The first phase focused on listening wine professionals that identified what they need: common definitions for grey zone behaviors, accessible channels for raising concerns, and guidance tailored to contexts like trade fairs, tastings, and harvest periods. These priorities are now shaping how the Observatory will collect and present information. By May 2026, the first version of the platform will go live. Three types of content will be available: data on how widespread workplace inequality is across European wine regions, a directory of support services and local actors, and documented cases showing how companies have responded when problems emerged. The ambition is a resource that vineyard owners, HR managers, cooperative boards, and trade associations can actually use.
Before that launch, Grapes of Change will collect anonymous feedback from more than 250 wine professionals across seven countries on how they perceive and handle workplace risks. The value lies in the aggregate picture, the first of its kind for this sector.
Timing matters. The EU adopted a directive in 2024 requiring employers to train supervisors on recognizing and addressing harassment. Member states must transpose it into national law by 2027. Most wine businesses have not started preparing. The materials emerging from Grapes of Change are designed for exactly this moment: practical, built around how the wine sector actually operates, available in the languages where they’re needed.
For those reading this newsletter, engagement pathways are open. Grapes of Change work will only matter if the sector makes it its own. Producers, cooperatives, trade bodies, and associations who want to be part of building these resources rather than just receiving them can join through the “get involved” section of the website.