The omnipresent question of how to find "balance" between work and personal life is certainly not unique to the wine industry. But many women in wine find it particularly pressing: As a gender we're socially conditioned to be agreeable and complying with requests, and we work in an industry aptly referred to as hospitality. What's more, much of our work takes place during nights and weekends, and there's a heavy crossover for most of us between our hobbies and professions (both of which usually involve drinking wine!). Try to throw children into the equation, and we feel especially challenged... to put it very lightly.

This panel digs into the highly ambiguous and hotly debated notion of WORK/LIFE BALANCE. What is it, anyway? Is such a thing remotely possible to achieve?

To try and answer these questions, I had the great privilege of introducing my panelists: Shelley Lindgren, wine director and co-owner of SPQR and the A16 group of restaurants; Deborah Parker Wong, Global Wine Editor of SOMM Journal and Senior Editor of Slow Wine Guide, California; Alvetta Embry, sales representative and account manager; and Diana Snowden-Seysses, winemaker in California, Burgundy and southern France.

In the conversation, we get advice from each panelist about what they wish someone had told them when they first started in this business. Then we hear about times when they set boundaries or managed expectations well versus a time when they failed to do so and were confronted with unrealistic expectations. We discuss the unique aspects of our specific industry that make the notion of balance particularly challenging, outline the tools and support systems that have enabled us to achieve greater balance, and finally we address how we might explicitly build flexibility or systems into the wine industry that would encourage better balance for everyone. Enjoy the audio, and feel free to post your own comments about finding balance below!

- Stevie

To help us create more great events and future content like this, pledge your support!

Featured

Shelley Lindgren, wine director & co-owner

Shelley Lindgren is the Wine Director/Co-Owner at A16, SPQR & A16 Rockridge Restaurants in the Bay Area. Her reputation for seeking out Italian wines made with lesser-known grapes has earned her recognition as a wine pioneer. As a member of Les Dames d’ Escoffier, Lindgren stays involved with San Francisco’s food community. She has taught at the Culinary Institute of America, and is a regular instructor at Tante Marie. Lindgren’s first book, A16 Food + Wine, was awarded Cookbook of the Year and First Book/The Julia Child Award at the prestigious 2009 IACP Cookbook Awards. She has been named Best New Sommelier from Wine & Spirits, Best Wine Director in San Francisco Magazine, has been awarded for Best Wine Service in 2015 by the James Beard Foundation, and has received countless other awards.

Alvetta Embry, sales representative & account manager

Alvetta grew up in Atlanta and graduated with a B.S. in Hotel/Restaurant Management from Georgia Southern University. Over the years, she fell more in love with wine as her knowledge expanded and palate developed. In the fall of 2014, she decided to dedicate her career to the wine business and headed to California to be close to some of the best wine regions in the world. She currently hosts a variety of positions in the industry from wine sales rep to private winery tour guide to sommelier and consultant. She lives in Oakland with her dogs who never let her drink alone!

Deborah Parker Wong, DipWSET, journalist & presenter

Deborah Parker Wong, DipWSET, is an opinion-leading communicator, journalist and author who specializes in the wine and spirits industries. She is the Global Wine Editor for The Tasting Panel, SOMM Journal and Clever Root magazines; the co-author of “1000 Great Everyday Wines;” and a contributor to industry trade publications including the former Vineyard and Winery Management Magazine, Spirited and Drinks Business which you will find posted to her archive site www.deborahparkerwong.com. In addition to her work as a journalist, Deborah is an adjunct professor in the wine studies program at Santa Rosa Junior College and offers private certification courses as an approved program provider for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Diana Snowden Seysses, winemaker

Diana graduated from the Viticulture & Enology program at UC Davis in 2001, then worked in both California and French cellars with Robert Mondavi Winery, Mumm Napa, the Araujo Estate, Château La Fleur de Boüard, Domaine Leflaive and Ramey Wine Cellars. By 2003, Diana had become enologist at Domaine Dujac in Burgundy, and consultant at Domaine de Triennes in Provence; in 2005 she became winemaker at Snowden Vineyards.