June 2nd, 2021 marked the commencement of 2021 Women in Wine & Spirits Awards. The first session of advisors & friends meeting was held in Shanghai with experts from drink business, retail & investment, media and education sectors. The annual programs were announced with a brief survey conducted, to help improve the organization.

The awards nominees and winners in 2020 shared their experiences and insights over this meeting. Ms. Zhang Baochun, Master Blender of Koya Brandy under Changyu Group, and Ms. Li Meiyu, founder of Panda Fine Wines conducted speeches.

Left: ZHANG Bao Chun, Right: LI Meiyu

The online application and nomination is NOW OPEN. We will soon announce the forums and road shows in the second half of the year.

Since the launch in 2020, WINWSA has received many supports from our partners and industry professionals. During this meeting, Michelle Liu, the founder of WINWSA also addressed to the frequently asked questions.

INTERVIEW

FOUNDER OF WINWSA

What makes you decide to launch this award?
Timing and a meaningful conversation.

The idea to set up an award for women in drink business, goes back to early 2019 when I had the  discussion with one of my best friend, Gwenale, who has been in wine business for almost 20 years like me. The Covid-19 at the beginning of 2020 gave me more time to rethink and explore this idea. I was convinced that it was the right time to launch.

The restriction of international travel kept my friend in Europe, though I had regular calls with her to shape the direction at the beginning. The project required much more time and concentration than expected, but oddly, I never regretted or had any doubt about what I have been doing. It’s the first time in my career, that the project seems full of life and incredible dynamism, driving me continue without second thought til now.

Why was this award established only for Women in Wine & Spirits Industry？
WHY NOT？

There have been lots of discussions around female power, locally and internationally. Our award is inevitably linked to this subject, but it was not our primary goal. As we clearly stated in our inaugural edition last year, the industry of wine and spirits has evolved in the past decades. More and more female professionals are taking up important roles and some of them are changing the game. Those women definitely deserve more visibility and recognition.

Despite of the difference between men and women, we believe the excellence requires the same level of professionalism and commitment. However, certain incidents I personally encountered forced me to rethink this subject, especially when:

1.Some liquor brands don’t want to feature their female Master Blenders as they consider it’s not too helpful for the masculine image of the products.

2.Certain careers are more physically demanding such as sommeliers. It becomes a constant debate for balancing life and work as numerous of personal sacrifices needed, and it is not easy to gain trust and support from family or employers.

3.The traditional Chinese drinking culture scared women at the sales roles in this industry.

One of our missions is to provide a viable platform which allows the discussion around those phenomena and even change or improve our consumption / career environment. It will not happen overnight, but it’s not going to change anything while we choose to overlook those facts.

What are the highlights of WINWSA?

Present the female professionals in drink business and share their stories, as the first step.

WINWSA set up 17 categories, covering various focus areas of wine & spirits industry, from production to marketing & education. Our annual award ‘Sustainability’ reflects the nature of wine and spirits, as they are inseparable from the earth.

The ultimate goal about this award is not to win, but to participate and share. That’s also the reason why our forums throughout the year will be very valuable. For example, during our 2020 forum, the topic around China Consumer Insights got lots of attentions when the professionals from E-commerce, Consumer Research, Education and Brands brought in their observations.

In 2021 we initiated crossover forums to build a broader stage, enabling more exchanges with other accomplished females from various backgrounds. We wish we fulfill our motto: to connect, inspire and empower women of today.

WHY WINWSA is set as international award?

The wine & spirits market today is so interdependent and we shall learn from each other.

Especially in wines, those traditionally advanced or mature markets in North America, Europe and even South Sphere countries have profound know-how and experiences in viticulture, channel development and educational programs. What I also discovered during my consultancy job with Sopexa, Wine Australia and Wines from Spain, is that the close tie between the wineries and regional organization, as well as shared R&D infrastructures etc. China is experiencing a critical moment to push for domestic wines, and it’s certainly helpful if we can facilitate dialogues with our counterparts in those markets.

I personally believed the Social Return on Investment (SROI) will be the next thing. In this regard, many global conglomerates have implemented successfully corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. Last year, the sharing from Pernod Ricard China was definitely an enlightment, and its pioneering effort to highlight the commitment on employment, environment and responsible drinking culture can be a great reference for Chinese enterprises.

Meanwhile, China’s rapid progress in new retail modes and EC shall be shared with our global peers. We have witnessed the acceleration in the channel transformation.

What are the most common “misunderstanding” of WINWSA？

I wouldn’t use the words ‘misunderstanding’, it’s rather our responsibility to present our initiative in a clear way so our audience can get our messages.

However, I would give a few examples on frequently asked questions：
1.WINWSA is a women-only club, how men can participate in?
2.Is this linked to gender equality?

The answer for the first question is: no, we are not a women-only club and we welcome all professionals across various disciplines to join us. The purpose is to help us shape the direction and improve the organization. As you will see, the composition of our first edition in 2020 includes those gentlemen from media, investment and wine sectors.

The answer for the second question is No. Women in Wine & Spirits Award aims to support and promote those women who are committed in pursuing their career goals within wine & spirits industry, but also to create a platform to drive the development and growth of females by providing cross-industry networking opportunities from other sectors.

As for the widely discussed subject on gender equality, we have no intention to subscribe to this topic yet. It will be irresponsible to discuss such a complex word without fully studying and comprehending the social context and different manifestation under different circumstances.

I personally don’t think it will help if we continue to keep us divided. On the contrary, we shall respect each other and encourage career advancement.

There does exist the unwritten rule ‘talk or behave like a girl’ in our society, however this is changing though in slow paces. A genuine inclusive culture shall celebrate how all people are unique and thus should be celebrated for their differences.

Special thanks to
EuroCave – Euroidea, the venue partner of WINWSA 2021.

Add: 3033 Kaixuan Rd,Xuhui District, Shanghai, China