New research reveals that the glass ceiling has not yet been shattered.  Only 9.8 percent of California wineries have a woman winemaker as its lead or primary winemaker.

Who knew? The 9.8 percent statistic is surprising, a skewed perception because of the high profile of women in Sonoma and Napa.

The finding is on the new website, http://womenwinemakers.com, which offers a directory of women winemakers and research data. It answers, for the first time, the question of how many California wineries have women winemakers at the helm.

Maybe more women will follow the lead of vintners like Heidi Barrett, Merry Edwards and Carol Shelton who have their own unique way of shattering the glass ceiling – by being their own boss, with their own brand. Or others like Zelma Long who have created their own wine consulting firms.

“I am delighted about the launch of this website,” said Long, one of America’s best-known winemakers and partner for the Vilafonté project in South Africa. “It will highlight the contributions of the many women making wine … and, I hope, increase their networks and help them focus on their career paths in wine.”