New Jersey's Women in Wine Caucus
The Women in Wine Caucus serves as a community and a forum for women working in New Jersey’s wine industry. Launched in 2021 in partnership with the Garden State Wine Growers Association by Victoria (Tori) Reader, it provides opportunities for women to network with and learn from others in the industry. Membership is open to women at all levels of the winemaking and marketing process—tasting room managers, GMs, owners, winemakers, journalists, wine shop owners, sommeliers—as well as women with a keen interest in pursuing a career in wine.
Membership in the Caucus now stands at over 40 women, “and counting!”, says newly appointed chairperson Stephanie Waters (3rd from right, above). A career-long employee benefits consultant, Waters works nights as a wine tasting bar consultant at Sharrott Winery in Hammonton and is founder of The Wine Jawn, a curator of wine tasting experiences and education. Among her hopes for the organization—and the industry—going forward is to generate increased diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging and, of course, to increase the number of women working in wine in the Garden State.—N. Painter
newjerseywines.com/womeninwinecaucus
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