Opera House to host International Women's Day events

Sydney Opera House will host a pair of events to mark International Women’s Day 2025.

The Trippas White Group will run The Pairing of Power: Women Revolutionising Food & Wine and Table Talk: All About Women Dinner.

These events, hosted within the iconic venue on March 8 and 9, will honour the creativity, resilience, and achievements of trailblazing women in food and wine.

Petra Orrenius, Chief Marketing Officer, Trippas White Group, said: “We are immensely proud to host these two exceptional events celebrating International Women’s Day at Sydney Opera House. 

"Both The Pairing of Power and Table Talk showcase the extraordinary talent and creativity of women in the food and wine industries.

"We hope these events not only highlight their achievements but also foster a sense of community and purpose, offering attendees the opportunity to experience extraordinary wines, delicious food, and breathtaking views while supporting causes that drive meaningful change.”

The Pairing of Power gathering will features a line-up of 15 female winemakers and industry innovators from across Australia. The ticketed event will see guests enjoy wine tastings from all 15 while enjoying live music, and canapes curated by the culinary director of the Opera House event venues, Danielle Alvarez.

Tickets are priced at $99, with a portion of proceeds supporting the Women and Revolution, an organisation that works to overcome barriers to gender equality in the wine industry.

Star power includes Nadja Wallington (ChaLou Estate), Kathleen Quealy (Quealy Wines), Gwyn Olsen (Henschke) and Corrina Wright (Oliver’s Taranga).

Tickets here: https://trippaswhitegroup.com.au/whats-on/international-womans-day/

Table Talk offers just 20 guests the rare opportunity to enjoy a three-course dinner with wine pairings curated by Alvarez, and sixth-generation member of the Henschke wine family, Justine Henschke.

See https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/experiences/all-about-women-dinner

Wine industry looks to boost gender equality/diversity

The Australian wine industry is launching a new survey to investigate the state of gender equality, and to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for progress in the grape and wine sector.

The collaborative effort is being run by Australian Grape & Wine’s Diversity, Equality and Inclusion in Wine (DEIW) committee and is funded by Wine Australia.

Research will be undertaken by Charles Sturt University and the University of New South Wales.

The research team will engage wine and grape sector stakeholders to identify recommendations and develop a practical toolkit for businesses and sector organisations, translating best practices and innovative ideas for gender equality, into actionable steps.

There's a whole lot of politically correct jargon in that one sentence, but hopefully the sentiment is serious.

Wine Australia Chief Executive Officer Martin Cole said the study will help the sector tap the depth of diversity across the breadth of the sector’s value chain. Yikes.

“Achieving long-term sector profitability, resilience and sustainability means we must have the best people at the table," Cole said. "A vibrant future demands we look to broaden the expertise, experience and perspectives of those at decision-making tables across the value chain.

Gender equality and diversity were identified by the sector as a priority through recent consultation for the One Grape & Wine Sector Plan.

“This research project will build on efforts made by the sector in recent years, recognising the need to progress these, providing evidence-based support for ongoing improvement,” Cole said.

“Our goal is to equip the sector with practical resources to be more inclusive, fostering equality and diversity to strengthen business and sector performance.”

Australian Grape & Wine DEIW committee chair Ali Laslett said the grape and wine sector was a significant employer in regional areas and had shown commitment to increasing gender equality.

“Promoting gender equality aligns with the strategic priorities of many primary industries," she said.

"The DEIW committee identified several initiatives in our workplan, and we are delighted that our recommendation to provide practical resources for all businesses within the sector will be realised through this project.

"Our sector’s future success is built on practices that support and retain a diverse workforce.”