West Coast Tastemakers: 4 Black Owned Wineries and Vineyards You Must Visit
Carefully harvested grapes are the secret behind of the black-owned wineries defining the tastes for all seasons.
There’s nothing like the perfect glass of wine. Whether it’s uncorked to pour or sampled after decanting--a fine mixture of notes can play a melody on all of your senses. The subtle impact one flavor of a blushing red or dazzling white can have on your favorite dish often completes the meal. Adventure in Black appreciates those elegant traits just as much as you do. Learning more about the men and women of color adding their signature, flair and purpose to the wine business allows us to appreciate both the distinctive flavors and the process. Though we love the notes of Canada’s Nyarai Cellars, France’s Marie-Cesaire and the South African houses of Aslina Wines, M’Hudi and Seven Sisters, we wanted to introduce you to some of the many black-owned wineries stateside who are testing the critical palates of sommeliers all over the world from the Pacific Northwest down to Northern California wine drinking utopias of Sonoma and Napa Valley.
All Photographs Courtesy of Frichette Winery (Facebook).
Frichette Winery (Washington)
The genesis of this family winery’s story started with a coin flip. (Yes, a coin flip.) Husband and wife, Greg and Shae Frichette, traded the seasonally warm climes of Southern California in an effort to get into the wine business in Benton City, Washington--over 100 miles southeast of Seattle. What started out as a whim has paid off in yields that have kept the Frichette Winery name on the aged-grape-loving map since bottling their first vintage 2011 wine in 2013. Every sip of the 2017 Red Path Cabernet Sauvignon is a noteworthy, full and aromatic taste of Washington Wine Country. Hints of late spring are present in the lasting swirls of 2018 Artz Semillon and the 2016 Zinfandel Ruby Port is a dessert all onto itself. These impressive tastes are the reasons why this emporium of vintages has become one of the top black-owned wineries in the country. This family is proving that the Pacific Northwest’s overcast weather pattern helps to make some of the world’s best wine.
All Photographs Courtesy of Abbey Creek Vineyard & Winery (Facebook).
Abbey Creek Vineyard & Winery (Oregon)
The grapes Bertony Faustin and his dedicated staff of growers nurture year-round are the difference. Abbey Creek Vineyard & Winery, one of the black-owned wineries keeping heads turning westward, harvests its source in the hills just west of Portland in Oregon Wine Country. Faustin’s diverse base of team members represents the changing face of Oregon’s wine industry where brown faces are seldom seen or acknowledged as equals. This transition in color has tipped the scale toward equality and led to full glasses and emptied bottles of one of Abbey Creek Vineyard & Winery most-cherished pressings. The house offers drinkers a modern assortment of Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs and a wonderful Gris. Viewing the library will introduce you to a 2011 Cab Franc Bordeaux Jeroboam and 2012 Reserve Pinot Noir 'Winemaker's Select’ that proves to be the taste for any season. Abbey Creek Vineyard & Winery once featured 2014 Pinot Noir ‘Cuvee’ that altered many to rethink their understanding of how blueberries should be used in winemaking. The now extinct flavor is still in demand as it makes many of its admirers long for its return.
All Photographs Courtesy of Brown Estate (Facebook).
Brown Estate (California)
Founded in 1995 by siblings Deneen, David and Coral, Brown Estate Winery was the first black-owned winery in Napa Valley. During that span of 20 years, that number is also the number of select vintage blends this house has given to Northern Californian wine lovers since day one. Today it is one of the eight black-owned wineries in California. This mainstay not only specializes in a catalog of Zinfandels and Cabernet Sauvignons it showcases a gem of a Rosé named the Duppy Conqueror from its 2017 harvest. The Brown Estate’s 2016 Petite Sirah captures your attention at a glance. Steals your heart once you inhale the bouquet. Should you want to enjoy a meal with these blends, Downtown Brown in nearby Napa Valley where you can sit at one of its many bars to sample the family’s tradition by the glass.
All Photographs Courtesy of Corner 103 (Facebook).
Corner 103 (California)
Lloyd Davis’ unyielding pursuit for the right blend guided him to Sonoma Valley. It was here where he decided to debut the latest flavors in his award-winning track record of producing wine. His love for helping people enjoy their wine and learn about the taste is what led him to create Corner 103, one of the emerging black-owned vineyards in California. Davis’ exclusive wine tasting and dining experiences are by appointment only. These private sessions are masterclasses for all distinctions of wine drinkers. The in-house selection illustrates the many American Viticulture Areas found all over the county used to grow Davis’ impressive yields. The 2016 Vino Rosso, 2018 Sauvignon Blanc and 2015 Zinfandel represent the future of winemaking as one of the top Sonoma Valley wineries for years to come.