About Venus Vinifera
Venus Vinifera is a collective of drink minded women. Our vision is to improve the education and community for women in wine, spirits and beer.
Our Story
Venus Vinifera began as a small group of women sharing bottles that we loved together after our founder Caitlin Baker was invited to join a similar group by her friends in Sydney.
It has grown to be a formalised education platform for all women (including AFAB, non-binary and those with trans experience) with a focus on wine, spirits, beer & general hospitality. We offer a variety of classes each year, with various guest speakers and hosts.
VV is for not just for those who work in hospitality, but for any woman who wants the chance to learn more and be part of a supportive and safe community.
So far we have had multiple wine sessions taught by Sommelier Freddie Raimbaud (Dan Murphys) and spirit masterclasses by Lucy Pallett-Jones (Spirits Platform). Check out our calendar to see what we are up to next.
We have a dedicated board who work in the community, these women come from all sorts of highly rated venues in Canberra including Aubergine, Bar Rochford and Pilot.
You can read more about what we do in the following published articles.
Our Mission
We are a collective of drink minded women.
Our Vision
To improve the education and community for women in wine, spirits and beer.
Our Values
-
- inclusive
- supportive
- education
- safe
- respect
- nurture
- community building
- exciting
- sustainable
- fun
- transparent
Our Board
Caitlin (She/Her)
Director
I have been working fulltime in hospitality pretty much since leaving school, from working at Parliament House, to cafes and lots of different styles of restaurants both in Canberra and abroad. I got into wine about 5 years ago and have been on a journey of learning ever since. Venus Vinifera is something I wish I had when I was starting to write my own winelists in a world where it felt like I had no one, like me, to look up to.
Currently managing Aubergine has made wine less of a focus of my job, but starting VV has helped me to keep growing and also helping the next generation of women to develop and build the knowledge they need. We have such a diverse community here in Canberra and we are so lucky to be able to create this platform of inclusivity and safety.
I am so grateful for the entire team behind VV, who saw my vision and have been instrumental in making it happen. The Canberra community is definitely the best I have ever had the privilege to work in.
Aishlinn (She/Her)
Secretary
Hi, I am Ash! I’m currently based in Sydney and work between jobs at Automata and P&V Merchants. I landed in Canberra’s hospitality scene around three years ago, when I started working at Pilot in Ainslie. There I had the privilege of working for an amazing team who supported and trained me from the ground up, while connecting me with an incredible wider community.
The relationships, resources and overall accessibility of Venus Vinifera (as well as Canberra hospo on the whole) has been a game changer in my wine journey and education, something I’ve been further pursuing since moving to Sydney. It wasn’t very long ago that understanding service, wine and spirits felt out of reach, and I’m grateful to the people who made it something I could take part in. I’m looking forward to giving back, and continuing to contribute to VV in my role as secretary.
Becky (She/Her)
Treasurer
I started my career in corporate and quickly realised that it wasn’t for me. Growing up working in a family style restaurant I realised I had a passion for food and culture. I started working for a food franchise company as their finance officer to slowly transition into the food business. Walking into that job interview I said I’d like to own my own store one day and was fortunately given the opportunity to open my first business at 24. It has been a steep learning curve ever since.
I have always loved exploring venues with good food and drinks and it was the dream to open up my own one day. Zaab was a dream project that came to fruition before I had any knowledge of alcohol or higher end style of service. Initially I found the industry very intimidating as it was a male dominant industry but I took a leap of faith and it has paid off.
I am proud to be a part of VV not only to keep learning about everything industry related from my peers but to also hopefully pass on any of the experiences that I’ve gained along my journey so far. I’m excited to be working with a team of knowledgeable and wonderful people.
Mim (She/Her)
Education & Events
Hi there, my name is Mim Azzubair. I started learning about wine a very long time ago, as my whole family is in hospo. I remember sitting at the bar eating olives and anchovies while my dad and godfather set up their restaurant. My first job as an adult working with wine was at Belles Hot Chicken in Melbourne. I was the assistant venue manager and worked a lot with training staff.
I moved to Canberra after that and have worked at Bar Rochford since then as a floor manager.
I’ve been lucky as I’ve grown up with wine. I’m passionate, however, about breaking down the boys’ club that tends to encapsulate the wine industry. So many people are scared of getting involved with wine either from an enjoyment perspective or a vocational perspective because information and education tends to be few and far between. I want to help women create experiences with wine that aren’t dominated by the people who make it difficult to learn. I want wine to be an enjoyable facet of life, rather than a gatekept subject only the few are allowed to experience.
Georgie (She/Her)
Education & Events
Transitioning to Bar Rochford, an epicentre of diverse wine, I completely altered my stance on the accessibility of wine.
Epitomising the best parts of hospitality, namely wildly talented and lovely staff, the venue has introduced me to the complexities of the winemaking process, such as the importance of terroir, without any sense of informational barriers.
Lucy (She/Her)
Education & Events
I’ve been in the liquids game for around 10 years now, as a bartender, educator and a brand representative. My heart is in the science and flavour of spirits, and educating others. I’m particularly interested in ‘radical’ ideas and methods in the production of booze.
My role with Venus Vinifera is Spirits Events and Education, but also as a member who is hungry to understand production and flavour. I want to empower women in Canberra with such a complex level of knowledge that customers, producers and colleagues alike won’t know what hit ‘em.
Emily (She/Her)
Social Media & Website Manager
I’ve worked in a bunch of different hospitality jobs over the last 5 years while I’ve been studying. I love the fast-paced environment and the community of hospo. In the last couple of years moving from catering to restaurants, I have grown an interest in wine and cocktails, and had the pleasure of learning so much from the people around me.
I started attending events at Venus Vinifera from recommendation from a friend and find the events so interesting! The people running them are always so inclusive and knowledgeable and its great having that opportunity for furthering my alcohol knowledge. I’m so excited to help out with social media for this amazing group!
Get Involved
Membership of Venus Vinifera is available to all women, including (AFAB, non-binary and those with trans experience), with a focus on wine, spirits, beer and general hospitality. We’re for any woman who wants the chance to learn more and be part of a supportive and safe community, not just for those in the hospitality industry.