Ty’s February Wine Finds

And, just like that it’s February! If you’re new to the blog, I always kick-off the month by sharing a couple of new wines that I’ve come across. As we celebrate Black culture and our achievements this month, I wanted to spotlight some wines from Black producers. Over the years, I’ve talked a lot about the lack of representation of Black winemakers in the industry. Last year there was this sort of racial awakening, after the high profiled killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd, that forced a lot people take a closer look at the systemic racism that continues to plague this country. In the wine community, many Black wine professionals and enthusiasts spoke up about the lack of diversity and inclusiveness of people of color. There was definitely a little uprising that caught the attention of many. Since then, there has been the creation of different wine education mentorship programs and scholarships to help support BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) wine professionals, but there is still a long way to go. I really do hope that wines produced by people of color will start to become more mainstream and not just known in its own little category defined by race. Until then, I will continue to highlight all the great melanin that is making an impact in the wine industry. This month, I chose a white and red wine that I know you will enjoy. Get ready to add these two to your wine shopping list.

2018 Brown Estate Chardonnay 

Brown Estate is no stranger to the blog! I’ve covered them in my “For the Culture” piece before. I love their story and the fact that they have a family wine business. Plus, Brown Estate is the first Black-owned winery in Napa, so if you ever get the chance I definitely recommend making a reservation to stop by. Brown Estate is known for their red wines, especially Zinfandel. Outside of that I knew they had one white wine called Betelgeuse, which is a Sauvignon Blanc but that was about it. Last year on Instagram, I saw that they had a new Chardonnay and it has been on my list to try ever since. Fast forward to last week and I discovered that Total Wine is selling a couple of the Brown Estate reds and this House of Brown Chardonnay for only $20. I had to check it out!

Can we start by talking about the art on this label? It’s so pretty. I actually saved the bottle just for the artwork. I read that the picture represents inclusivity and the belief that all are welcome. Love! I just took a closer look and you can actually see it’s a collage of different faces from different ethnic backgrounds that compose one face. Ha! I didn’t even see all of that at first. I thought it was just a pretty flower, but this is brilliant!

Anyways, back to the wine! This is not the typical house Chardonnay that you’d get at a happy hour. For my ABC “Anything But Chardonnay” friends, I think this would make you a believer. Let’s take a closer look. This white wine is mostly Chardonnay (95%) with a spash of Vermentino (5%). On the nose, there were aromas of tropical fruits like pineapple, guava and peach with some citrus. Now the best part of trying new wines is of course tasting them and let me tell you I’d describe this Chardonnay as a glass of sunshine. The flavors just radiate in your mouth. This is a medium bodied Chardonnay and the flavors are just out of this world. Like I said it’s not one of those boring house wines and it’s definitely not oaked and buttery. With the House of Brown Chardonnay, I got a lot of those tropical fruit notes…the pineapple is very prominent, along with some citrus and green apple. Now, I don’t want you thinking it’s sweet, because it’s not. But, it’s very crisp with vibrant fruit flavors. I don’t even remember there being a lot of acidity. It’s a well balanced wine. This may be one of my favorite Chardonnays! I’m definitely buying more bottles!

2018 Three By Wade Cabernet Sauvignon

I finally got may hands on one of Dwayne Wade’s wines! Again, I was seeing it a lot on Instagram, but I hadn’t seen it sold in Houston until now. One of my wine friends posted that a local liquor store was selling it, so I picked up a bottle over the weekend. It’s no secret that Dwayne Wade is into wine. I read an article a couple years back about how he and some of his teammates would take trips to Napa to go wine tasting, which I thought was really cool. He currently has Wade Cellars that has an online portfolio of four wines (a couple are currently sold out).

This red is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. On the nose, there are a lot of dark fruit notes with a little bit of cedar and smokiness. It’s beautifully very aromatic. It reminds me of a Teakwood candle from Bath & Body Works if it were infused with wine. I could literally just smell this wine ALL day. Now this is a medium-bodied cab. It has a lot of those dark fruit (blackberry and dark cherry) flavors that I tend to enjoy. The tannins are definitely there, but they don’t linger on the finish. You know I’m not big on reds, but this is a Cab I’d highly recommend. It offers a lot of sophistication and is worth the $40. I’m not sure how many stores are selling Dwayne’s wines, but you can definitely order directly from his website.

There you have it…two for two! I was really pleased with my wine finds this month. Who are your favorite wines produced by Black winemakers? Share in the comments. And, until next time….glasses up!