kitschy labels and goofy names, or you’re in your screw-cap era. There’s no shame in liking what you like. If anyone is judging you for the wine you choose to drink, they’re not somebody whose opinion you should care about. The number of times I’ve heard someone express shame or apologize for liking what they like is staggering. Enough with this bullshit–you’re all too cool to not be happy about who you are as people and take pride in what you like. Own your preferences.
Furthermore, I’m really sick of men who refuse to drink something because it’s a ‘girlie drink’ or some other derogatory term that, frankly, I’d like to curbstomp them for saying. Booze doesn’t have gender unless we’re speaking romance languages and, even then, wine is typically a masculine word. Alcohol never, under any circumstances, has a sexuality. Periodt. The only thing that makes me more angry than the fragile men who spew this gendered-and-sexualized drink shit is seeing the impact that it ultimately has on my girls, gays, and theys–and many of them aren’t even fully aware why they end up with icky feelings. We aren’t always cognizant of the exact moment that someone made us feel bad for enjoying something: we just know we feel like we’re supposed to apologize for it now. Baby, stop acting like you’re less than divine, because the people who matter don't make fun of you or judge you for indulging in your preferences. You know who throws punches, talks shit, and makes people feel bad for drinking the wine they like most? The patriarchy. When it comes to issues in the wine industry, people love to talk about climate change and tariff fluctuations: but I’d love to hear more people go off about the historical misogyny in this industry. Luckily, women support women, and I found some women who were willing to support me in writing this piece and share their thoughts.
Alfie Jean, local vegan wine influencer, had some things to say regarding womens’ place in wine history, “Misogyny has been blunt in the wine world since its very beginning: women being systematically excluded from power. Which is really quite silly to think about in terms of wine. Since women were primarily gatherers in the beginning of time, they were probably the first to understand that grapes can ferment and alter the mind. Not to mention women have a higher number of cells in the olfactory cortex for smell distinctions! Women are AMAZING at detecting wine aromas!” There’s a whole history of women being strong-armed out of the wine world and then needing to fight for basic things–like the right to own land–before they can ever become something like a vineyard owner. Alfie added, “Women have had to be scrappy this whole damn time! I applaud all the moves that have been made, as there are some tenacious and strong women that are making strides, even if there is still a lot of work to be done.”
Devon Spitler, everyone’s favorite local sommelier and representative for Skurnik Wines & Spirits, shared a similar sentiment, “I think it’s really been exclusive to a lot of groups of people; and I think that’s been intentional–by men.” Sad, but blatantly true. While there have certainly been strides made within the industry (especially within the last quarter of a century) to be more inclusive–the battle is far from over. If anything, it’s just beginning. Regarding wine culture, Devon had some interesting insight, “I think for a long time, wine has looked a certain way from the outside. I think our perception is ‘it’s something that my dad drinks’ or ‘it’s something that my boss drinks.’” Until that perception amongst the masses is changed: misogyny is still winning.
Misogyny is rampant in the wine industry and in wine culture–and culture includes consumers. I’ve personally never had any issues with men in our local wine community–save for a tame but annoying encounter which you can read about here. My experience is unlike others. I’ve heard stories of sexual harassment within the industry, consumers gatekeeping other consumers, or bullying and harassment from a seller toward a beloved local influencer. Even in Fort Wayne, we can sadly only guarantee that the wine scene is 100% safe for straight white men–everyone else’s experiences may vary. Many of our local wine dudes fall into that ‘not all men’ category–but just because we’re lucky enough to have a bunch of ‘the good guys’ doesn’t mean we can ignore the simple fact that the sour grapes of the bunch have historically made the wine world an uncomfortable place for women. If you knew the reason that you felt inherent shame for liking the wine you like is internalized misogyny, would you still apologize or would you proudly own your preferences?
What if I told you that, even after the wine-battle with misogyny is over, you’re still probably going to have an uphill climb? Why? Privilege. I have a similar experience to Alfie Jean when it comes to the subjects of wine and privilege; she explained her’s beautifully: “I grew up low-income and didn’t think I’d get into wine when I was younger as it was never around in my home.” Unless you’ve grown up wealthy, with easy access to expensive bottles and trips abroad–learning about wine won’t be easy. If you’re not someone who grew up in an upper-class or even upper-middle-class household, you likely had very limited exposure to wine. If there was any wine at all in your house, I’ll bet it was cheap bottles that either smelled like fruit punch or nail polish remover and only got busted out for special occasions–at least, that was my experience. Without exposure to wine, how would you even become aware enough of its existence to spark curiosity and a drive to explore? Alfie’s experience is a little unlike most others, as she explained, “The biggest thing that furthered my interest in wine was being a musician. Performing at wineries, or restaurants that I could try higher end wines for free (as part of my performance contract). But I don’t think I would have had that exposure without being hired to play at events or venues. That is seen a lot with beginning wine folks in the food industry; working at restaurants just to get a taste of those wines that they potentially never have had on their own.” Exposure creates interest. Without privilege, there is no exposure. It makes it pretty easy to perpetuate misogyny and gatekeeping in wine culture when the people who cishet white men have strived to ‘keep out’ aren’t even fully aware of the secret club they’re being kept from. Devon summed it up succinctly, “It’s a flex. It’s white men. It’s money.”
"You’ll be sipping like a privileged straight white man in no time–let’s be honest, you’ll probably do it even better. "
Ultimately, Devon, Alfie, Foodslut, and I share a similar goal. As Devon put it, “I want people to know that there’s space for everybody’s voice in wine.” As a wine professional, Devon sees a duty for herself which she elucidated thusly, “My personal responsibility is to make sure that I’m including people who don’t look like me. I think we typically talk about just women being excluded, but also black and brown people have been excluded, non-binary people, trans people–they have all been excluded from wine because there have been gatekeepers and they’ve all been, typically, white men.” Her goal is to utilize her privilege to, “include more people in wine and make them feel included–in whatever capacity they want to: whether they just want to be appreciative of it or they want to make it more of a career.” Whoever you are, there is a seat at the table for you. The women who have already infiltrated the boys’ club are saving space for you–we want you here! I want my she’s, gays, and they’s to feel empowered to push-back against the inherent misogyny and privilege of wine culture. I don’t have much I can give you to help other than my love, promise of unending support, encouraging words, and some basic knowledge that I can share. I want my newbie wine babes to feel like they have all the tools they need in their toolbox to approach the subject of wine with confidence. Stay tuned for two wine-centric blogs to help you drink with courage. You’ll be sipping like a privileged straight white man in no time–let’s be honest, you’ll probably do it even better.
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