Bring a Sparkle to Black History Month: McBride Sisters Brut Rosé from Hawke’s Bay on National Drink Wine Day with Chocolate Truffles OK!

Bring a Sparkle to Black History Month: McBride Sisters Brut Rosé from Hawke’s Bay on National Drink Wine Day with chocolate truffles okay!

Right now in the United States, important diversity initiatives are under fire, people are literally getting fired for being part of these initiatives and supporting them, and books featuring diversity are being banned and removed from school libraries — all making it more important than ever to support Black and BIPOC owned businesses.

Even under these circumstances, during Black History Month 2025 it is easier than ever to find food from Black farmers using this tool. and wines made by Black winemakers; scroll down for links to lots of resources to support BIPOC businesses. And what better day to get started than today — National Drink Wine Day!

Yes, that’s right — today is National Drink Wine Day! So let’s pop a cork and get to business!

Kenyon Elliot is winemaker and owner of organic Field Number Fifteen in the Sierra Foothills

Kenyon Elliot grew up visiting the vineyard planted by his uncle by marriage: 11.5 acres of wine grapes plus fruit trees on his 20 acres, and he dreamed of being a winemaker and grape grower. Years later, the abandoned vineyard property became available, and Kenyon bought it to create Field Number Fifteen, a small 600 case winery. Located outside Placerville, CA in El Dorado County in California’s Sierra Nevada Foothills at a 2500′ elevation, he recovered enough of the vineyards to release his first vintage in 2020. He’s also brewing craft beer, and Sundays are hopping with live music. Read more here: Organic Field Number Fifteen Fullfills a Lifelong Dream in El Dorado. 

Kenyon Elliot’s vineyard surrounded by forest of the Sierra foothills outside Sacramento, CA

On a much larger scale is Black owned business McBride Sisters founded in 2005 as a wine importing company. “McBride Sisters has grown into what is not only the largest Black-owned wine company in the United States, but one of the most inclusive, accessible, socially aware and sustainable,” according to the McBride Sisters website and corroborated by other sources.  They see social engagement as part of their mission as they seek to “transform the industry, lead by example and cultivate community, one delicious glass at a time.”

I’ve been seeing wines from the McBride Sisters everywhere recently from Trader Joe’s to Grocery Outlet to supermarkets to specialty wine shops. In 2020, they sparked a movement to get more Black made wines into grocery stores. That initiative paid off. For the past few years, we’ve highlighted BIPOC wines and wineries in February but also in other months too (scroll down for links).

Last year, we wrote about wines from two Black winemakers including McBride Sisters Black Woman Magic Zinfandel. This year when I came across their Sparkling Brut Rosé on sale I bought several bottles for holiday celebrations making sure I kept one for a Black History Month post. 

McBride Sisters wines really are made by sisters, Robin and Andréa McBride, half sisters raised in two different wine regions on two different continents. They didn’t know about each other until their dad died, and extended family helped the sisters find each other. In 2009, they started making wine together, and as they say, the rest is history. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day two years ago in 2023, the sisters became owners of M Ranch Estate in the Carneros district of Napa Valley, California, and they had their first harvest that fall. 

So today, this month, this year, more than ever, make an effort to buy wines from Black winemakers, produce from black farmers, and maybe even recipes from Black bloggers like these listed below. It’s up to us to vote with our dollars. We can make a difference. 

Resources for sourcing Black and BIPOC wines from wineries and wine businesses:

Ideas on how to support Black and BIPOC owners:

  • Order food from Black farmers using this tool.
  • Buy ingredients from a BIPOC owned business or a BIPOC maker.
  • Order takeout from a BIPOC owned restaurant.
  • Buy a cookbook from a BIPOC author and make a recipe.
  • Learn about the amazing contributions of Black Americans to food culture and cook a traditional dish.
  • Cook a recipe from a BIPOC blogger, for example, check out this Meatloaf Recipe – From The Queen of Soul Food Cooking or recipes from Dude That Cooks..

McBride Sisters Collection Sparkling Brut Rosé, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

McBride Sisters Collection Sparkling Brut Rosé, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

ABV: 12.5%
SRP: $25
Grapes: Pinot Noir
Importer: McBride Sisters
purchased on sale 

Appearance:  Peachy, peachy pink, rose gold, lots of delicate bubbles rise from the bottom and cling to the sides of the glass, brilliant in the light, sparkly sparkling. 

Aroma: Strawberry, cherry, fruity nose, cherry phosphate, sweet minerals and fruit, in a bigger glass there is so much black licorice.

Palate: Tart cherry, cherry phosphate, sweet tart, texturally very nice, oxalis on the finish, red stone fruit, plum, anise, slightly chalky, pleasant, easy sipper.

Pairing: The wine worked so well with our truffles tonight. The truffles were sweet and the wine was sweet enough and acidic enough to highlight the flavor of the pairing and the fruit and acidity of the wine. We loved how the wine highlighted the fresh flavors of the passion fruit and the fresh raspberries in both of the truffles. So many more herbal qualities came out in the wine after our palate was enhanced by the food. 

More Black and BIPOC winemakers and wineries on Wine Predator: 

Susanna Vasquez

wife and wife Mireia and Tara Gomez  of Camins 2 Dreams

 

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