The moment came many moons later in Atlanta, Georgia when out with girlfriends to hear live music, I asked for sweet wine to seal the grown and sexy vibe. The waitress returned with a glass of Bukettraube wine from Seven Sister Winery in South Africa, seven BLACK sisters from South Africa. Described as a dessert wine from Swartland, Coastal Region, Western Cape, South Africa, I fell in love with wine and the realization that Black people made wine too changed my world.
John June Lewis, Sr. (1894 - 1974), owned and operated Woburn Winery in Clarksville, Virginia. Not only was Mr. Lewis, the first African American to own a winery in the United States but also his winery, was thought to be the only Virginia winery by the early 1970s to manufacture wine solely from its own grapes. Son of a former slave owner and confederate veteran, Armistead Burwell, John Lewis built Woburn Winery with his own hands after Armistead deeded Lewis land. The winery opened in 1940 and flourished for 30 years before closing in the 70s upon his passing. Lewis opened his winery with a storage capacity of 5,000 gallons and produced table and dessert wines from Labrusca and hybrid grapes.
It wouldn’t be until a quarter of a century later, that the United States saw a presence of two Black owned wineries in 1996 and one in 1997 with the Brown Family Estate in Napa Valley, Rideau Vineyards in Solvang, CA by Iris Rideau and Vision Cellars in Sonoma by Mac McDonald respectively. With many more launching across the country.
]]>The Wine industry is overwhelming male and white whereas majority of wine drinkers are women. Wine Savoy seeks to highlight the 12% of winemakers who are Native, Black, Latino/a/x. LGBTQ+, and Women. We seek to bring you wines from regions both known and lesser known.
Here we will highlight winemakers who are Native American and how that identity roots their wine making. Black winemakers who stand on the shoulders of their ancestors to forge new roads in the wine industry as well as Latina/o/x winemakers, from migrant farmers to wine company owners. Their stories matter and Wine Savoy will showcase them and many more! Because we make and drink wine too! So stay tuned, happy sippin' and welcome to Wine Savoy.
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