We are saluting our wine heroes with our monthly toasts of something sparkling in 2024. This month, those heroes are TJ and Hadley Douglas, owners of the Urban Grape wine shops in Boston and Washington, D.C.
Our toast to them will be with a glass of Black Girl Magic California Sparkling Brut. This wine is a great example of why we support their work by shopping for wine at their South End shop.
Why Urban Grape?
We love the shopping experience at Urban Grape. Advisor, a wine industry trade publication, did a great job summarizing why it is unique when it covered the opening of their new shop in Washington, D.C.
"As America’s largest certified Black-owned beverage retailer, The Urban Grape thoughtfully curates wine, beer and spirits with an emphasis on representation for diverse makers, regions and varietals. Washington regulations that allow retailers to import products will help The Urban Grape expand the number of BIPOC-produced beverages it sells in the store and online, including products not available at retail anywhere else in the country."
"TJ and Hadley have proven that telling the stories of diverse regions and makers naturally attracts loyal customers who want to purchase outside of the traditionally stocked brands. For example, less than 1% of wine is BIPOC produced, but it is more than 20% of The Urban Grape’s sales."
We also love their progressive scale for organizing wines. We love sparkling wine that is low in alcohol and extremely food-friendly. We love Pinot Noirs, but mainly the lighter ones. We love a good dry Reisling. Here they explain how the progressive scale works.
Why Black Girl Magic California Sparkling Brut?
This was one of the diverse-origin wines we picked up with our last order from Urban Grape. As we read the story behind each selection, we decided that this was the winery with the most fascinating tale, and it was from two women who, like TJ and Hadley, are changing the wine world. Like Urban Grape, the McBride Sisters are on a mission. They say:
"Founded by real-life sisters Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John, McBride Sisters Wine Company is the largest Black-owned and largest all women-founded wine company in the United States. Our mission is to transform the industry, lead by example and cultivate community, one delicious glass at a time.
We serve the “New Majority”, that have been ignored by the U.S. wine industry for many years, who are thirsty and want to be welcomed into the world of wine. Our mission is to break down barriers and make the future of wine more accessible."
What's With the Popcorn?
We often follow the winemakers' guidance when choosing the food that accompanies our toast. And sometimes, we just want to snack and sip.
The McBride Sisters say: "Pair with oysters, sushi, fried chicken and waffles, eggs benedict – or even popcorn and movie night."
Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes and produced by different methods, adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007, we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!
We purchase our bottle at Urban Grape for $22.
Related Posts:
Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast...
A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers
Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.
What's on your food lover's shopping list?
Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2024 Penny Cherubino
