Nothing punctuates a meal quite like a thoughtfully-selected wine pairing, and now, Black-owned wineries are being featured on the menu. It was only a few decades ago that the number of Black winemakers in the U.S. could be counted on both hands, and although fewer than one percent of winemakers today are Black, the Association of African American Vintners (AAAV), says this number is on the rise; especially in California and the Bay Area.
“Our membership is growing rapidly—over 500% since 2020,” says Angela McCrae, Executive Director of the AAAV. The organization began in 2002 with only three members, including Sonoma County-based founder Mac McDonald of Vision Cellars, whose wines have graced the table at White House dinners. “Within the last three years, the wine industry has become a more welcoming space for diverse individuals,” says Theodora Lee, Owner and Vintner of Theopolis Vineyards in Mendocino County. “Following the murder of George Floyd and the rise of the BLM movement, there has been an outpouring of support for Black winemakers, Black winery owners, and Black wine professionals.”
Today, more than 60 wine producers are AAAV members, but roadblocks remain. “Most of them are first-generation wine producers without the resources or relationships needed to be part of the regional wine communities that have existed for decades,” McCrae explains. This is why the AAAV recently launched the Wine Entrepreneur Grant, so members can access capital and resources to grow their businesses.
When it comes to Black winemakers, there is a lot to celebrate—and plenty of wine to enjoy. Here, we speak with three Black winemakers in the Bay Area to go beyond the grape.
Marreya Bailey of Mad Marvlus Wine
At the intersection of wine, art, and science, Marreya Bailey of Mad Marvlus Wine in Sonoma County has found her niche. With an educational background in forensic anthropology and a creative outlet of abstract art, Bailey felt uninspired by the corporate world, leaving it behind in 2020 to immerse herself into wine. After gaining experience in the industry on both coasts, she landed in Sonoma County and launched her own brand.
In addition to starting a wine co-op called The Bathing Collective with other producers to improve equity in the industry, Bailey’s production techniques are disrupting how wine gets made. “We are reviving ancestral practices,” Bailey explains. “We’re applying our cultural influence that a lot of people have either ignored, or just have no idea that that was so influential in the beverage industry.” The result includes low ABV wines and ciders infused with medicinal herbs, a beverage ancient Egyptians and Ethiopians might find familiar. “Without the influence of BIPOC and people of color, and the Afro-Indigenous influence, we would not have [the wine we know] today.”
Sense of place is also present in Mad Marvlus wines, or creatures as Bailey calls them—because they each have their own personality. She is particularly drawn to abandoned orchards and vineyards where wild hybrid grapes grow, especially with climate change a concern in agriculture. “They're the ones who've been thriving all this time untouched, unsprayed.”
Mad Marvlus wine can be found at restaurants including Hi Felicia in Oakland, as well as in shops and online.
Find the best restaurants and hotels around the globe with the MICHELIN Guide app.
Sign up, make a list of your favorites, and make a reservation with our booking partners Resy, OpenTable, and Seven Rooms.
Chris Christensen of Bodkin Wines
Stanford graduate and Sonoma County-based winemaker Chris Christensen is a man of many talents. Between performing voice impressions and quoting Shakespeare from memory, he’s expanding the world of wine as we know it. He originally earned fame as the first U.S. producer to bottle sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, but eleven years later his bold risk taking continues to define Bodkin Wines.
Despite years of hands-on experience at notable wineries, Christensen created the brand as a proving ground. His lack of formal education in viticulture made climbing the ladder in the industry a challenge, so he thought, “'I’ll start my own brand as a way of showcasing what I can do.” And Bodkin Wines was born.
Running his own label made it easy to become known as the guy who does things other people won’t. “It’s opened up the doors for me to work on some pretty cool projects that are very challenging and interesting,” Christensen says. Beyond wine production, this creative freedom allows Christensen to promote diversity and inclusion in the wine industry, including mentoring aspiring vintners and winery owners.
Christensen is proud to have his wine on the menu at Cyrus in Geyserville, and at other restaurants and bottle shops throughout the Bay Area.
Theodora Lee of Theopolis Vineyards
California trial lawyer Theodora R. Lee, also known as Theo-patra: Queen of the Vineyards, first envisioned having her own vineyard in the 1980s while enjoying fine wine at the homes of her law firm partners. “I fell in love with the wine lifestyle—great wine, great food, and being out in the vineyard,” Lee recalls. After preparing herself by taking classes at the UC Davis Viticulture & Enology School, she was able to found Theopolis Vineyards in 2003, starting with five acres in Mendocino County’s Yorkville Highlands.
Originally focused on growing for premium wineries, Lee focused on her own brand when her harvests received high ratings. Today, Theopolis Vineyards is regularly recognized for excellence, and specifically lauded for its rich Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, plus a white wine from the French hybrid grape, Symphony. But whatever she bottles tends to be well-received. “I love serving pleasure in the bottle,” Lee says. “Plus, lawyers love drinking wine, so my two careers complement each other.”
As a Black woman, Lee has faced her share of challenges in the wine industry. “I face a double-edged sword,” she says. “I not only face the problem of systemic racism, but the belittling fist that sexism and misogyny have wrapped around my throat.” Sometimes industry leaders won’t take her seriously, and finding distributors and brokers to get her wines in high end restaurants and wine bars can be a problem.
To combat these systemic issues, Lee established The Theopolis Vineyards Diversity Fund for the Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis in 2021, through which she hopes to support and inspire others to become vintners. “As my father taught me, one must lift as one climbs, so I hope this fund will help diversify the wine industry.”
Theopolis Vineyards wines can be found at Montage Healdsburg, among other hotels and restaurants in the Bay Area, though buying direct from their website is the easiest way to sample their wine.
