Diversity and inclusion matter - not only in wine but in life. Diversity, representation, and inclusion are key tenets of humanity all necessary to ensure we, as people, have a place and a purpose in this world. There are many ways in which you can support diversity and inclusion. My favorite way is to find and support Black-owned wineries.
With 11,000 wineries in the U.S., there aren’t too many diverse options to choose from. According to Wine & Spirits Magazine, less than 1% of wineries are Black-owned, which significantly limits representation and inclusion within the wine industry.
I am an advocate in doing my part to create space for diversity and inclusion in the wine industry, particularly for Black, BIPOC, and underrepresented communities. Bringing awareness to finding and supporting Black-owned wineries has been important to me since I first started offering wine education and tasting experiences, and I’m eager to see more people discover the amazing, diverse wineries owned by underrepresented groups.
Ensuring that BIPOC wine professionals have access to wine sampling opportunities, interview requests, and press trip invitations is important. Using Julia Coney’s Black Wine Professionals website is a great resource for finding those professionals.
