Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/960891
DEPARTMENT HEADER 84 / the tasting panel / april 2018 Amy Bess Cook is the creator of Women- Owned Wineries, an initiative promoting the work of female winemakers. T he Tasting Panel has always aimed to reflect open and inclusive perspectives on the pages of our magazine, but we can always do better. Tasting Inclusion, our newest column, hopes to help fill a void in our industry by highlighting the diverse individuals and companies changing the face of wine and spirits. The world is connected now more than ever, and at the same time, it feels equally as divided. While wine and cocktail lists reflect global diversity, representation of the people in our industry largely does not. Many people of color don't feel welcome or accepted—professionally or personally—and this needs to change. I'm Julia Coney, a wine and lifestyle writer based in the Washington, D.C. area. When I entered the industry, I expected the same communal feeling I experience while drinking wine with others would also exist on the other side of the glass. It didn't. Tasting Inclusion OUR NEW COLUMN EXPLORES INITIATIVES FURTHERING WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THE WINE AND SPIRITS INDUSTRY by Julia Coney PHOTO: NICOLE MCCONVILLE PHOTO: JUAN ANTHONY Chicago-based Causing a Stir, the brainchild of Ariel E. Neal and Alexis Brown (pictured), hosts a wide- ranging lineup of events that aim to create a space for women and people of color to discuss issues surrounding representation in the industry. DIVERSITY