Support Black Wine Excellence
We’ve seen a lot of lists lately. How to educate ourselves, who to donate to, petitions to sign, representatives to call. I’ve also seen a number of Black Owned Businesses lists floating around so we can get that support out there and get some immediate satisfaction in return. I love that Postmates and Yelp have a feature to filter by Black Owned Businesses. The other day, in my quest for new wine to try while still following Stay at Home orders, I googled, “Black Owned Wineries.” The Wine Enthusiast delivered with a global list. Check it out here.
Wade Cellars
Earlier in quarantine, again, in my quest for new wine to try during the COVID shutdown, I remembered that Dwyane Wade had his own wine. I’m a super fan of Gabrielle Union and I’ve definitely seen some posts about Wade Cellars. I perused and decided on his Three by Wade lineup pack which included a bottle each of the rosé, blanc, and red blend. I certainly enjoy rosés this time of year and I really loved the Three by Wade Rosé, in fact, it has actually turned out to be my favorite rosé I’ve tried so far this year—super light, crisp, and perfectly refreshing. We haven’t opened the white or red yet, but looking forward to another smooth glass. Check out Wade Cellars here.
McBride Sisters
I’ve bookmarked the Wine Enthusiast list, but in my initial perusal I was looking for some crisp whites—I love marlboroughs in the summer—or fun bubbles. Hey, it’s officially summertime. And that’s how I found the McBride Sisters who happen to have started the largest Black-owned wine company in the country. They also have a really unique story—two sisters growing up not knowing the other existed for nearly half their lives, one in the wine regions of Monterrey, California and the other in Marlborough, New Zealand. When they eventually found their way to each other and met in 1999, they discovered their shared passions for wine and created the McBride Sisters Wine Collection to unite their parallel lives and shared affections. I’m currently waiting for my delivery of Black Girl Magic California Rosé, New Zealand Sparkling Brut Rosé, and, of course, their Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Check out their story and the rest of their wines here.
Something else awesome about the McBride Sisters? They’re establishing a fund to help black-female-owned small businesses survive and thrive for the rest of 2020. COVID-19 hit black-owned businesses particularly hard:
At the beginning of February there were more than 1 million black-owned businesses in the U.S. By mid-April, 440,000 or 41% of black businesses had shuttered. By comparison, 17% of white-owned businesses closed during the same period.
This program will help black female owned businesses thrive in a post-quarantine world.
La Fête
And because I love trying and finding new rosés, I’m also waiting for a delivery of three bottles of La Fête du Rosé which translates to, “The Rosé Party.” French rosés are typically my favorites, but what really drew me to La Fête was how much they give back. Since the company’s inception, a portion of proceeds from every single bottle has gone and will continue to go to programs that send minority, low-income youths on global travel adventures that help them develop language and leadership skills and grow as global individuals. On top of that, they are now also donating $2 of every bottle purchased on their website to organizations fighting for racial justice as well as other organizations that help minorities pursuing a career in the wine industry. So, by purchasing a bottle of rosé from La Fête, you’re not only supporting a black-owned business, but you’re also helping deserving youth grow and thrive, fighting racial injustice, and contributing to minorities pursuing a career they might not have thought possible. Win-Win-Win-Win. Get your bottle (or three) here.
Those are just three of the many, many black-owned wine labels from the Wine Enthusiast list. Which do you like? What’s not on the list that we need to try?
Cheers!