On International Women’s Day every year, the voices and stories of women across the world are celebrated, as we address the issues that cause gender inequality and diversity. But despite these issues remaining, such voices and stories take a backseat once the day is done.
We think it’s worth doing the opposite and actively challenging the issues that create these gaps in our industry, which is why we launched our weekly Wednesday Women series, where we profile the stories of the inspiring women in this great and wide industry.
At Vinexpo Asia 2025 The Shout sat down with Jennifer Docherty MW – the first ethnically Chinese person to have earned a masters in wine. Docherty is a freelance educator, judge, and wine communicator with the goal of promoting the joy of wine in the developing Asian market.
Docherty appeared on the panel of two academy sessions at Vinexpo Asia, addressing full crowds.
“There has been such a great turnout and it’s been wonderful to see so many curious and engaged people,” Docherty said.
With 16 years of experience in the wine industry, primarily as a buyer and educator in the UK, Hong Kong, and mainland China, Docherty’s career has taken many turns. She said each pivot was guided by passion and a desire to pursue something that is at the pinnacle of what she believed she could achieve.
“I love food. I’ve always loved food so I would go to these amazing restaurants and order a tasting menu and ask for the wine pairing. Then a sommelier would come and explain each glass and I just fell in love. I was so fascinated by it, so I started studying WSET courses,” she told The Shout.
Motivated by her father holding a PHD and a longstanding belief that she would never be able to achieve the same, she decided to pursue the top qualification.
“I thought it was impossible for me. I went to fashion school, but I wasn’t very academically inclined. Someone told me, ‘It’s the Everest of wine’. I thought, ‘why not give it a go’,” she said.
Entering the world of wine
Docherty achieved her goal in 2015 becoming the first ethnically Chinese and Mandarin speaking person and one of only 425 individuals worldwide to have earned a Masters in Wine – an experience that she said taught her more than expected about herself.
“It was so personally fulfilling. I went from knowing nothing about wine to doing this and achieving it. There were two things it taught me: One, how to fail. I failed, twice and that was a hard pill to swallow; and two, it taught me that if you put your heart into something, that you could achieve anything.”
Taking those lessons into her early career helped shape Docherty’s mindset and persistence when faced with challenges.
“I was very lucky because my first language was English. I grew up in Canada so even though I look Chinese, and I am ethnically Chinese, I feel Canadian. But I think the most difficult barrier that someone Chinese would come across is language.
“When I started off my wine career, being Asian and a woman working as a buyer, it did have its challenges. Sometimes people didn’t want to talk to me but would gladly speak to a white person or male. But you just keep going and persist as best you can.”
Docherty told The Shout she is positive about the direction of the industry and attitudes towards diversity.
“I would hope there is less of a gender barrier for women in wine now. I really think that women should no longer be afraid of going after whatever we want. We can face any barriers head on. I certainly did.”
Inclusion in wine
Her advice for anyone thinking about a career in wine is to get over the first hurdle and apply for jobs.
“Sometimes the barrier is that we undermine our abilities, believe that we’re not qualified or good enough. You know what? I’ve applied for so many jobs I’m not qualified for. It doesn’t matter. Someone may see something in your CV that’s different or special. Aim for something above what you think you can achieve, and you might just surprise yourself.”
Looking ahead, Docherty said she hopes to see a focus on inclusion for all people in wine, including consumers.
“I want to focus on how we get everybody feeling like they can jump on board, that wine isn’t snobby, and it’s not ‘hoity toity’. Sometimes I get upset about that, because I want to share with people this intense joy that wine has brought me. But I can also understand how some people face barriers to entry.
Her solution starts with simplifying language.
“I think it’s all about using language and talking about wine in a way that’s much easier to understand. I think the toughest thing about the wine industry is that we can make things too complicated.”
For fun, Docherty has started using emojis to rate wines on her social media with the hope that it may resonate with her audience.
“A house emoji is easy-drinking wine. A disco ball is getting more into a party and celebrating. The rocket ship is for the wines that take you to the moon they’re so good. The desert island wines are expensive and rare; you’re not drinking all the time.
“By breaking it down into simple categories, people have a visual cue about which wines suit their needs and wants, instead of complicated analysis that consumers might find difficult to understand.”
Celebrating wine in Asia
In 2018 Docherty moved to Hong Kong to be closer to the dynamic Asian wine market.
“I also wanted to get to know my culture more than I ever had growing up in Canada. At the same time, I like to think that I can contribute some of my roots and the enjoyment of wine in everyday life and instil that over here,” she said.
Over the years, using her expertise and her understanding of western culture has allowed Docherty to connect with and educate her Asian audiences both in person and online.
“I try and share online the occasions that I’m drinking wine and how it’s intertwined into my life. We need more occasions in Asia to drink wine, whereas in the Western world, we get home from work, we pour a glass of wine. We go camping, we go on a picinic, we go to a concert, we bring wine. Wine is everywhere and I want to keep working to ensure that we see that here.”
