A Female Generation Assumes the Reins – 632 Years in the Making
There has been a sea change in gender roles in winery management over the past 25 five years. The role of women as head winemakers has been slowly expanding. Most importantly, the perception of women as qualified wine professionals has finally been advancing to a reality.
In my opinion, the country that has fostered the advancement of women in prominent roles in the worldwide wine industry, including those in the most esteemed position – winemaker – is the United States.
One reason for this change is the rise of highly qualified female professionals. But another important element is the relatively young wine industry in our country, and the concomitant lack of generational succession. Today, women winemakers have risen to head 10 percent of California wineries.
In my opinion, the wine regions that have least fostered the advancement of women is Western Europe. The wine culture of family wineries in Western Europe is steeped in a tradition of male inheritance and female discrimination. There are wineries that have been owned and operated by the same family for centuries. The mantle of winemaker has been passed down to the first-born male in each successive generation.
Culture and tradition are difficult to change. Until recently.
A woman will assume the helm of one of the most famous, and one of the oldest, Italian family-run wine businesses. Albiera Antinori, 50, one of three daughters of Piero Antinori, the 26th generation of Antinoris, has finally broken through the glass ceiling of Western European winemakers – and business leaders. She will become the chief executive officer this month.
How significant is this achievement? Perhaps a bit of the history of this winery is in order.
In 1385, Giovanni de Piero Antinori began a small family wine business in Tuscany. Today, the 26th generation descendant, Marchese Piero Antinori, leads the business. Piero’s influence is legendary. He has successfully expanded beyond the ancestral power base of Tuscany into nearly all of the principal wine regions in Italy as well as Chile, Hungary, Malta, Hungary, California and Washington State.
But even the Marchese’s prowess and insights could not prepare him for the two threats that arose during his tenure – each of which could have meant the demise of the 632-year-old family business.
In 1966, Piero’s father retired, turning over the reins to him, leaving 27-year-old Piero to manage the complex operation by himself. The young and inexperienced Piero was overwhelmed. In 1983, seeking a guiding hand, he sold a minority interest in the family business. Alas, this was not the solution and the business began to suffer.
Further compounding Piero’s problem was the influence of an Italian tradition: the role of women in business.
From the first family patriarch to Marchese Piero, every successive generation of leaders was a male. Women simply were not considered for leadership roles. Piero was the proud father of three girls – and no boys. Strongly influenced by Italian tradition, he faced a dilemma.
The family business was on the brink of breaking its six-century legacy of family ownership.
Piero continued to operate under corporate influence for eight untenable, stressful years. In 1991, he made two difficult decisions: buy back full control of the family business and accept his daughters into the business.
But his three young daughters had never expressed an interest in being part of the family business.
As 21st century women, they were pursuing other interests. Piero would not and could not dictate his daughters’ career choices, but he hoped that the example he set and the long heritage of the family business would influence them.
Fast forward to 2010: the daughters had a change of heart and immersed themselves in the family business. When the family announced the succession in leadership last week, it seemed like the natural changing of the guard.
Upon her appointment, Albiera told Wine Enthusiast magazine, “It is important that these decisions are made with the eyes of a generation before and maybe perhaps with the eyes of a future generation also. There has to be respect for the generation after as well as respect for the ones before.”
Nick Antonaccio is a 40-year Pleasantville resident. For over 20 years he has conducted wine tastings and lectures. Nick is a member of the Wine Media Guild of wine writers. He also offers personalized wine tastings and wine travel services. Nick’s credo: continuous experimenting results in instinctive behavior. You can reach him at nantonaccio@theexaminernews.com or on Twitter @sharingwine.
