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Thru The Grapewine
Welcome to the Thru the Grapewine podcast with your host Ute Mitchell, a certified wine professional, podcaster, and content creator. Join us as we uncork the stories of remarkable women shaping the wine industry. From winemakers to sommeliers, vineyard managers to marketers, to thought leaders and writers, we dive deep into their experiences, challenges, and triumphs.
With a delightful blend of wit and insight, each episode offers a refreshing perspective on wine culture and the women who define it. Whether you're a seasoned oenophile or just starting to explore the world of wine, our conversations will entertain, educate, and inspire.
Join us on this spirited journey as we raise a glass to women in wine, one episode at a time. Prost!
Keywords: wine, women in wine, wine industry, female winemakers, sommeliers, vineyard management, wine marketing, wine culture, podcast, storytelling, empowerment, humor, education, inspiration.
Thru The Grapewine
Curious About the Journey from Psychology to Wine? Meet Nia Ruth of Few And Far
Join us for an engaging interview with Nia Ruth, a former psychologist turned wine specialist, as she shares her captivating journey of transformation. From globetrotting adventures in vineyards to establishing a thriving wine business in California, Nia's story is one of passion, entrepreneurship, and community building.
Discover how Nia's love for wine led her to create a digital wine shop, a wine club, and a platform for hosting events, all inspired by her experiences in various wine regions. Delve into her collaborations, events, and wine writing endeavors, including her impactful work with the Coachella Valley Women's Collective and her role as a wine columnist for San Diego Magazine.
Nia also sheds light on the importance of diversity in the wine industry, sharing her experiences as a black woman and advocating for greater representation and support for minority-owned businesses. Tune in as Nia's passion ignites a sense of purpose, inspiring us to pursue our dreams with fervor and determination. Cheers to the transformative power of passion!
Few and Far Wine Club
Racial Inclusivity Part 1
Racial Inclusivity Part 2
Newsweek Black Owned Wineries
Wine Enthusiast Black Owned Wine Labels
Email: info@thruthegrapewine.com
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Hello and welcome to the Through the Grapevine podcast with your host, uta Mitchell Friends. It's been seriously such an exciting few weeks. I have about 10 women lined up to be interviewed for this podcast and it's really kind of crazy. So thank you so much for those of you who have recommended guests to me. I really really do appreciate you and I'm very excited about today's guest, who is a psychologist turned wine specialist, who has quite an amazing story to tell. So welcome to the show, nia.
Speaker 2:Ruth, amazing. Thank you so much for having me so excited to be here.
Speaker 1:So you do have quite a story to tell, because you did not plan at all to work in the wine industry, not even a little bit. So tell us what you were originally doing and where and how that all came to be?
Speaker 2:Yes, of course. So I started graduate school in New York City and when I was there I had a lot of opportunities to travel. So really, my love for wine is very much connected to. You know. I feel like everybody kind of has a way that they fell in love with wine. For me, it's through traveling. So, you know, I would travel to Europe, to South Africa, to kind of all of these really, really exciting places.
Speaker 2:And before I knew anything at all about wine, my first question was always okay, we're going to Barcelona. You know, google, where do they make wine near Barcelona? Dragging my friends out to the vineyards, they loved it, but none of us really knew what we were doing. It was just a beautiful place to be. We were meeting incredibly talented people that put their heart and soul into creating this product and it was just such a, you know, just really kind of cool, fascinating experience that I really clung onto and really made sure that I engage with when I went to every single place that I traveled to. But what really started to happen was, I realized I was like you know what. I'm having all these amazing experiences, but I don't fully remember every single detail from all of these, you know, wine tours and tastings and vineyards that I'm visiting. So I that you know, and I would go to restaurants in New York and there's these seemingly fantastic wine lists. But I did, I was like, oh, I've been to that region, I'll order this wine, but then I'm eating a food that I realized completely clashes, because I just didn't, you know, I just I just like wanted to be, I wanted to be better at just living my normal wine life is kind of how this all started.
Speaker 2:So after graduating graduate school, so I got my PhD in psychology at NYU. So after finishing that, I moved to San Diego for my first job. So I worked in research and consulting. I was doing anti-poverty research and you know, kind of looking at the relationships between government programs and, you know, household income for children and educational outcomes for children, and I absolutely loved this work.
Speaker 2:But going from that basically 24 hour workflow as a graduate student into just a job that was like nine to four. I would get home and I'm like what am I doing with my time? Like this is too much time to watch Netflix. I only need to watch Netflix for like a 20 minute episode or something, if at all, you know. So I was like you know what? I've been thinking about this for years. Why don't I just take a wine course? So that's how I really started to, you know, just kind of solidify.
