NETFLIX & WINE | BLACK OWNED WINERIES

Source: Swell Made.co

JULY 8, 2020 LESLEY ROBB

NETFLIX AND WINE PAIRINGS FROM SWELL.CO

It’s been a long time since I have posted a Netflix & Wine round up. Actually, not since 2019! You all know it’s been quite a year. I’d like to say those were the “good old days”, but they weren’t. 2020 has been a wild ride, but it has also opened our eyes to do better. So much better. We have an incredible opportunity right now to welcome a new normal where we speak up and act against anti-Black racism and the social injustices that 2020 has revealed in so many facets of our lives. I am here for it. Forever. Black Lives Matter.

Black-owned wineries and Black stories matter. That’s where this post comes to in. For this edition of Netflix and Wine, I am pairing wines from Black-owned wineries with some of my favourite Black stories on Netflix. Netflix now has a Black Lives Matter section which is where you’ll find most of these shows. Please take a look and watch hard-hitting documentaries like 13th and When They See Us by the incredible Ava DuVernay and so many more. They are an important part of our collective learning. Listen, learn, repeat. Forever.

1. Uncorked - La Fete du Rose (St. Tropez, France)
   
   Uncorked tells the story of Elijah — a Black man who is torn between his dream of becoming a sommelier and his father’s expectation that he’ll take over the family barbecue business. It’s a refreshing take on the typical father-son drama, but it’s also refreshing to see a movie about wine that typically ins’t portrayed as part of the Black experience. Ebert calls it a “pleasant film and its upbeat musical tracks (original music by Hit Boy) with a positive attitude and a smooth bottle of wine. It will go down easy.”
   
   Pair it with a bottle of La Fête du Rose from France (where Elijah studies to become a sommelier). It is a premium rosé wine label geared towards multicultural consumers who have a thirst for life, travel and wine. The pastel, salmon-pink wine asserts itself charmingly on the nose with agreements of dried fruits, bonbon, and hazelnut. Winemaker, Burston, makes donations on behalf of La Fete to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Color of Change.* lafeterose.com

2. Self Made - McBride Sisters Collection Black Girl Magic 2016 Red Blend (California, USA)
   
   “Sisters, sisters! Let’s talk about hair. Hair can be freedom or bondage. The choice is yours.” – Octavia Spencer as Madam C.J. Walker
   
   Self Made is a miniseries about the life of Madam C.J. Walker. It tells the inspiring and touching true story of one of America's most revolutionary women. Born into slavery, Madam C.J. Walker was the first woman to become a self-made billionaire in America a century ago by dedicating her life to helping Black women care for their hair. The cultural and symbolic weight of Black women’s hair is appreciated and respected in this story where Madam C.J. Walker empowers and trains women to build their own businesses and become financially independent.

   
   Pair with a bold and complex red blend by McBride Sisters. A complex, well-crafted and inviting wine that shows tobacco and vanilla bean notes alongside generous plum, raspberry, and blackberry. The ripe and juicy mouth offers the chocolate cherry flavours typical of Merlot with the full body and peppery spice of Cabernet to round out the full body and complement the fruit. The finish is bold, gripping, and invites another sip.* mcbridesisters.com
   
   

3. Becoming - House of Mandela Phumla Pinotage 2017 (Western Cape, South Africa)
   
   After reading Michelle Obama’s book “Becoming” (which I loved), this documentary did not disappoint. It shows a familiar, but more carefree, former first lady as she tours across the US on her 34 city book tour. The documentary looks at her incredible and inspiring life including lessons learned along the way. Full of sage advice and hope, I will definitely revisit this documentary again and again. Just as I did with the book.
   
   Pair this documentary about one world icon with wine fit for royalty from The Mandela Family. The Mandelas are descendants of a royal bloodline that dates back to the 18th century when Thembuland was part of the royal kingdom of the Eastern Cape. House of Mandela wines strive to tell stories of the rainbow nation and offer a bridge between past, present and future.
   
   This wine was matured in stainless steel on French oak staves for 10 months and offers smoky and savoury herbs, cocoa, blue plum and blackberry wrapped in plush, velvety tannins.* houseofmandela.com
   
   

4. Dear White People - Maison Noir Other People’s Pinot Noir 2018 (Willamette Valley, Oregon)

   
   Dear White People is a comedy-drama series (based on the movie of the same name) that follows several Black university students at an Ivy League institution, touching on issues surrounding modern American race relations. Released in 2017, there are now 3 seasons for your viewing pleasure. The parody will make you laugh, cry and most importantly open your eyes to subtle and overt forms of racism in America.
   
   Pair this series with Other People’s Pinot by Maison Noir Wines. It is accessible, a great value, and stays true to the character of the vineyards from which it was born. Earthy, spicy, floral, herb-framed flavours of cherry with gingery wood spice tones.

   Founded by sommelier André Hueston Mack in 2007, Maison Noir incorporates a trademark attitude and personal perspective on the wine subculture. The wines are unique and distinctive garage wines, initially created for some of the New York's best restaurants for whom Mack was a sommelier.* maisonnoirwines.com
   
   

5. Black #AF - Darjean Jones 2016 Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast, California)
   
   If you liked Black-ish, you’ll love Black AF. Its more raw, foulmouthed sibling. In “#blackAF,” Barris’s inaugural Netflix series, he stars as Kenya, the filthy-rich creator of a successful show, called “black-ish,” who lives in a McMansion in Los Angeles with his six children and his lawyer wife, Joya. The comedy series navigates relationships, race and culture as the family grapples with newfound success.
   
   Pair this series with Darjean Jones 2016 Chardonnay which is aged in the traditional French style, “sur lie,” remaining in contact with the lees throughout barrel aging. This medium-bodied white exhibits flavours of green apple, pear and stone fruit. It has a strong mineral backbone and well balanced acidity. The Chardonnay goes through full malolactic fermentation, producing a wine with savoury hints of brioche and a roundness that makes this vintage very approachable.* darjeanjoneswines.com

You can buy many of these wine across the USA, but they are harder to find in Canada. House of Mandela is currently carried at the LCBO in Ontario and Maison Noir Wines can be found at SAQ in Quebec. What does that mean for fans? Ask your local wine stores, whether private or public, to CARRY WINES FROM BLACK-OWNED WINERIES. Your voice matters!

For a comprehensive list of Black-owned wineries from around the world, see this list from Wine Enthusiast.

*Tasting notes from wineries. Content is not sponsored.