Raise Your Glass to Equity this Black Business Month
Black Business Month, celebrated every August, was created to recognize and promote Black-owned businesses. Uncorked & Cultured is here to show you how to Sip Consciously this Black Business Month and beyond with our forum for black-owned wine businesses.
Last updated on January 12th, 2025
Join Uncorked & Cultured’s for The 2023 State of Black Wine Business: The Movement Continues, with Dr. Monique Bell. This YouTube Live event on August 24th, at 8 pm EST, highlights the challenges Black-owned wine businesses face, offering consumers practical ways to support them. Dr. Bell will present insights from 40+ interviews with Black wine entrepreneurs and share updated results from her influential Terroir Noir: 2020 Study of Black Wine Entrepreneurs. This event seeks to amplify awareness of diverse spending options while assessing progress since our successful 2021 gathering.
The 2021 Event
In 2021, we were thrilled to host an array of distinguished panelists which included:
- Angela Mcrae, Owner of Uncorked & Cultured
- Dr. Monique Bell, Researcher and Professor
- Donae Burston, Founder of La Fête du Rose’
- Camillya Masunda, Owner of Ebony Wine & Spirits
- Fern Stroud, Founder of Black Vines Festival
- Selena Cuffe, Founder of Heritage Links Brand
- Sunshine Fuss, Owner of Happy Cork Brooklyn
- Sarah Pierre, Owner of 3 Parks Wine Shop
Per Dr. Bell’s study, with over 80,000 wineries around the world, only around 70 are owned by black vintners. This is in a U.S. wine industry that grosses over $51.2 billion in domestic wine revenue.
A similar realization occurred to last year’s panelist, Selena Cuffe, when she learned “South Africa had a 3-billion-dollar wine industry, but black South Africans owned less than 1%.” As a result, she founded Heritage Link Brands “to leverage wine as the medium to which to tell a different story to also encourage greater black wealth through the wine industry.”
Charles Springfield, who will be a part of our event this year after attending last year, was encouraged by our event last year and how it demonstrated the power of black owned wine businesses.
“This was so invigorating!! What a beautiful Black wine community we belong to. Numbers were more space 11 years ago, so it’s a pleasure to watch it grow so wonderfully,” he said.
Building on 2021’s momentum, this year’s panelists aim to deepen the discourse, offering fresh perspectives and actionable strategies. We are committing to enriching the dialogue and empowering all participants in their journey within the wine industry. Take advantage of this opportunity to glean knowledge from seasoned experts and play your part in fostering a more inclusive wine community.
This year’s Black Business Month Forum
This year’s program topics will include:
- A welcome from Uncorked and Cultured founder, Angela McCrae
- 2023 Terroir Noir Survey Highlights by Dr. Monique Bell
- Who’s (Still) Doing the Work? A Conversation on Authentic, Committed Inclusion
- How it Started – Black Wine Business Before 2020
- Where We’re Going – The Drink Black Movement and Beyond
- A Keynote Address
From industry newcomers to seasoned owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, our YouTube Live event on August 24th offers valuable insights for all. You can register for the event now at our Eventbrite page. And in the meantime, explore our Sip Consciously Directory, featuring an expanding list of Black-owned wineries, brands, importers, distributors, and retailers.
Let’s not limit our support for Black-owned wine businesses to just August. While Black Business Month is a crucial time to recognize and celebrate the invaluable contributions these businesses make to our communities and the broader economy, the need for our support is year-round. By patronizing these businesses regularly, we foster a more equitable economy and pave the way for future Black entrepreneurs. Remember, each purchase, each share, and each recommendation amplifies their voice and fuels their success. Let’s create lasting change together.
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