It’s an old story, of being ignored, patronized or dismissed. But for Black retailers, sommeliers, writers and winemakers, the days of invisibility are over.
— Eric Asimov, The New York Times
TJ Douglas and his wife, Hadley, own Urban Grape, a thriving wine shop in the South End neighborhood of Boston. Before the pandemic, a regular internet customer with whom Mr. Douglas had had many discussions online about wine, walked into the shop for the first time.
The customer, who was white, had come specifically to meet Mr. Douglas, whom he did not know was Black.
“He looked at me and walked right past me to an older white man who worked for me, and thanked him for all he had done,” Mr. Douglas recalled. “The employee pointed toward me, and the gentleman turned around and looked shocked. He had never thought of buying wine from a Black person before. He also looked extremely embarrassed.”
— Credits & Context
Featured Image, Jose A. Alvarado Jr. for The New York Times
Full article @ The New York Times
Black Wine Professionals
Founded by Julia Coney, Black Wine Professionals is a resource for wine industry employers and gatekeepers, professionals, and the food and beverage community. Our goal is to lift up the multifaceted Black professionals in the world of wine.
Black Wine Professionals was born out of necessity. For too long, Black Wine Professionals have been overlooked and absent from conversations, tastings, product marketing and much more. That changes now because we’re here and we aren’t going anywhere.
Black Wine Professionals will continue to grow as we expand our site to include event listings, educational resources, job postings, and a discussion forum. We look forward to partnering with companies and organizations committed to furthering our mission.
Source – Black Wine Professionals at https://www.blackwineprofessionals.com/. (Accessed: 01 October 2020)