The wine industry has long been dominated by white men—an estimated one percent of wineries are Black-owned, and less than two percent of wine professionals identify as Black. In recent years, however, more Black entrepreneurs have broken into the market with new brands. Not only does more diverse ownership bring new perspectives and innovations to the beverage industry, but it also better reflects the diversity of emerging consumer generations.
Right now, it’s crucial to support Black-owned wine businesses, as well as those from other BIPOC founders. The beverage industry is reversing course on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and greater societal backlash against DEI could quickly snowball into devaluation of the work of Black professionals. And while many see Black History Month as an opportunity to spotlight Black-owned brands, seeking out wines from diverse producers year-round creates a more inclusive beverage program—and industry as a whole.
From long-established brands to upstarts, celebrity ownership deals to solo projects, there are dozens of Black-owned wineries and wine brands worth stocking. Here are just a few that have caught the eyes of our editorial team recently.
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Aslina
Ntsika Biyela, the first Black woman winemaker in South Africa, launched Aslina in 2016. After working for a boutique winery in Stellenbosch and collaborating with Napa Valley winemaker Helen Keplinger on a line of wines (via Wine for the World, which is now Aslina’s importer), Biyela made the move to open her own project, named for her grandmother. From the winery’s home in Stellenbosch, Biyela sources grapes from across the Western Cape; the lineup now includes three whites (Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc), two reds (Cabernet Sauvignon and ‘Umsasane,’ a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot), and a sparkling Méthode Cap Classique.
Bodkin Wines
After interning at a number of Sonoma County wineries and landing a full-time gig at Medlock Ames, self-taught winemaker Chris Christensen founded Bodkin Wines in 2011. He became known for making the first sparkling Sauvignon Blanc in the U.S., and this experimental mindset carries through all of the wines in Bodkin’s portfolio. The Healdsburg winery sources grapes from both conventionally and sustainably farmed vineyards in Northern California, working to make handcrafted wines that remain highly affordable—they all retail for under $40 on Bodkin’s website.
Kumusha
Sommelier Tinashe Nyamudoka launched Kumusha with just two 2017-vintage wines: a Chenin Blanc-Semillon blend and a Cabernet Sauvignon-Cinsault. They sold out quickly, and in the years since Nyamudoka has added a number of varietal and blended wines to Kumusha’s portfolio. The Zimbabwe native, who was formerly the head sommelier at famed Cape Town restaurant The Test Kitchen, wanted to infuse the culture of his home country into these South African wines. Kumusha roughly translates to “your home,” “your roots,” or “your origin” in Shona, one of Zimbabwe’s official languages—a nod to Nyamudoka’s commitment to express the terroir of each wine’s region of origin through minimal-intervention winemaking.
Nice Beverage Co.
A modern négociant, Nice Beverage Co. aims to support and showcase emerging South African winemakers who have been excluded from the industry, particularly Black and women vintners. Founder Hardy McQueen, a former chef, founded the company amidst South Africa’s wine sales freeze in July 2020. The wines tend to be low-intervention, terroir-driven passion projects of the winemaker partners; Nice Beverage Co.’s current lineup includes everything from pét-nat, to skin-fermented Sauvignon Blanc, to a red blend from old bush vines.
Maison Noir
André Hueston Mack is one of the most influential sommeliers in the industry, with previous stints at both The French Laundry and Per Se, but he dreamed of actually making the wine too—not just serving it. In 2007, he founded Mouton Noir Wines, now known as Maison Noir Wines. Mack partners with growers in the Willamette Valley to source fruit and bottles the wines with eye-catching labels and catchy names (like the flagship ‘O.P.P.’ —Other People’s Pinot).
Ashanta Wines
Fifth-generation winemaker Chenoa Ashton-Lewis reconnected with her family’s winemaking legacy in 2019, when she and partner Will Basanta made one barrel of Pinot Noir-Syrah co-ferment from unsold grapes in her grandparents’ Sonoma Mountain vineyard. Further inspired by finding new vine growth amidst the ashes of the Pinot Noir vineyard—it was decimated by the 2017 Nuns Fire—Ashton-Lewis and Basanta launched Ashanta Wines in Healdsburg. The duo operates according to a “zero-zero” method, in which nothing is added or taken away from the wine—no fining, no filtration, no yeast inoculation, and no sulfur, for instance. No experiment is off-limits, it seems—Ashanta’s lineup includes varietal wines, blends, grape-and-fruit co-ferments, cider, and more.
Sipwell Wine Co.
When it launched in 2021, Sipwell Wine Co. became the first producer of traditional-method, can-conditioned sparkling wine. Founder Hilary Cocalis had an affinity for canned formats from working in the beer industry, believing cans to be more sustainable, portable, and convenient. Today, Sipwell produces three canned sparklers—white, red, and rosé—sourcing all of its grapes from organic and sustainable vineyards in California’s Central Coast.
Dispatch
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Courtney Schiessl Magrini is the editor-in-chief for SevenFifty Daily and the Beverage Media Group publications. She has held sommelier positions at some of New York’s top restaurants, including Marta, Dirty French, and Terroir, and her work has appeared in Wine Enthusiast, GuildSomm, Forbes.com, VinePair, EatingWell Magazine, and more. She holds the WSET Diploma in Wines. Follow her on Instagram at @takeittocourt.
