In their own words, Hong Kong's women in wine tell us why the industry is no longer an old boys' club
While the world of wine was traditionally dominated by men both on the vineyard and in the restaurant, today the very notion that the same industry is still heavily gendered is in itself becoming old-fashioned, as we found out when speaking to the female sommeliers of Hong Kong. With more and more women becoming the face of the wine programmes of their respective restaurants, diners in Hong Kong are experiencing a more equitable vision of wine with every sip, as female sommeliers moderate the drinking experience with a feminine touch and a more inclusive eye towards pioneering female producers to boot.
To mark International Women's Day this year, we're spotlighting five women of wine working in Hong Kong: what brought them to their current role, what challenges they face, and where they see the shifting gender balance of the wine industry going. The proof, it's becoming increasingly apparent, is in the Pinot.
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Camille Glass, Co-Founder, Brut
"Very early on in my career, I realised that my “superpower”—the thing that set me apart in my industry—was my ability to share my love for food and wine through storytelling. In opening Brut, I wanted more than anything to create a culinary exploration. In wine, I found parallels between what was happening on the vineyard and what was happening in our kitchen, and I wanted it all to be as much a journey for myself as it would be for the guests.
When it was just George [Kwok] and I, in the early days of the restaurant, we found a way to blend our cultures into what we later would dub modern Hong Kong cuisine. The wine programme followed suit, showing progressive young winemakers and their original takes on their one-of-a-kind drops.
Whilst being a woman in wine certainly has its shortcomings, I’ve oftentimes found that my more creative, feminine approach to wines is graciously welcomed. Whilst I’m certainly not saying that creativity is a strictly female trait, when you look at someone like Sarah Heller, her incredible, fluid and feminine visual art combined with her wine notes bring something new and womanly to wine. I feel like my curation and descriptions of wine have similar, feminine qualities.
Crushed is another welcome addition to today’s wine retail market. The girls and I were very deliberate in our moves away from the more traditional ways of communicating about our products. There truly is enough space in this industry for all of us to co-exist peacefully and I’m excited to see more women than ever at the helm of these discussions.