The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) today announced a new partnership with Women of the Vine & Spirits designed to support the two organizations’ shared missions of engaging, facilitating development opportunities, and providing advocacy platforms for women in the alcohol beverage industry.
WSWA is the nation’s primary wholesaler advocacy group whose family-owned members represent more than 80 percent of the wine and spirits sold at wholesale in the U.S. Women of the Vine & Spirits is the world’s leading membership alliance dedicated to the support and advancement of women in the alcohol beverage industry.
Earlier this year, WSWA launched a new member-led Women’s Leadership Council. The group will develop networking and educational opportunities for association members, many of whom have previously participated in, or would benefit from, also participating in Women of the Vine & Spirits Annual Global Symposium held each March in Napa Valley. This educational and networking program is one of the industry’s most popular and widely-attended events. The partnership provides WSWA members a significant opportunity for leadership teams to educate the industry at large about the brand building and local marketing expertise provided by wholesalers.
“Women of the Vine & Spirits and the WSWA Women’s Leadership Council share an important mission: educating and empowering women leaders in the wine and spirits industry to further their careers,” said Dina Opici, President of Opici Family Distributing and Chair of the Women’s Leadership Council. “Women of the Vine & Spirits is an innovative and barrier-breaking organization that will provide important opportunities for women wholesalers and our involvement will help us fulfill the goals of the Women’s Leadership Council. We are excited about this partnership and the path we are charting together,” she added.
“Women of the Vine & Spirits shares WSWA’s dedication to support women in the wholesale tier of the wine and spirits industry,” said Deborah Brenner, Founder and President, Women of the Vine & Spirits. “Together, men and women, we strive to inspire, nurture and advance women into key leadership roles. According to IWSR, women currently make up more than half of on and off premise wine and spirits consumption in the U.S. Therefore, it makes good business sense and improves the bottom line,” she added.
“From one woman’s vision to an annual sold-out program attracting more than 650 participants, Women of the Vine & Spirits has become the go-to educational and professional development event for women across all three tiers of the beverage alcohol industry. This partnership unites two organizations with a shared vision for empowerment, education and development, and provides benefits to both wholesaler member employees as well as Women of the Vine & Spirits participants. We’re proud to support this important work and to offer the benefits of this partnership to our members,” said WSWA President and CEO, Craig Wolf.
About Women of the Vine & Spirits: Women of the Vine & Spirits is the world’s leading membership alliance dedicated to the support and advancement of women in the alcohol beverage industry. Women of the Vine & Spirits fosters collaboration and camaraderie by cultivating valuable relationships with partners that are committed to the advancement of women and ensuring the next generation is being mentored to take new leadership roles. For more information, visit www.womenofthevine.com
About WSWA: WSWA is the national trade association representing the wholesale tier of the wine and spirits industry and is dedicated to advancing the interests an independence of wholesalers as the central hub of the three-tier system. Established in 1943, WSWA’s membership includes 378 member companies in 50 states and the District of Columbia, and its members distribute more than 80 percent of wine and spirits sold at wholesale in the United States. For more information, visit www.wswa.org.