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.

DONATE TO WINE UNIFY

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.