Speaker 2:Honestly, by the second week of the course I was like, okay, so can I just get like certified, I'll just do the lowest level of like, I'll just do the easiest thing, because I'm not like doing this for something, it's just for myself, but why not learn about it and be able to put it towards something? This is this like crazy overachieving graduate, right, like this grad student, like this all is kind of like making sense, right. So I just like I and nothing has changed. So I just am like go, go, go all the time. So I decided to do that while in San Diego Also, you know, being in San Diego, I have access to tons and tons of some of the greatest wine regions in the country. So that was really fun, you know, just again, casually going with friends, but also learning, you know, on the back end, so kind of becoming that person in the friend group that's able to, you know, pick the wine for the table, going to the wine shop if we're having, you know, a little like engagement party or something like that and being the person that's, you know, in charge of the wine.
Speaker 2:Um, so from there I thought, again, doing a little, a little too much. I was like, okay, why don't I start like a blog and start actually just writing about wine? This is, you know, I, coming, you know, from grad school for my career, like I love writing, so I thought it would be fun to just kind of document and also a way, you know, you know, when you write something down it helps to solidify your learning. So I thought that it could happen to be a dual purpose. So I created an Instagram account. It was linked, you know, to a blog and it was just again for fun. But through that I ended up making so many local connections in the San Diego wine industry. So I, you know, started to, um, you know, get invited to like wine events and big wine festivals and wine tastings and things like that and just meeting other people that were very, very much immersed in the wine industry and just kind of learning about like what are their careers like?
Speaker 2:What are, what's their day to day life like, and really loving that and being pretty envious, honestly, of what their day to day life is like. So I could go on, but I will stop there as kind of how it all began, because I know we'll dive deeper into kind of how it has evolved.
Speaker 1:Well, you know what I love a good storyteller and I'm totally engrossed. So this is working out for me and I think you know, in that regard, the way we got started is is kind of pretty similar in that, you know, I mean I started working in a winery years ago not knowing a whole lot about wine, but then getting really excited and starting to do my certifications and writing about it and so, and then at some point going wait a minute, you know, I want to really start talking to women in the wine industry and I want to kind of elevate the women in the wine industry, and then this happened, and so anyway, it's great, it's been, it's been a lot of fun. So you took that first intro course at San Diego State University and then you went on and said, all right, well, w said here I come. You completed levels two and then three. How was that experience for you, those classes, those courses, especially number three?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so they were fantastic. I was so excited to be done with work so I could start reading about wine Right, sorry, thank you Flashcards for taking notes. So it was really great. So I was able to do level two in person in San Diego so I got to taste so many fascinating wines I never even heard about. Absolutely loved that. Unfortunately, when I did level three it was during COVID, so I couldn't do something in person and I still had a really great experience, still, of course, learned a lot, but I didn't get that same wine tasting experience. So I'm really jealous of everybody that gets to take WZ 30 in person.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, mine was just a little bit later. We were the first, I think we were the first class back in the classroom, perfect, and so initially everybody was still wearing masks, and you know. So we were able to get the masks off and to do our quick little tasting and put them back on, and then at some point towards the end, that was not even required anymore, and so it did feel weird, you know, like coming back for the first time, doing it without a mask and go.
Speaker 2:Should I even be doing this, Right? Oh, yeah, for sure. We all had no idea what we were doing back then.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, exactly yeah. So level three and diploma, is it on the horizon for you or are you happy where you're at you?
Speaker 2:know what I view WZ diploma as a PhD in line, and I think I'm okay with just one page. I've already been through it. Honestly, if you would have heard me back when I was actually in my PhD program, I was like I will never sit in a classroom again, I will never learn again. I am so over just all this. This is so hard, this is taking so much time and the next thing, you know, a year after I graduate, I'm like back in a classroom loving my life even more, you know. So I would say never, say never.
Speaker 2:However, I do, you know, kind of thinking back. Right now I do have this degree that there are so many things that I learn from it that are incredibly helpful to the things that I do now, but it's certainly not a one to one, you know, comparison of skills and one one to one use of skills. So I have been thinking really hard about the idea of investing that much time again into something and making sure that at the end I, for the rest of my, I mean, okay, I'm not going to hold myself really to that, because who knows where I'll end up.
