Black Wine Experts Pour Knowledge and Power at ESSENCE Festival

During this year’s ESSENCE Festival of Culture™, the Food and Wine stage became the site of a powerful and much-needed conversation about Black visibility in the wine world. At the Let’s Toast: Exploring The World Of Wine panel, some of the industry’s leading Black voices came together to challenge stereotypes, celebrate craftsmanship, and share the realities of succeeding in a field where representation is still less than 1%.

Essence Fest / Getty Images

Moderated by ESSENCE’s Senior Lifestyle Editor, the panel featured Ingrid Best (founder of IBest Wines), Tia Clarke (founder of Roman Clarke Wines), and Buchi and Dozie Osondu. These tastemakers and entrepreneurs offered a candid look into their journeys and the legacy they're creating in wine culture.

“When I first got my start in the industry, there were not a lot of people that looked like us,” Best told the audience, according to ESSENCE. “And for me, that was the opportunity… I’m going to do everything that I need to do in my career to make sure that I’m bringing folks along so that we can change that.” She added that while the industry may appear exclusive, it’s also full of potential for those willing to master the craft: “This is not an easy industry, you need to master it, and that takes time.”

Tia Clarke echoed this sentiment, saying, “Sometimes that means that we have to knock on the door a little bit harder. Sometimes you have to kick the door in.” She emphasized the power of visibility and creating space for others, particularly Black women, in a historically male-dominated field. “We’re here, and we’re making the space for others to come in... and we’re not going anywhere,” Clarke affirmed.

The second half of the discussion dug even deeper into the layered reality of Black people in wine culture, both the joy and the barriers. “We’ve always enjoyed wine. We were just told that wine wasn’t for us,” Best said. “I think that the best way to keep people out of something is to tell them it’s not for them... Whether it’s wine or art or any of the things that they have tried to convince us it’s not for us, we need to take up space.”

Best reminded the audience that seeing someone who looks like you doing the work is essential: “You can’t be it if you don’t see it.” She added, “There’s this myth oftentimes that if it’s Black-owned, it’s not luxury, it’s not good, it’s not award-winning, and we’ve developed all of that.”

More than a cultural moment, the panel framed wine as a lucrative business and a viable career path. “I launched this brand to make money,” Best said frankly. “This is a business. It isn’t just about drinking wine... I’m a wine negotiator. I’m in the business of wine who works with a winemaker. People need to see all the things that it takes to actually launch your own brand.”

From the vineyards to the vision boards, these pioneers are building legacies that stretch far beyond the bottle. Their message was clear: we belong here, we’ve always been here, and it’s time the world knows it.

For updates on the ESSENCE Festival of Culture™, taking place July 3–6 and presented by Coca-Cola®, visit essence.com or follow @ESSENCEFest on Instagram, Facebook, and X.

Quotes and original event coverage courtesy of ESSENCE Magazine online.