Uncorking the Wine Industry's Secret: Barriers for Women in the Wine Industry

Given the labor crisis across the United States and the increasing wine consumption by women, it is more critical than ever to engage women to join the wine industry. Although women are consistently battling against tokenization, discreditation, and underrepresentation in the wine industry, there is scant research that pinpoints the specific blockages, or barriers, that women face in their career in the wine industry. To address this question, this thesis explores what the horizonal and vertical sex-segregation issues and barriers are for women to join the wine industry. This thesis used a qualitative semi-structured interview design whereby 13 wine industry practitioners of various ages, genders, and backgrounds participated. Many different barriers for women were identified, notably sexual harassment, sexism, and both vertical and horizontal segregation. This thesis can contribute to the literature about women working in the wine industry by being the first to explore and identify specific barriers that women face. Practically, this thesis sheds lights for wine industry owners, executives, and managers to promote gender equity and break down the barriers for women to join the wine industry, and to attract talent for their organizations.