Fermentation

Fermentation

Share this post

Fermentation
Fermentation
How Does the Wine Industry Find Diversity For Its Workforce?

How Does the Wine Industry Find Diversity For Its Workforce?

The danger of making assumptions about ethnicity

Tom Wark's avatar
Tom Wark
Apr 19, 2023
∙ Paid
3

Share this post

Fermentation
Fermentation
How Does the Wine Industry Find Diversity For Its Workforce?
7
Share

What can a person of Hispanic descent contribute to a wine company’s marketing and promotional efforts that a Black person or Asian person or a White person cannot? What is it about possessing a Hispanic background that provides a unique perspective? Is it something very specific? Do all Hispanic folks view wine in a particular way? Do they all communicate in a particular way? We could ask the same of Black, Asian, and White folks.

I kept running this over and over in my head as I read an interview with the talented Jeff O’Neill, CEO of O’Neill Vintners and Distillers. O’Neill, when asked about having a diverse workforce and supporting BIPOC youth, says the following:

“Having a diverse workforce allows us to have a broader range of ideas, solutions, and ensure our company's make up represents that of the marketplace.”

I get the second part of his response, that he’s ensuring O’Neill Vintners represents the marketplace. But I’m wondering if, for the sake of bringing a broad range of ideas and solutions to a company, aren’t you looking for a broad range of life experiences rather than a broad range of skin colors?

This post is for paid subscribers

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Tom Wark
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share