7 Black-Owned Wines To Buy
There are a growing number of Black winemakers and labels, but it can take some effort to track them down and then find them in wine stores. Fortunately most of them will ship directly from their websites or wineries. Below are a few you should know with links to the winery sites. I don’t benefit at all from any purchases made through these links.
I also tasted a couple wines to get you started. The prices listed below are direct from the wineries, but I found both for $19.99 each at my local wine shop!
Maison Noir Wines
O.P.P. Other People’s Pinot Noir 2018 $25
Once I saw this wine labeled as Oregogne Garage d’Or I knew I had to try it! I’m totally obsessed with the play on Bourgogne Côte-d’Or. I absolutely love that they don’t take themselves too seriously and are here to have fun with their wines.
My current favorite varietal is pinot noir, and Oregon is my go-to domestic region for it. This one from the subregion of Willamette Valley is a great example of why. If you like Old World pinots but find you don’t love California’s take on it, pick one up from Oregon.
The O.P.P. has a nose of deep florals and cherry when it opens up, and tastes earthy and juicy with a hint of cranberry. It’s dry with medium body, medium+ acid, and medium to medium+ tannins. I’d suggest decanting this one if possible to get the most flavor out of it. I’m very pleased to say the wine stood up to my high expectations from the name!
McBride Sisters Collection
Black Girl Magic Red Blend 2018 $24.99
When I first got into reds, I drank a ton of Californian red blends and now rarely venture back. This wine was a fab reminder of what I loved about red blends. It’s dry with medium- tannins and medium+ acid to give a smooth, balanced texture with an enjoyable tart finish. Cherry and earth on the nose with a smoky vanilla end going down. Medium body keeps it very drinkable.
I have to admit, catchy names sometimes make me wary of their wines, but Black Girl Magic is a perfect description for this line if they all match up to the quality of this style.
If you don’t believe me, the 2017 vintage won the Gold Medal at the San Diego International Wine & Spirits Competition. Black Girl Magic also received lots of recognition for their riesling, including a 94-point rating and Best Riesling at the SDW&S Competition 2020 and a Gold medal for The Fifty Best Rieslings in the Fifty Best Competition 2020.
Other Wineries You Should Know
Heritage Link
The founds began with a clear mission of sharing sustainable, high quality wines. Their brand portfolio features award-winners and includes Seven Sisters Vineyards, Silkburn, Casa Valduga, Don Guerino, and House of Mandela.
La Fête du Rosé
The label was founded by Donae Burston, who previously worked for Jay-Z’s wine label, Armand de Brignac aka Ace of Spades. He produces a classic Provence rosé alongside prestigious winemakers from the region. If you need more of a reason to drink this rosé, the domaine produces their wines sustainably and donates a portion of proceeds to programs for underserved youth. They’re currently sold out, but if you’re a rosé lover I recommend signing up for the email list to be notified when they have more.
P. Harrell Wines
This California label only produces 3 wines – rosé, zinfandel, and riesling – but it has already won awards in its short 5 years. The 2019 Dry Creek Riesling won the Gold Award at the San Francisco Chronicle International Wine Competition.
Zafa Wines
This Vermont farm and label is led by Krista Scrugg, who was named to Wine Enthusiast’s 40 Under 40 list. They only produce natural wine and stand by the promise of “No fining, filtering, additives or funny business.” They also commit to keeping their staff at least 85% women. This is your label for unique wine with a purpose.
Abbey Creek Vineyard
Bertony Faustin became the first recorded Black winemaker in Oregon when he started this vineyard in 2008. The self-proclaimed Change Maker also produced and appeared in the documentary Red, White & Black: The Oregon Winemakers Story, which shares his story and those of other minority winemakers. Rent the documentary on demand on Vimeo.
Have you tried any of these wines? What are your favorite Black-owned wines? Leave a comment to let me know!