Author: Hannah Wood 

February is Black History Month, a month where we celebrate and amplify black voices. Throughout this month, we have been spotlighting black women in the wine industry on our Instagram. We loved getting to know these amazing women more and think that you’ll love them, too. Read below to learn about five black women in the wine industry you need to know about right now!

Yolanda Reneè @winewithyoli

• ⁠She is a WSET student and also pursuing two masters
• Her blog is her creative outlet where she shares what she is most passionate about; wine, style, travel, and more!
• She shares some of the best wine recommendations on her Instagram and some fun tasting notes to pair with them! 
• She believes that wine starts a conversation, and she enjoys sharing a glass with friends and family!
• She’s vegetarian and shares some delicious recipes!

Nia @themoreyoubordeaux

• Her love for wine stemmed from her love for travel - she started planning all of her trips around wine regions and knew she needed to learn more about all of the amazing wine she was drinking, so she decided to enroll in WSET 2!
• She writes a monthly wine column in San Diego Magazine! It’s allowed her to get to know so many incredible people in the wine industry.
• She is getting married next month! Her fiancé and herself got engaged in the Fall and are having a “petite wedding” this Spring! They’ll be honeymooning in Maui.
• She’s a vegetarian and is constantly trying new vegetarian food and wine pairings! Her most recent favorite was white bean chili and Sémillon - *chef’s kiss*!
• Her favorite places she’s traveled to are Greece, Portugal, and South Africa. She said, “The incredible views and the food and wine experiences there can’t be beaten!”
• Nia started hosting Zoom wine tastings, which has been a fun way for her to connect with people all over the world on their love for wine!

D'Shannon - @liveloveandwine

• She loves not only what wines are on the table, but who it brings to the table!
• Her goal is to spread positivity, create laughter, and bridge the gap between the wine expert and wine novice while reminding you to live and enjoy every day like it's your last!
• She is currently enrolled in an American Wine Expert course with the Napa Valley Wine Academy, but has received most of her wine knowledge on her own!
• You can get a little sip of everything with D'Shannon from her humorous videos, virtual wine tastings, weekly lives, and fun ways of pairing the joys of life with wine.

DeLauren - @culturewineblogger

• She is currently on a journey of purchasing her own vineyard! She has been fortunate to partner with local vineyards to experience the grape growing and winemaking processes including planting and harvesting grapevines at Ferguson Vineyard, destemming grapes at Pleb Winery, bottling wine at Windsor Run Cellars, and grape foot-stomping at Stardust Cellars (check out her blog for some great stories and pics)!
• DeLauren holds her WSET Level 2 certification and is continuing her education studying the American Wine Expert program at the Napa Valley Wine Academy.
• A lover of rosé (made with Grenache or Pinot Noir), Sekt sparkling wine, and a good Zinfandel from CA, DeLauren doesn’t keep her wine experiences to herself! She hosts interactive virtual wine tasting experiences (visit her website) that include wine education, wine tasting, and trivia.
• Don’t miss the opportunity to follow her journey as she progresses to be the first African American and female-owned vineyard and winery in North Carolina!

Brenae - @_cabrenae

Our last spotlight is Brenae of @_cabrenae, she is the youngest ever vineyard manager of Monte Rosso Vineyard in Sonoma Valley! 

• Brenae grew up in Atwater, California and she said “I come from a family of teachers and doctors, so when I started raising pigs, my family thought, where did she fall off?” 
• She is the Vineyard Manager for the 575-acre Monte Rosso Vineyard on the eastern hills of Sonoma Valley, one of the most acclaimed wine-growing sites in California. She has her work cut out for her! 
• She got into farming in high school when she joined the Future Farmers of America! She attended Chico State with an academic scholarship where she studied Crops and Horticulture Science. 
• She decided to pursue a career in viticulture during her senior year at California State University, Chico after she developed a palate for bold red wines.
• She started as an Operations and Viticulture intern at E. & J. Gallo Winery in 2013 and has since farmed Monte Rosso Vineyard with increasing levels of responsibility. She served as Viticulture Technician, while being an intern, for 11 months before being named Vineyard Manager in 2015! 
• Monte Rosso, which is home to some of the oldest producing grapevines in California, has garnered a near-mythic reputation among winemakers. 
• She is doing everything in her power to preserve what is special about Monte Rosso, whose wine can be tasted blind and recognized immediately. The Monte Rosso vines range from 1 to over 135 years old, so it’s a lot to take on, but she loves it! 

We are so thankful that these amazing women let us share their stories. We loved sharing their stories throughout Black History Month. Make sure to give them all a follow so you can keep up with their travel adventures, get amazing wine and pairing recommendations, and see them make history in the wine industry.