How One Group is Encouraging Women to Become Winemakers in NJ

New Jersey has more than 60 wineries and vineyards

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Only 17 percent of winemakers in the U.S. are women, but The New Jersey Women in Wine Caucus is trying to increase that number through education and training for women in every part of the process, from the vineyard to the cellar to the tasting room.

The group currently consists of owners, managers, winemakers, journalists, sommeliers, consultants and distributors, several of whom met recently for the second annual Women in Wine Meet & Greet, held by the Garden State Wine Growers Association (GSWGA).

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The career panel was led by journalist Robin Shreeves and featured Leigh Ann Wilson, head of winemaking and Business Development at Cedar Rose Vineyards in Millville; Jules Donnini, owner and winemaker at Auburn Road Vineyards & Winery in Pilesgrove; and Madeline Cozine, vineyard manager at Working Dog Winery in Hightstown.

Each panelist shared her story about getting into the wine industry. Robin was a high school English teacher who became interested in writing about wine after a media trip. Leigh Ann spent weekends working at a winery in PA when she wasn’t doing visual merchandising and marketing, and decided during the pandemic to quit her job and jump into wine production. Jules, an English major who pursued a law degree, agreed with her attorney husband after 9/11 that they needed to change career paths, and did the research to go from making wine at home to buying grapes, buying a farm, planting vines and then operating for sales. Madeline has a master’s degree in chemistry and explores the science of wine, such as pruning.

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The message the women agreed upon is that you don’t need to start fresh out of college. You can change careers later in life. The average age of females in the industry is 50, and many are teachers or retirees.

And, you don’t need a degree in viticulture (the harvesting of grapes) or oenology (the process of making wine) to get into the industry; you can enroll through a college course, or even do your research through books and online programs.

Not all roles have to be so heavy, either. You can run tastings at a festival, volunteer as a harvest picker, run social media pages, track inventory, plan social events or manage the wine club.

If you’re interested in a position, become a regular at the winery of your choice so you get to know everyone involved, and take a tour of different wineries to learn what goes on behind the scenes. If you’re serious and want to consider running your own wine business, you need at least 3 acres of land to be considered an agricultural property and to have enough space for the vines. There are grants available to help women, minorities, the LGBTQ+ community and veterans secure funding for their farms, businesses and equipment.

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The location of the meet-and-greet at the Alice Paul Institute in Mount Laurel has significance because Alice Paul was a Jersey native who fought for women’s right to vote. There’s a museum inside, including a photo mural of Paul toasting with a glass of wine, and a quote on the wall that reads: “I never doubted that equal rights was the right direction. … [T]o me, there is nothing complicated about ordinary equality.” Devon Perry, the executive director of the GSWGA, said this applies to women in the wine industry because “there’s a seat at the table for us.”

New Jersey has more than 60 wineries and vineyards in four distinct American Viticultural Areas: Warren Hills, the Cape May Peninsula, the Central Delaware Valley and the Outer Coastal Plain. Vineyards across New Jersey grow more than 80 grape varieties, plus several fruit wines, making New Jersey one of the top producers of wine in the country with 2 million gallons produced.

The GSWGA created a map and an app with a Passport program to make it easy to follow the locations along the Wine Trail. Special events are held annually for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and the winter holidays.

The newest initiative started in 2022 when Women in Wine decided to work on a collaborative project where different Jersey wines were blended. So far, 60 gallons have been made for the demo, and include Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Cayuga White and Chardonnay from Almathea Cellars Farm Winery in Atco and Auburn Road. The wine is available to taste only at special events, though the women are putting together a red and rose for future projects.

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