Speaker 2:But you know for a long time in my career. I will like absolutely use those skills. The really cool thing now you know again. We haven't like fully got to what I'm doing now, but I am again like using the wine skills that I've learned using the you know the skills from my grad school program. But I'm also learning so much in the like on the job, if you will, you know and like really kind of getting. I'm still learning every single day. So I would say at this point no to WC diploma but never say never, because I've said never far too many times and then completely wrong.
Speaker 1:So we're going to catch up in about two or three years or so. So with that, you do own a digital wine shop, you run a wine club, you supply wines for local events, you host your own events. I feel like that is a lot that you're doing and I can kind of see how you're really busy with that, even without going into diploma. But will you let me know how you decided? You know what I'm going to go do this, let's, let's open a wine shop and let's do a wine club for sure, for sure.
Speaker 2:So, oh gosh, okay. So there's a little bit of a backstory getting here. So in San Diego I met my now husband. He is a fighter pilot in the Marine Corps. We got moved to Buford, south Carolina, so small town right on the South Carolina coast.
Speaker 2:It was lovely, your quintessential low country. You know, beautiful place. We had a fantastic time. I knew I wanted to get back to SoCal and, magically, his next round of orders were to 29 palms. So if you're not familiar, it's about an hour northeast ish of the Palm Springs area, so the Coachella Valley. So that's how I ended up back in California, very luckily.
Speaker 2:So, all of that said, you know, things were really different in South Carolina than they are, of course, in California, in the sense that people in California, we are Californians and we love wine, right Like it is a part of the fabric of the culture here. You know, people are constantly, pretty much any event that you go to, you're going to have, you know, really nice wine associated with it, whereas in South Carolina it was maybe more of a beer based event or just some. You know, it's just it's, it's just different. So, that said, moving here I really felt like so I started completely digitally and is just a wine club Moving here, I thought it was just a huge missed opportunity to not do more, to not be more involved in the community and really kind of be a part of these local events that people are always looking for. You know, wine to, you know, to source, to boast and elevate their event.
Speaker 2:You know people, a lot of people, were asking for, you know, I just, I just want to send a gift for Mother's Day. You know, I just want to send a gift for my best friend's birthday. Do I have to send them like a whole wine club box and it only goes out like at the first of the month, so how do I do this? So I was like okay, and also, you know people are like I absolutely love these bottles. How can I reorder them?
Speaker 2:So I thought you know what, I think there is a need to actually create a shop element, like a retail shop element to you know kind of what I offer. So you know, really all of those expansions happened as a result of you know kind of the way that it does for a lot of people that you kind of get asked for these things and then you find yourself in an environment that's just a little bit different and people are kind of people started approaching me differently and if I didn't have a retail shop and if I didn't have an inventory here in the Valley, then I wouldn't be able to, you know, host events with any, you know, in partnership with anybody, because I just wouldn't have any wine to do. That, you know. So that was is what kind of led to that, you know. Growth and expansion into those other areas in addition to the wine club oh my gosh, this is amazing.
Speaker 1:So, and and you are really like, your wine club is special in a sense that you are really looking for small production wineries. Yeah, so tell me about that?
Speaker 2:Yes, so my passion going all the way back to the beginning of our conversation about wine travel, you know and like really visiting these vineyards my passion is visiting these vineyards, drinking the wines of small producers, what I really wanted to do. So you know people, before I started any of this, people would, of course, be asking me for wine recommendations and I'm like you know what you're not going to. The thing that I would suggest you drink it's not a total wine, it's certainly not at the grocery store. You know these are things that are. They're difficult to find, they're they're maybe using low intervention practices and processes and vineyard and in the winery you know these the goal that these winemakers have is for each grape to shine for the terroir, for, you know, their vineyard area to really be the thing that is defining each of their wines, and that's just not something that's found in the mass wine production market. So that is my. That just kind of inherently, was my passion.
Speaker 2:So when it came to starting the wine club and sourcing wines for shop and events and all of those things, you know I only work with importers and distributors that are exclusively working with small producers, you know, just so that I can really hone in and find these unique wines, you know, in addition to small producers, in addition to the low intervention element, I also love to introduce people to grapes that they might have never heard before, to styles of wine that they might have never tried before, to wines from regions that they didn't even know had vineyards and made wine, and it's just really fun to just see people's like jaws drop when they try something that they can't even pronounce, they've never heard of, and they're like wait, this is so good, how have I?
