The Women in Wine group, founded by Ata Mara Vineyard director and owner Janiene Bayliss, has marked its first birthday. Bayliss, from Cromwell, said that the Central Otago group had about 200 members, and that more were forming across the country.
“We are one of the biggest and probably the most active,” Bayliss said. “Everybody has interesting backgrounds and we have some amazing women as members.”
While women make up 47 percent of the wine industry, they remain underrepresented at board level. However, a key function of the group was simply to provide a support network.
“Most women in the wine industry are not from rural backgrounds,” she said. “I am the fourth generation [to live rurally] and I know what it is like to live in a reasonably isolated place. It is about logistics, and to complete anything tends to take twice as long and costs twice as much. To have a supportive and understanding network is really important so that we are not isolated.”
WIW also functions as a lobbying group, and is currently trying to change alcohol licensing laws to make it easier to open cellar doors and sampling wine at events.
