A new bar coming to London will promote women in the wine industry

A new bar has opened in Covent Garden celebrating women in the historically male-dominated wine industry.

Lady of the Grapes, a wine bar, restaurant and shop opening in July 2018, will showcase wines made predominately by female winemakers.

Owner of the bar in Maiden Lane, 33-year-old Parisian Carole Bryon, believes women are still hugely under represented in the wine industry. She has launched a campaign on Crowdfunder to raise the capital required for the new venture, with a target of £25,000.

“When I first started in the industry I realised there were not a lot of women so I want to support all women in wine from the vineyard to the shop,” Bryon said.

“I want to champion women in the wine trade and make them more visible through our wine list, because it’s not just men who make wine.”

Lady of the Grapes will have 29 covers and a wine list featuring 80 wines, 15 of which will be available by the glass and all of which will be organic, biodynamic or natural.

Bryon, who worked as an art director in various advertising agencies before running The Grocery Wine Vault shop in Shoreditch, said that due to the rise in popularity of natural and biodynamic wines in recent years, transparency in the industry is more important than ever.

“It’s important to offer transparency with what is in wine.”

“As there are no ingredients listed on the back of the bottle, like with other edible products, I think certification is important. Customers can rely on this and we all know organic, biodynamic and natural wines are healthier for the people drinking it and for the producer making it.”

The organic menu has been designed by chef and restaurateur Victor Garvey, chef and owner of the Catalan restaurant Rambla in Soho and cheese and wine restaurant Sibarita in Covent Garden. Lady of the Grapes is located on the site of his first London restaurant Encant, which closed earlier this year.