Speaker 2:Why have I just been drinking Sauvignon Blanc for the last 10 years and I've never tried a Cirque du Co? I've never heard of a Cirque du Co, you know. So it's just, it's, it's, it's. It's a really cool experience, and I also love the idea of getting to support those small, family run, independent wineries, you know, by sourcing their wine and bringing them into my club and shop.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that. So you have different membership options. From what I remember, there's like a quarterly and then there's like a monthly. Can you talk a little bit about these membership options? How many bottles of wine can people expect? Are they curated? Is it just like you decide what you're going to be sending out at each one of them, or?
Speaker 2:tell me about that. Yeah, so you know what? I actually very recently have made the decision to kind of only offer a quarterly club. So I did offer monthly and quarterly, but with the idea of just really being able to source like the highest quality wines and just thinking about my time as a small business owner and really being able to hone in on working with local small businesses for to host events and being able to find wines that are perfect for bundles and gifts and things like that in the wine shop and really getting to find these just like really unique and interesting wines. I've actually now only offer a quarterly wine club membership.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, all right. Well, I might have to sign up for that. I would love to have you. So then, to get into the events that you're hosting, what kind of events are those Like? Is that a regular thing? That?
Speaker 2:you do. Yeah, so they're really all over the map, honestly. So, for example, last week, a you know connection that I had made locally she's an artist, she had an art show her very first one and she approached me and asked me if I would pour wine at her art show. So, you know, I went there and it's just so cool to me, you know, because these are people that I I have never met before in the Valley. The Valley, I should say the Coachella Valley, is like a very small town vibe, even though it seems like this, you know, big, like resort vacation destination it is, but for locals it's actually a really small town. So that's kind of another thing that I should say that I love about you know, co-hosting or supporting events is I just get to meet people that are just here locally, just have really cool and interesting conversations and just learn things you know about art that I didn't know, learn things about you know different parts of town that I'm in, which is just really cool. But yeah, so that's just kind of, you know, one example. You know. Another example is I actually I feel like you'll totally love this so I collaborated with two other local small business owners to create what we called the or called still very much alive and well, the Coachella Valley Women's Collective. So it is a networking group for, you know, female entrepreneurs locally. Here we have a seasonal event that we host and, of course, you know, I supply the wine for it. We work with a local business and use their venue, whether it's like a little jewelry shop or a small Airbnb or a Mexican restaurant is actually where our last event was at. So and then we, you know, collaborate with other vendors, bring everybody together. We have a guest speaker, that's, you know, a very prominent entrepreneur in the community. So we get to like learn from them and it's that's been so much fun. So that's, you know, kind of another example of an event.
Speaker 2:You know, something else is as approached by this gentleman who owns a big farm here locally and he was like let's collaborate, let's do a wine tasting series, let's do, you know, let's do in the fall like wine and food pairings, and then in the spring let's talk about so and so with wine.
Speaker 2:You know, he's like he's really dialed into wine in the sense that he is a big wine lover, but he doesn't really like know that much about it. So he's super excited to, you know, get to host like 50, 60, 70 people, you know for these big, you know kind of like communal style tasting, so just you know lots of kind of different things. Honestly, I feel like in my Instagram DMs there's multiple people per week you know asking. You know, hey, will you, will you do this event for me? Hey, can I buy a case for my upcoming this, that and the other, which? So it's been, it's been really, really cool to you know, make those local connections, get out in the community and really just get to meet people and chat, which is my favorite thing to just chat about wine.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh my gosh. And I love that people are so open to that kind of stuff. You know, especially guy with the farm, you know just kind of stepping outside of the box and deciding to do something else. I mean, how cool is that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, because he, you know he normally does like weddings and he he's in the eras and things like that, and so he's like. You know, what I want to do for me is I want you to do this wine tasting, Right Cause it's gonna be fun for me.
Speaker 1:I love that. Well, all of this information, of course, is going to be in the show notes, so not to worry about that. But moving on to what you're also doing and have been doing, you used to be the wine columnist for San Diego Magazine and I'm like how cool is that gig? Yeah, how did you go back in that?
Speaker 2:So I actually had a friend in San Diego that worked in PR and she happened to know the editor at San Diego Magazine. She, you know her, and I would talk a lot about our careers and kind of the things that we see for ourselves and, again, like I had been blogging at that time, so you know writing about wine already and she was like you know what she's like there's. So San Diego is pretty well known for beer, like craft beer, craft breweries and whatnot so, but not so much for wine. And she's, like I have been, you know, kind of looking for new places for us to go and try in town that are wine centric and there's just not really anything in San Diego Magazine about it. She's like I'm going to connect you with the editor, I think there's a gap here and I think they need someone to write about wine.
