Meet The Creatives Merging Black Culture With Wine
They’re taking representation in the industry to a whole new level.
Entering the wine industry as a person of color has always had its hurdles. In a space that has historically been associated with one distinct crowd type, being different didn’t often lead to success. Being accepted in these spaces often meant assimilating into the crowd versus trying to stand out. But today, the industry is more diverse than ever. From Black-owned wineries, vineyards, and brands to the many faces of color in hospitality, there’s no denying how far the industry has come.
However, representation can be more than just a visual presence—especially in the social media-fueled environment we live in today. When it comes to diversity in wine, celebrating the nuances of Black culture is just as important as being in the room.
You’ve probably heard “for the culture” in various Hip Hop songs or artist interviews. In the music industry, the three-word phrase has been the subject of backlash for being overused and watered down. But in terms of wine, “doing it for the culture” is still very new. With a fresh crop of creatives at the helm of the industry, Black culture is being celebrated and uplifted in exciting new ways, which makes this era particularly exciting.
House of Brown
Brown Estate has a rich presence in California wine. As the first Black-owned winery in Napa Valley, the brand and its founders had a vision for what inclusion in the industry should look like and began producing wine in 1996. Twenty two years later, they forged a new path with their sister label, House of Brown. “We established House of Brown in 2018, designed the first label in 2019, and bottled our first vintage (a Chardonnay) that same year,” says Deneen Brown, CEO of House of Brown. However, when the initial launch was put on hold due to the pandemic, they decided to go another route that began building the foundation of the brand. “We wound up launching House of Brown on the ground in Atlanta in June 2020 in partnership with four women-owned wine shops: 3 Parks, Perrine’s, Purple Corkscrew, and Vinoteca,” says Brown.
Though they began small, only marketing through word of mouth, the brand blossomed quickly with the help of social media and the estate’s cool tasting room, affectionately known as Brown Downtown. “It became a hub for a diverse audience of wine enthusiasts, and the vibe was simple: come one, come all, come correct,” she says. Like their heritage brand, House of Brown wines are produced from sustainably grown California grapes. However, the modern perspective on Black wine consumers and the “feel seen” ethos give House of Brown a totally unique feel. “The story behind everything we’ve done is Our story,” says Brown. “After we established Brown Estate, ‘Wine should not be stressful’ became our mantra; hospitality became our mission; and ensuring our customers felt seen, respected, and valued became our purpose and love language.” Breaking free from formal labels and marketing styles, the brand approaches wine with an artistic narrative. As she tells it, the inspiration and purpose behind the House of Brown are one and the same. “On the one hand, we wanted to make the Brown wine experience more widely accessible; and, on the other, we wanted to give our wine club members a more casual bottle option for non-occasions like Tuesday night dinner,” she says.
Their Instagram account sets the scene perfectly. A curated collection of lively images, it’s a hub of Black creator content that wasn’t accidental. “We’ve been very deliberate about not having other people tell our story because, at the end of the day, what we’ve built, how we’ve built it, and the stories around it all comprise the integrity behind our brands,” says Brown. Their Instagram account gives you a glimpse of an audience as interested in art and aesthetics as it is in wine. Recently, House of Brown partnered with McCalman.Co., a Black-owned design agency, to expand the visuals and further amplify their presence. In the wine world, House of Brown may still be a baby, but its future is clear. “It’s all about our customers, and we’re looking forward to unleashing some beautiful things for them—a breathtakingly diverse and stunningly beautiful set of people,” says Brown.
Abbey Creek Vineyard
Tucked away in North Plains, OR, lies an oasis for terroir-driven wines and Black culture. While it’s true that hip hop and wine have become increasingly intertwined over the years, Abbey Creek Vineyard has created a unique experience blending the two. Inside their tasting room, dubbed “The Crik,” owner, and winemaker Bertony Faustin has fostered a lively environment rich in music, art, and food that celebrates Blackness beautifully. “I always felt I needed to be so much bigger than just wine,” he says. “And, if that was the case, I would have to find something that embodied me and the things I love. Growing up, hip hop was my savior, and so I thought, ‘What better way to sway a would-be customer?’”
Walking through the tasting room is an immersive experience of Black culture, paired nicely with a glass of vino. Upon entering, you’ll notice the Wu-Tang doormat bearing one of the group’s noteworthy lyrics before viewing paintings of hip-hop legends like the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac on the walls. But for Faustin, a true hip-hop head from Brooklyn, these are more than mementos. The Hip-hop, Wine, and Chill experience at The Crik is meant to be disruptive. “They’re so opposite that the grouping makes no sense and [yet] is in sync at the same time,” he says. “It also removes the stigma of pretension of what people think a wine tasting should be.” Tasting wine here is about having fun, but everything is intentional. The menu is named “the playlist” and displays each wine as a different song. “Just like an album, the playlist takes you on a journey, and each wine is a snippet of what’s to come,” he adds.
