We’ve loved featuring Black-owned and Black-produced wines all month, but February can not be the only time we (or you) call attention to the talented Black winemakers and producers in this white-male dominated industry. Make it your mission to learn more about the makers of your favorite vino and to expand your collection of go-tos to include wine by minority makers.
How do you do this, you ask? We have a few tips:
🍇 Bookmark any of our pairings from the past month that stood out to you and inquire about these bottles at your local store. Even if they don’t have something in stock, you may be surprised to find many shop owners are always on the hunt for great new offerings. You could help pave their way!
🍇 Visit The Urban Grape (in person if you’re in Boston or online from anywhere) and peruse their BIPOC collection – it is large and ever growing. They also have great female-produced, LGBTQ-produced, organic/biodynamic, and minimal intervention collections so you can shop consciously in any way that matters to you. Founders TJ and Hadley Douglas also wrote a book called Drink Progressively that organizes wines by body, which can give you a better sense for what a wine will be like before you’ve tried it. In their store, if you see a bottle you know you like, odds are good that you’ll enjoy the wine immediately next to it based on their similarity – even if the latter is of a totally different varietal and/or region you aren’t familiar with. Online, the wines are ranked by body to help guide your way.
🍇 Order online from Vinebase, an online marketplace that helps you buy direct from the winemakers and seek out wineries that are women-led, minority-led, and more! You’ll discover wines that aren’t available at your local shops or at big box stores.
🍇 And follow along in March – we’re celebrating Women’s History Month with a totally female ensemble of winemakers!
Witty Pairs 