Speaker 2:And I was like that sounds crazy because I know how to write a 350 page dissertation. I learning how to write blog posts. The idea of writing a story for a magazine, that sounds like way too cool for me. So we got into touch and next thing, I knew every month I was pitching ideas and, yeah, writing, and it was really, really it was a really cool experience. Of course, unfortunately I left San Diego about a year later, so it's like, still it's not an ongoing thing at the moment, but luckily other opportunities have come up, so yeah, like the first piece that you have coming up.
Speaker 2:So, yes, so super excited about that one as well. And again, it was just, you know, I was at a networking event and I met this guy. He and he happened to be like the former editor of Palm Springs like magazine and I just introduced myself and I told him that he's right for San Diego magazine. I was like, do you have people that are writing about wine here? And he's like, yeah, you know, sort of, but I'll put you into touch with the current editor. And I was like, okay, so you know, gotten to touch with her pitch some ideas for stories. This was literally back in February and then, I think in June, she probably she had like responded back then, but in June she's like okay, nia, I'm ready for you. I love your idea about XYZ. Can you do it in two weeks, like, and have it done in two weeks.
Speaker 2:And I was like you know what? Yes, like, did I actually have time to do it? Definitely not. But yeah, I was like, all right, let's, let's do it. So it's about the restaurants with the best wine lists here in the Valley. So it's like a superlative kind of thing. So like, best natural wine list, best wine lists for California wine lovers, most extensive. So it was really fun.
Speaker 2:I you know, met in person with, gotten the phone with tons of songs you know throughout the Valley that are working in these fantastic restaurants. I have been tasked with wine list so it was really cool, you know, again to plug in a little bit more to the restaurant side of you know, like the wine and food side, because that's you know, I had been just, you know, kind of doing wine independently so far as far as local you know kind of events. So, yeah, that that was really cool. And then another really cool thing that happened is I got connected through somebody of somebody you know how that all happens with the local news and the producer of the local news was like hey, would you want to come on and just do like a monthly segment about wine, like teach, teach something, talk about wine and favorite. And I was like sure, so I've been doing that for the last few months.
Speaker 2:I just recorded last week a segment about chillable wines and everyone in the scolaires, everyone in the studio, is like this doesn't sound good, like we trust you to talk about this, but like you got to convince us. So by the end of recording draw like wait a second. This is so cool. We need to try some of your wines that you know we could chill, et cetera, et cetera. So that's just been. You know again, just these little things that are happenstance, and just you know. It's just all about meeting people and talking to people and you know, you never know what kinds of opportunities will come up. So that's yeah, it's definitely been fun.
Speaker 1:Well, I want to be like you want to go up. So, and on the topic of writing, you actually wrote a couple of pieces on racial inclusivity in the wine industry, and in that first one you talk about how the wine industry is pretty welcoming in general, but you still find you're usually the only black person in the room more often than not, and then you go into what can be done to change this. Would you and I'm going to have the articles, of course, linked in the show notes so that people can listen to it, but would you elaborate on that just a little bit?
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure, for sure. So the first story that happened, you know, the editor of San Diego magazine approached me and asked if I would just kind of write, like you know so this was within the week of you know, george Floyd, if we're on a tailor and kind of all of those things happening. So I guess back in 2020, you know, kind of ask, you know, we know that you're very involved in the wine industry here locally Can you share some of your kind of like reflections and insights on, you know, how you feel about all of this? Because I know we all remember that right after all of those you know, very terrible, tragic things happened, there was a huge surge in, you know, people caring, I guess, a lot very vocally and publicly about racial inclusivity in their respective industries. So I felt really honored to have the opportunity to talk about that in the wine industry and kind of share my experience and share some of my thoughts and ideas for how it could be. You know better, because there's not a whole lot of representation. I do think that you know, every month, two months, I do see a new winery or tasting room or wine shop kind of pop up at some, you know, some area around the country that is owned by a person or people of color, which is really inspiring and really exciting.
Speaker 2:You know, I think that three years later, I still have the same thoughts on it. I think that it's, you know, some of the things that make it difficult is it's very cost prohibitive. Of course I love supporting family owned wineries. You know we have, oh my gosh, in my upcoming wine club release, we have a seventh generation owned Portuguese winery that we're featuring one of their wines. That's so cool. But you know, when you think about the current members of those families that are running the winery, their cost barrier to entry is zero. It's a family, it's handed down, so you know they don't have to pay for any of the equipment. They don't have their, you know, potentially still paying for the land, but they've owned it for generations or they've at least been releasing it for days.
