*This post was originally published on April 15, 2022. Brianne Cohen, certified sommelier and wine expert, is the principal in a lifestyle brand and business based out of Los Angeles, offering her services as an event producer, wine educator, and wine writer. She was recently asked by Pix to share one of her favorite California Black-owned wineries. “Theodora Lee was a senior partner and trial lawyer in San Francisco for many years before becoming a winemaker and opening up her winery Theopolis Vineyards in Yorkville Highlands, near the border of Mendocino and Sonoma, in 2003. Working with Petite Sirah may be Lee’s true calling, according to Brianne Cohen, a sommelier and wine educator in Los Angeles. Theopolis’ Petite Sirah comes highly recommended as it is a multi-award winner and has consistently received high scores from critics since its first vintage in 2006. “Serving dried herbal notes and velvety tannins, this exceptional wine has racked up more medals than Theodora can count,” Cohen says.” Since COVID hit, Brianne has educated and entertained over 6,000 people through her “Virtual Vino” online wine classes, both public and private. Brianne regularly judges at international wine competitions and holds the WSET Diploma certificate, which is one of the most coveted and difficult wine certifications. She also holds a Master of Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University and has been quoted in outlets such as Wine Enthusiast, Vinepair, HuffPost, Forbes, and Eating Well. In her virtual and in-person wine experiences, Brianne strives to highlight Black-owned wineries and other diverse owned (BIPOC, LGBT, minority, and female) wineries, chocolatiers, and cheese mongers. Read the full article, including other pioneering Black-owned wineries and winemakers at the link here.