Like any winemaker, Faustin infuses elements of himself into every part of his business. After his father passed away in 2007, he shifted his career from medicine to wine and focused on living a life of fulfillment. “My wife and I had purchased land with acres of mature grape vines, and even though the previous owners didn’t make wine, I figured I’d give it a try,” he says. “I promised myself 17 years ago to never let anyone or anything be in control of my fulfillment again, and that still holds true today.” He explains that The Crik has now become the place to see and be seen, no matter how different you are. “I like to think of it like the ghetto Cheers,” he says. “Here, everyone knows how they walked in, but it’s up to me how they leave. The initial vibe is like something out of the Twilight Zone, but the rest is something you’ll just have to see and feel for yourself if you pull up.”
B. Stuyvesant Champagne
The story of B. Stuyvesant Champagne is a unique one. Founded and owned by Marvina S. Robinson, the brand has a grass-roots success story rooted in the love of bubbles. “My friends and I are all from Brooklyn, specifically Bed-Stuy,” says Robinson “We grew up watching people in music videos and on TV popping bottles of Champagne. After college, we thought we were chic enough to do the same, in a way that felt true to us, sitting on neighborhood stoops and engaging in conversations about life.” Robinson’s interest in fancy bubbles was just beginning, but as her finance career grew, things changed. “Working on Wall Street, there was a lot of entertaining and going out. I went through the Sex and the City Cosmo phase, then moved on to sparkling wine. I immediately noticed a difference between Champagne and sparkling wines and was instantly hooked.”
Tasting different bottles was one thing, but nothing compared to experiencing the process firsthand. “I started going back and forth to France to experience the authentic vibes of Champagne and engage in it from a hands-on perspective,” she says. From there, her entrepreneurial brain went to work, and the foundation of B. Stuyvesant Champagne was born. She had planned to open a small wine bar with its own house Champagne, but after COVID derailed that, she found herself sitting on an inventory of bottles and decided to try her hand at selling her own brand. “I came into the wine industry green but still was able to place B. Stuyvesant Champagne in a few stores. It had immediate success, which was great, but some setbacks with paperwork kept me from selling further in storefronts. So I decided to go the direct-to-consumer route,” she says.
Today, B. Stuyvesant Champagne’s home is a 2000-square-foot tasting room in Brooklyn Navy Yard, but its roots still celebrate Robinson’s Bed-Stuy home. “B. Stuyvesant is a representation of me, and I wanted the name to reflect that. I grew up on Stuyvesant Ave. in Brooklyn—I’m not from France, I don’t look like I’m from France, and I’m still learning to speak French fluently, so my Champagne had to represent the woman that I am,” she explains.
Art is another big part of Robinson’s influence on her brand. “I love contemporary and street art, so blending them with wine was a no-brainer,” she says. The tasting room infuses elegance with graffiti art to give the experience an authentic Brooklyn flavor. “You can have an entire evening over wine, art, and music. The conversations that come from exploring new music and art are going to be a good time, and that’s the vibe I wanted in the tasting room. It’s about immersing yourself in culture while learning about this amazing wine.”
Viarae Prosecco
Despite being new to the scene, Viarae is already making waves for all the right reasons. Sure, it’s owned and founded by multi-hyphenate mogul Issa Rae, but the motive behind the brand is as real as they come. In a quick Instagram post debuting Viarae, she stated plainly, “If you know me, you know how much I love Prosecco. Now I’ve created my own!”. Throughout her career and work, Rae has made her love for the sparkling wine crystal clear. But her partnership with Gallo made things official. “We had the shared mission to demystify the winemaking process and make it more accessible and inclusive to consumers,” says Beth Orozco, vice president of marketing at Gallo.” Issa entrusted us with executing her vision of the perfect Prosecco.”
And like anything she does, Black culture is at the center of it all. “Rae is known for amplifying Black stories and creatives in her work on and off the screen. So naturally, Viarae’s imagery and messaging do the same, highlighting stories that feel authentic to her and her brand,” notes Orozco. Scrolling through Viarae’s Instagram feed, you can’t help falling in love with the dreamy pictures of Rae and her former Insecure co-star, Kofi Siriboe. Throughout the feed, the pair exude Black elegance, telling a story of love and glamor while sipping bubbly. Storytelling is baked in with Viarae, including its branding. “The name blends Prosecco’s Italian origins with Issa’s name and is meant to represent the freedom to let loose and be authentic,” says Orozco. From the hazy 70s chocolate brown bottle to the beautiful imagery of Black and brown people toasting and celebrating, Viarae embodies the spirit of Rae’s creativity.