Speaker 2:So you know their pricing is going to be a little bit different than just showing up today and, you know, trying to purchase or rent or release whatever that land would be. So I think that the cost, the, you know, number one is the cost of hybridiveness. Number two is the training, which is also, you know, learning about wine is a rather expensive hobby or career path, you know, whichever path you take with it. It is not, you know, something that you just pop in for, you know, $100 and get to learn everything about wine. Like it's a very, very cost intensive process, especially when you start to get to the diploma level, you know, to kind of those much higher levels. So you know, thinking about ways that organizations that do have those type of funds, and maybe those larger wineries you know, can provide scholarships, can, you know, bring in, they can recruit at, historically you know, black colleges and universities to actually find those people that are interested in wine, that are really, really talented but just don't quite have the means to. You know, kind of get there Because, again, once you start in these programs, once you start working at these wineries, it's all about meeting people, right, like think about how many people, then you become connected with that.
Speaker 2:Could, you know, support your dream of owning your own winery. It could support your dream of, you know, owning a wine shop or running, you know, some sort of wine business. So you know, I do think that all you know it was it was funny, you know, because you know, when you told me we were going to talk about this, I went back and just reviewed the article. It's been three years and I was like I still agree. You know, I don't really have much to add.
Speaker 2:I think that you know all of that still stands. And then the second article that you mentioned. I actually approached San Diego magazine about it and I was like, okay, it's been a year, it's summer 2021. Can we talk about whether anything has actually changed? I would love to start reaching out to people to really, you know, kind of get to know a little bit about some of the you know producers that have put a lot of time and energy into, you know, making these changes and, you know, creating a more diverse recruiting system, et cetera, et cetera. And just see, because it was such a big, you know there's, there's. You know we all get a little skeptical when there's such a big publicity kind of hit for something. Does it fizzle out over time? Are people truly invested?
Speaker 1:in this or is it just like a cool fad, woke thing to do yeah, so it's the cool thing to do for me right in this moment. This is going to make me look good today.
Speaker 2:And I don't really have to follow through. No one's paying attention in a year or two or three years or five years, you know exactly.
Speaker 2:So I did find I actually, when I was writing that article, I was pretty disappointed in the lack of what I found as far as individual wineries that were, you know, like really following through and really kind of making systemic changes in the way that they operate. Something that was really inspiring was that many scholarship foundations had popped up, many organizations that were doing mentoring the wine industry for people of color, like so many more of those had, you know, been created and were growing over the course of that past year. So it was really cool to highlight them. But, you know, as far as in individual wineries, I wasn't like blown away by, you know, the work and things that people have done. So definitely a little bit of a mixed bag as far as the follow up story went Right.
Speaker 1:So there definitely needs to be conversations happening, I guess, then on local wineboards as well, because I feel like oftentimes, you know, as a winery owner, their first thought goes into I'm making my wine, I am, you know, creating this, I'm, you know, really kind of focused on that. But if it's on their minds because they're sitting on wineboards and there are so many in every wine region that they really should kind of bring that up. So, the Women in Wine Conference that we had here in Oregon both years, you know, yes, the audience is overwhelmingly white. I mean, that is Oregon for you, but I also know that the organization always makes a point to invite people of color and black people to sit in panels and to talk about and to kind of keep reminding us as an industry. You know what we need to be doing and you know actively doing to support these businesses and these entrepreneurs.
Speaker 1:Now, when it comes to regular, you know, wine drinkers, wine lovers, what should they do? I mean, they're they probably. You know, there's going to be that person sitting there, on the other hand, going. You know, yeah, I want to do something, but what? What can I do as just a drinker of yummy?
Speaker 2:wine. That's. That's such a great question, and I do. I do just want to first say that I think it's a really good idea to kind of hone in on those levers of you know wine conferences, like that example that you just gave wine growers, associations, wine, you know all of these regional wine groups. I think that's such a good idea to kind of continue to press, because those groups have a lot of power, they have a lot of influence and if that's the thing that people in those groups are focused on, I do think that there will definitely, you know, things will happen, things will, you know, kind of grow and evolve. So I think that's I just want to say that's a great idea.
Speaker 2:I should write I need to go back and amend my article to add that one and as far as individual wine drinkers, so I think, a few things. One you know it's not necessarily super specific to you know minority owned wineries and wine labels, but if you are focused on drinking wine that is made by small producers, I guarantee you you're significantly more likely to come across a winery that is only a person of color, so that I would start there.
