NEWSLETTER
Only 1% of winemakers in the United States are Black. However, brands such as Ebony Wine & Spirits, North Carolina’s first Black-owned wine brand, are helping break that statistic by bringing representation to the space.
“Brand representation is everything. For me, it’s either you’re going to do two things: Without seeing something, you’re going to want to create it or either it’s going to get to you and you’re going to think, ‘This can’t exist and it can’t happen.’ For me, I did the [former] of the two. I knew that it had to happen,” Ebony Wine & Spirits founder Camillya Masunda says. “For me, it means representation is hope. It allows you to believe that something is possible. It allows you to dream. So representation, I think, creates an opportunity for dreamers to come to life.”
Masunda initially became curious about wine during college when she read the back of wine bottles to learn more about who was crafting the product. She noticed a lack of racial representation among the makers and those involved in the industry, such as sommeliers. She later went on to form the family-owned company, which launched during lockdown. She chose the name Ebony as a way to represent culture, melanin unity and history. She adds that choosing the name is the strongest part of Ebony Wine & Spirits’ history.
The founder says that wine and luxury intersect when celebrating something that’s high-quality and high-end. However, she says that those qualities can be missed in different communities because of what people believe certain cultures should have. Masunda says Ebony Wine & Spirits ensures that culture and luxury are intertwined, much like art. The winery exemplifies interweaving the two through its urban art establishment, Ebony Experience Gallery.
The gallery not only celebrates wine but also gives back to the community. Artists who look like herself, who aren’t acknowledged as much as other artists, are offered the opportunity to host their art and celebrate it. Guests are greeted at the establishment with a complimentary glass of their choice of Ebony Wine. Not only is there art on the walls but there are also multiple rooms for tapestries, pottery and photo opportunities. Masunda says one of the rooms is even dedicated as a conversation place to discuss wine and celebrate the art of theatre, movies and music, which are entwined in the Ebony Wine & Spirits culture. The art gallery is inspired by her trips to the continent of Africa where she attended an art gallery, motivating her to create a space that celebrates both art and wine.
Masunda highlights Ebony Red Fusion, a Bordeaux-style blend, as one of the favored wines. The fusion is created for both a party, night in or a recipe she recently created—a red wine honey chicken recipe with a Caribbean and African twist, making the wine also perfect for cooking. The 2017 had a mild summer, lending to a bountiful harvest. The variety has bright red fruit and floral notes layered with spice and oak. The wine washes over the palate with plum and red cherry.
While Moscato typically has a bad reputation, the one crafted by Ebony Wine & Spirits features flavors and aromas of apricots, fresh Indian jasmine and rose petals that leap from the glass. The sweet, succulent flavors combine with bright acidity for a bright floral finish.
The Kinshasa is an ode to where Masunda’s father is from in Congo, where Kinshasa is the capital. She says the city is full of sun, sand, beaches and tall buildings that remind her of New York City. The grapes are sourced from the Lodi area of Sacramento. One’s tastebuds experience bright bouquets of orchard peach and mango fruits dancing with sweet, delightfully tropical fruit-forward finishes that are crisp and refreshing. “It’s definitely a wine that once you open it, it’s not going to close. It’s not the wine that you save,” she jokes.
Ebony Wine & Spirits recently launched its first spirit, dubbed Diaspora Peach Vodka. Spirits also only have a small percentage of Black owners, allowing the winery to bring more representation into the alcohol space.
“Ebony Wine and Spirits is truly in a lane of its own,” Masunda says. “Everything that we create has a story behind it. It has a purpose behind it. So not only are you going to get these hands-on created top wine and spirits, you’re going to get a story. You’re going to get a creation with a purpose so that you know that the love that was put into this is not just a mass-produced wine. It’s something that truly embodied the love of what we represent as a wine and spirits company.”