We think of the wine industry as generous, open-to-all, and focused on the spirit of community. But a look around any industry tasting event reveals that the wine industry has a long way to go. The number of African Americans around the tasting table remains far too low. And it’s true for Asians and Latinos, too. (Especially black, Asian, and Latina women). These days, we are reminded that this inequality in the industry we love is more than sad. It’s a loss for us all.
The industry’s lack of diversity is an insidious problem with many entwined threads of causation. I don’t pretend to understand all those reasons or to have any of the answers. But somehow, each in our way, we must begin a process of change.