Speaker 2:Additionally, I think that there are so many you know wine businesses that are all sorts of different, you know, whether it's a retail shop or a wine club or anything like that that do give back to the community. I will say, plug, mine does as well. I did not mention this, actually, what I was talking about, but you know, every, every month, $1 from each wine club membership is donated to a cause of our members choice. So members kind of you know they share the, you know causes that they're really interested in and the causes that they support outside of a course wine. And you know we make an effort to support all of those organizations that you know are that our members are passionate about, which is really great, and there are a lot of philanthropic wine businesses out there. Actually, you know drinking for a cause is a very big thing.
Speaker 2:Attending back back on the events train, you know, attending local events in your area that are you know it's, could be like a wine, a wine pairing dinner where a portion of proceeds are getting donated, or just, you know, approaching people yourself If you, if you live in a region or, sorry, if you live in an area with, like you know, a wine, a wine region close by. You know, talking to people and just saying like, oh you know, is this something that you've ever done before? You know, maybe I could be a part of it if you're passionate enough about it. You know, like, I think, I think that it is tough. So I think that, you know, taking matters into your own hands is kind of that's what I've done, because it's it's tough to find. You know it's not. It's so mission, I think, supporting mission driven businesses and, again, you know, shopping small, drinking small, are probably going to be your best, like most immediate and honestly, easiest, lowest time investment.
Speaker 2:you know, way of, you know, really supporting but it's. It is not easy to find. I don't think it's easy to just walk into a wine shop and know exactly which bottle to buy, based on the fact that you're a minority. I don't think you would just have no idea. So right.
Speaker 1:So I definitely agree with what you're saying. Then to you know, also finding a wine club like yours, for instance, where you know that you know some of the wine will come from a minority producer or whatever. But you also listed in your I think it was a second article two lists that have like a whole list of black owned wine producers.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So now I think I think you mentioned you wanted to link that with show notes. I think that's fantastic. You know just kind of googling, you know what are some of these producers, so that next time you go out to dinner, next time you're going to your local wine shop and selecting wine, you'll have a, you'll be kind of familiar with some of the labels that are produced by people of color. So yeah, you know, I love that idea, I think being being a prepared shopper and consumer, having that information.
Speaker 1:And we, you know, we educate ourselves in every other area. So this is just one more thing that we need to get ourselves educated on and make informed decisions, for sure, I totally agree.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I will definitely put that in there. Those articles are both really great, so they'll be in the show notes, of course. So this is amazing. I do know that that you have mentioned earlier on that you're doing some traveling and that you have done traveling and you wrote down these, these places where I'm like, wow, I want to go there. You have, you know, greece listed, morocco, italy, spain, portugal, south Africa, and you know all of these regions, of course, have so much to offer, and you've already talked a little bit on the topic of these small production wineries and what they, what they have to offer. You know, both in wine, but also culturally. What regions would you travel back to? You know, if you want to, went on a trip tomorrow and somebody said here's a ticket, go anywhere you'd like.
Speaker 2:So this is such a funny question. I had a dream last night that I moved to Italy and the first thing I said to my husband this morning we woke up is I think we should move to Italy. Like I'm being 100% serious, and he looks like I was crazy. He's like Okay, like when? Like what timeline are we talking here? You know, it's really funny.
Speaker 2:Because he knows that he needs to take me pretty seriously when I have these crazy ideas, because I act on most of my crazy ideas right. So, but, yeah, so, you know. But I would certainly not limit it to just Italy. I think my most recent trip to Europe was to Italy, so it still feels very top of mind. But you know, I mean, in short, and any, all of those places. They're all so fantastic, there's so much to learn in every country. And you know, between and it's just between all the different regions that exist in each of these different countries, you know I have not even touched half of them, probably more than half of them. You know, based on the traveling that I've had the opportunity to do so far, there's always more to see, always more to learn.
Speaker 2:You know, morocco was a really fun one because I had no idea what to expect as far as Moroccan wine. I actually, in the last few years, have seen a little bit more Moroccan wine that's imported here to the US, which is really cool. But you know, prior to that, I hadn't really had wine from Morocco and I had the opportunity to meet with, like you know, one of the top sommeliers, one of the top hotels there that you know I, a friend and I were staying at it was. It was just a really cool experience and get close to this private wine tasting for us. So you know, I really got to understand and learn about, you know, the French influence on the Moroccan wine industry and like just these things that I had just never learned before, that you don't learn in your wine training, you know out of your texts, but you know just really to have those immersive experiences.
