After noticing a lack of diversity in the regional wine space, Natasha Williams, owner of local wine brokerage firm Lush Life Brands, created the Cincinnati Black Wine Fest, a one-day festival celebrating Black vintners, and highlighting some of the 200-plus Black wine brands and producers around the globe.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF LUSH LIFE BRANDS
“My business tagline is that wine is to be ‘lushy not stuffy,’” she explains. “Black Wine Fest is just that—a fun festival that not only celebrates these brands but also presents them to wine enthusiasts in a non-stuffy environment. It’s like hosting a big happy hour with a few hundred of my closest friends!”
The inaugural event, which attracted more than 600 attendees last winter, featured 80 wines from 23 brands, and is poised to return for its second year at Music Hall in February. But before it does, it’s already raking in it’s currently up for a nomination in the “best new festival” category of USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
“When I decided to do this, I never even thought someone would see it and this is where we would be but here we are,” Williams says. “I am so grateful.”
Participants can go here to vote once a day. Voting ends on Monday, December 25, at noon EST, and the winners will be announced on Friday, January 5.
Williams says she believes that the nomination reflects wine drinkers’ changing tastes.
“We’ve been so accustomed to drinking California, mass production, big box wines, so when you start introducing smaller producers [and] brands that aren’t so mainstream, and are diverse, the consumer’s ears perk up and there is an interest to want to learn more,” she adds. “Honestly, I think that’s where we are moving [the needle] in some ways, supporting the boutique wineries, the diverse brands, and smaller productions. Plus, there is something special about having a certain vintage from some of these wineries and being able to share and tell the story with friends.”
For more information about the Black Wine Fest, visit lushlifebrands.net.
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