Summary: 

Wine has, since its discovery in Neolithic times, been one of the most powerful tools at human disposal for alleviating physical and emotional suffering. It is no surprise that wine has also historically been one of the Western Civilization's most important trade commodities, a driving force of culture, politics, war, art, and spirituality. It is therefore only natural that gender politics would play a huge role in the history of such a powerful commodity.

This master class will explore the roles and contributions of women in the wine trade from antiquity to the present, the systematic political and social obstacles faced by women, and how women have overcome to make significant and meaningful contributions. Through examining the history and the structural framework of our society we can be guided into a more vibrant and inclusive present and future for women in wine!

Presenter: Tanya Morning Star

Tanya Morning Star is a full-time wine educator with nearly 3 decades of industry experience. Her school Cellar Muse is the approved program provider for Wine Scholar Certifications (French, Italian, and Spanish) in the Seattle area. She also teaches WSET coursework and is Faculty at the Northwest Wine Academy at South Seattle College.

Tanya has a background in art history and the history of the theatre through her undergraduate work at Sorbonne and New York University. Tanya has always sought to find deeper context and meaning through her work, and to connect her work in wine to her passion for culture, food, and storytelling. Studying history has always been a natural extension of those pursuits and her personal passion.

Since 2012, Tanya has been a professor of Wine History at South Seattle College, where she developed two, three-credit college courses collectively covering the history of wine from Antiquity to the Modern Age. Through developing and teaching these courses over the years, Tanya became acutely aware of the greater politics of gender inequity in Western Civilization as it plays out in the story of wine. She also became keen on understanding the systemic nature of exclusion towards women in the world of wine and deeply drawn towards the amazing stories of Women’s successes, triumphs, and contributions throughout wine history. This lecture represents some of the highlights of this journey.