Speaker 2:So, honestly, anywhere, everywhere. There's also outside of that list hundreds of other places that I want to go as well. So it's, it's, it's way, way, way too hard to pick. I did a Madeleine dream yesterday. But you know what, if I lived in Italy, think about how easy it would be for me to go to all the other places on my list. So maybe that is a good step one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was even just thinking about you. Know, I went to, you know Burgundy last year, but there's so much more just to discover in France.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:And in Germany. You know, I feel like you know. I'm from Germany, of course, so I know my way around, but there are so many different wine regions in Germany that I would love to see, or Italy, of course, and, and, yeah, so many other places.
Speaker 2:I mean, I live in California. I don't know every single thing about every single region here, not even close, having to skim the surface despite having the opportunity to go and visit you know often. So I totally agree with you it's, there's. There's just always so much to learn. There's always so many new things happening too. Even if you really feel like you tap something out, I promise you wait six months. You're going to show up and be like wait, who's, who's this person, who's this producer here, like now there's all this new one for me to try.
Speaker 1:So it's, it's really cool, oh, excellent. So last question for you, as far as wine goes. Are you gravitating more towards the bolder wines? Do you like it a little bit wider, a lighter Do you? You know, do you like the variety, or are you, I guess? What are you gravitating towards if you are just going to reach for a glass of wine?
Speaker 2:So I actually have kind of a bomb to drop on you, a little bit of a confession. I am actually having a baby next week, so I have not been reaching for wine for quite some time. I've been sampling, I have been swishing and spinning. I have been doing all of the things for the last nine months. So, nobody worry, every single wine is still tasted by me, perfectly, completely curated, and it's not I haven't just been like guessing, you know, with any of the wines that I'm sourcing.
Speaker 2:But I am so excited to reach for a glass of wine and I honestly look at my wine rack almost every day and I still haven't even decided what my first glass of wine is going to be. My husband I overheard him telling someone that he's going to bring a bottle of champagne to the hospital. I'm pretty excited about that. So yeah, you know, I guess. I guess that does kind of answer my question. You know what? What am I reaching for? Something celebratory? I think it's been a really great year. It's been, you know. You know we talked about all of the things that I've been doing like nonstop while pregnant this last several months, and it's been right. It's definitely every day is not easy, but it's been incredibly rewarding and it's been a lot of fun to kind of do both of these things together. I really was so worried that it was going to slow me down and it wasn't going to allow me to, you know, accomplish all the things I wanted to do, and if you put your mind to it, you know you can do it.
Speaker 1:Well, you know, let me just tell you, you look fabulous. I did not work this fabulous a week before I was about to give birth. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:Yes, you know what I'm going out to these events. Everyone's like are you okay? Do you need to say I'm like? No, I'm fine. I'm like, but I don't have boring wine. My belly is hitting the table but it's no big deal. Like I'm still. I'm still out there, you know, and it's I've been very, very lucky. I know that, that it's I've been very, very lucky to you know, feel great and still really be able to do things that I want to do.
Speaker 2:But yeah. So I'm excited for really any kind of wine at this point, like anything not going to be picky. But I would say, if you, if you set that aside summer in the desert, I would definitely I'd say, you know, really crisp, fresh whites have been, you know, like I guess. I guess what we can frame it is what have I been choosing for my husband to drink? Right, so, definitely the, the, the, the crisp, fresh whites. You know, I haven't been like obsessing over many Rosé's this summer, which is really weird because I love Rosé, but I haven't found a ton that I'm like obsessed with. So I would have to say probably whites and sparklies, because sparklies are always, you know, but that's, that's kind of the round thing, right?
Speaker 1:Well, I hope he will bring you a really lovely bottle of bubbles to the hospital. I wish you nothing but the best a wonderful birth and a beautiful first time to get adjusted to mommyhood. I know that's going to take up a lot of your time.
Speaker 2:It is. It is, but I have everything ready to go for the fall, so there will be no gaps in anything that I've been working on, so we will be good to go. Every everything's prepared.
Speaker 1:All right, wonderful. Well, thank you again so much, nia, for making yourself available for this interview. Like I said, all of this information is going to be down in the show notes for our listeners to check out and join the wine club, and so thank you, have a wonderful day. I will talk to you soon, of course. Thank you so much for having me. This is wonderful and, of course, with all of that, all I have left to say is post.