Diversity Matters

My “why” in the world of wine is simple. I strive for people to have fun with wine. In whatever way I am communicating, my goals are to help people drink better and up their wine game. With that being said, I am trying to do my part in diversifying the wine space and making room for the black and BIPOC community. A sommelier wine tasting party with me means you’ll be introduced to several black-owned wineries.

When I am given a wine sampling opportunity, interview opportunity, or a press trip invitation, I confirm that the PR firm has invited BIPOC wine professionals. I have been using Julia Coney’s Black Wine Professionals website as a resource for finding those professionals (i.e. writers, sommeliers, educators, consultants, etc).

Premier Wine Education Online

In the spirit of giving back, which is a value that my grandmother worked so hard to instill in me, I am donating 10% of proceeds from ALL of my Virtual Vino online tastings to Wine Unify.

The Mission of Wine Unify:

Obstacles to wine education include funding, mentorship, and/or a general feeling of exclusion. Wine Unify seeks to unite all three by way of several sponsored funding initiatives for underrepresented minorities intended to:

• Firstly, WELCOME those who have an interest in wine but do not currently work in the field.
• Secondly, ELEVATE and support the careers of existing wine industry professionals of color who seek further education.
• In addition, AMPLIFY the diverse voices of professionals, who are they themselves underrepresented minorities, that currently exist within the wine industry.

If you’d like to make a donation to Wine Unify, please click the button below.

Diversifying the Wine Industry

Going back to my tenet of supporting black-owned businesses, below is a list of black-owned wineries. The focus is here in the United States, but some international wineries are listed as well. Support a black owned winery with a simple bottle purchase or consider swapping out one of your wine clubs and joining one of these clubs instead.

Support a Black-Owned Winery in Your Area