How Does the Wine Industry Find Diversity For Its Workforce?

The danger of making assumptions about ethnicity

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?