Wine talk: Women doing wine right

• Author: ADAM MONTEFIORE
• Published date: 30 September 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

In the production part of the winery, rabbis discouraged it so as not to distract from the spirituality of the men workers, even though there was nothing in Halacha to prevent it. On the sales side, it was also men only, because selling and schmoozing and occasionally lifting cases was seen as a man thing. While in the vineyard, where the work was physical, the very idea of women working was a definite no-no.

All that changed gradually over the last 40 years, and thankfully we live today in a different world. Women are Masters of Wine, famous sommeliers, winemakers, viticulturists and winery CEOs. Winery offices, wine stores and restaurants are full of female wine professionals.

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In Israel, the pioneers in my mind are Tali Sandovski, winemaker of the Golan Heights Winery since 1986, and the late Carmi Lebenstein, sales and marketing manager of Carmel Mizrahi in the 1990s. Their success then should not be taken for granted today. It was far from a given that a woman could succeed in a chauvinist man's world, and be given credit for the quality of their work, rather than standing out because of their gender.

Today we are in a different place entirely. The Golan Heights Winery employs three woman winemakers, and Barkan has two! The Golan Heights Winery & Carmel have both had female CEOs. Today the most prominent people marketing Israeli wines overseas are Dorit Ben Simon (Barkan-Segal), Etti Edri (Carmel-Yatir) & Yael Gai (Golan Heights Winery-Galil Mountain).

Possibly our most famous sommelier in Israel today is Mor Bernstein, winner of Pras Yarden (the Yarden Award for Wine Service). Shali Shalit Shoval is CEO of Domaine du Castel, one of our leading wineries. Michal Akerman is CEO & viticulturist of Tabor Winery, the fifth-largest winery in the country. Sharona Belogolovsky is owner-CEO of Vitkin Winery, one of our best small wineries. Nitzan Swersky of the tiny Ahat Winery is one of our finest winemakers. Winemaker-educator Roni Saslove is turning into our leading media wine personality. One of the most active and effective wine consultants, specializing in tourism and the business of wine, is Ilanit Tzemach.

Is it right to qualify each statement by explaining they are all women? It is rather demeaning to say "she is a great sommelier, especially as she is a woman." No, she is a great sommelier, period. Their success is...