The role of women in the Centre-Loire

 You’ve said that most Centre-Loire wine estates could not operate without women. What do you mean by that?

Centre-Loire wine estates are generally small to medium sized and mostly family run. We only have two cooper­atives in the region and a handful of small négociants, who are also winegrowers themselves. Within family businesses, everyone has a role to play. Traditionally, men worked in the vineyards and cellars, while women kept the business running by handling administration, accounts and payroll. It is still true today and these women are the unsung heroes of the profession. Do not try meeting the wife of a vigneron at the end of the month: she’ll be in her office, filing administrative monthly returns and paying salaries!

But surely women are no longer confined to working behind the scenes?

Things have changed a lot. Many young women now study winemaking, often in Beaune but also in Angers or Montpellier, and when they return, they’re eager to work in the vineyards and the cellars. Some take over their family estates and put their own names on the label – something rarely seen in the past. Today, women are as well represented in the cellars of the Centre- Loire as in the offices. At Joseph Mellot, for example, we’re close to parity, with six men and five women in the cellar team during the harvest. And beyond the cellars, women play a central role in Centre-Loire wine estates, from tending the vines to marketing the wines.

 What about leadership positions?

Women are equally present there too. Virginie Bigonneau is president of the Reuilly syndicate, Katia Mauroy heads the Pouilly-Fumé syndicate and Hélène Mardon is co-president of the Quincy syndicate.

How do you support women in wine across the Centre-Loire?

The Centre-Loire is very active in this respect, but many initiatives extend beyond our region because real progress for women in wine requires collective action. I’m a member of Femmes de Vin, an organisation that brings together 250 French wine estates. It’s structured into 10 regional associations, and ours is called Dames de Coeur de Loire. Our goal is to encourage solidarity, mutual support and knowledge sharing among women in the wine industry – and inspire others to join us!

We also work to raise awareness of career opportunities in wine, starting with children. It’s important to make sure girls don’t feel discouraged from entering professions that were once seen as “men’s work”.