Fluker: Share your experience as two African-American women vintners. Andra and Robin McBride have a personal story as unique as their professional one. But instead of backing down, they forged ahead, starting their own wine company using the knowledge they had gained about winemaking and the business of winemaking while working as importers. So the two sisters immediately talked and decided to meet at LaGuardia Airport in New York the next day. [6] In the 12 months leading up to October 2020, the McBride Sisters had sold 35,000 cases of wine at retail outlets, according to Nielsen, making it the largest Black-owned wine company by volume. Black Girl Magic has always been synonymous with our culture and consumers love and appreciate that, Andra tells TZR. However, they have all been facing different challenges. McBride Sisters - Wikipedia Robin and Andra McBride, founders of McBride Sisters Wines, are the first African-American sister duo to found and establish a wine company. James stated, "I asked if I was black or white. The crest reflects our Sisterly bond and is designed with our shared father, represented as a proud peacock (he was known to be quite cocky) over the initials "MS" for McBride Sisters. "Both of us were growing up thinking we were only children-- completely, you know, opposite ends of the Pacific Ocean.". "The world brought us together; we're invincible, we can do anything," Andra said. The Collection, launching in more than 1,500 retail locations nationwide, consists of four wines crafted in the McBride Sisters signature style, a blend of old world elegance with new world finesse. Its about getting the necessary attention from consumers and wine distributors alike to showcase how important representation is in the wine industry and how important accessibility is to wine education for all., Young wine drinkers and wine lovers of color are often overlooked by major wine brands, who have historically positioned wine, whether through events, marketing and messaging, to an older, white consumer. The McBride Sisters Collection, launched in May 2017, is composed of four wines, including a Chardonnay and a red blend from Central Coast, California and a Sauvignon Blanc and a sparkling brut ros, both from Marlborough, New Zealand. It was life changing. In the 17 years since that fateful call, Andra and Robin have not only met, but in 2005, they founded what is now the largest Black-owned wine company in the United States and they did it without any seed money from investors. [12] The most popular set is a trio of Black Girl Magic wine featuring bottles of riesling, zinfandel, and ros. Her trip after the familys second split was to her mothers native New Zealand, where she grew up in Marlborough wine country and was captured too. The Sisters brought their wines together under the same label with two lionesses and a peacock. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. In March, they launched a new initiative that funds scholarships for women in agricultural programs at Southern University, a historically Black college in Louisiana. Join our community of wine lovers & be the first to know about virtual events and new wine releases. Wine is agriculture, says Robin. They affectionally named the wine with the peacock on the label Cocky Motherf*cker in honor of their father. [6], The company's main labels include the McBride Sisters Collection, which features many wines from the Central Coast of California and from New Zealand, and Black Girl Magic. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) McBride Sisters Wine Company, San Luis Obispo, CA. We Googled the top 100 restaurants in California and started knocking on doors., They were more or less clueless, she admits. They're black women in a field dominated by white men. Subscribe now and save. Fluker: As the first African-American sisters to own a wine company, share your journey with establishing your mission statement for McBride Sisters wine? Facebook, Inc. Commits $2 Million Donation to McBride Sisters "Meet the Sisters Behind One of the Wine Industry's Most Exciting Companies", "How This Sister Duo Became Trailblazers Within The Wine Industry", "Black Creators: The McBride Sisters Embark On A New Chapter", "20 Black-Owned Businesses That Will Have Something for Everyone on Your Holiday Shopping List", "Black-owned wineries are making their mark in Northern California", "Black Winemakers: A true rarity in the wine world", "Long-lost sisters run female-dominated wine company - CBS News", "Meet the Long-Lost Sisters Making Wine for Women", "Five wines from Black-owned wineries, in one flight", "This sauvignon blanc tastes like a splurge, but doesn't cost like one", "Fill Your Glass With Brands That Give Back: When you give a bottle of these spirits and wine, you give twice", "Black winemakers are climbing up the vine", McBride Sisters Wine Company (official website), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=McBride_Sisters&oldid=1113985187, Black-owned companies of the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 4 October 2022, at 06:11. OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- McBride Sisters Collection, Inc., the largest Black-owned wine company in the U.S., today announces that it has received a . "We've been in the business so many years. While Andra knew about Robin, Robin didnt know she had a younger sister, much less one across the world in New Zealand, and the two eventually connected in 1999. Over time, McBride Sisters has grown into what is not only the largest Black-owned wine company in the United States, but one of the most inclusive, accessible, socially aware and sustainable. Robin and Andras journey has provided them with a lifetimes worth of insight they hope will make pursuing a career in wine a little easier for the next generation of women interested in the field. But like, what are the chances we're going to find this person out in the world?". The "S" is styled to look like a loc of our curly hair. McBride Sisters Unite Wine and Family - Breakthru Bev Whats yourfavorite thing aboutros right now? And it turned out they both grew up in small agriculture towns known for winemaking and they were both passionate about wine. [17] The post went viral by after it was shared by celebrities including former professional basketball player Dwyane Wade and actor Gabrielle Union. Birth date: July 29, 1966. Enjoy Responsibly. McBride Sisters Helm the Country's Largest Black-Owned Wine Brand [17] As of December 2020, McBride Sisters wines were sold at select Target retail stores,[4] and was also marketed nationally at Walmart and Kroger, in addition to being sold direct through the company web site.[14]. Andra McBride was a 16 year old living in foster care in New Zealand when she got a phone call from her biological dad in Alabama. Robin: Overlooking to rocky coast of Monterey Bay. We started four years ago working with the vineyard owner and the grapes, a few select rows. We like fruit driven, cooler climate wines that express the environment where they were grown. And so the realization hit that that was the first time that I'd seen my sister, who happened to look a lot like me at that time," Robin said. The sisters were born to different mothers, both in Los Angeles. Robin and Andra McBride, founders of McBride Sisters Wines, are the first African-American sister duo to found and establish a wine company. The sisters shared a biological father, Kelly McBride, whom they had had little contact with while growing up. So, in an effort to bond, they went to wine tastings and vineyard tours. The search involved sending letters to a long list of people named Robin McBride on Department of Motor Vehicle lists. How 2 friends created sparkling wine subscription service The Sip, surveyed 3,100 industry professionals in 2019 and found, EatOkra founders share inspiration behind their app highlighting Black-owned restaurants. These wines, priced between about $12 and $17 a bottle, became available at Kroger-owned stores this fall. Launched in 2019, the SHECAN Fund provided support for a select number of Black-woman owned businesses across all industries hit the hardest by the pandemic in 2020, and this year, the fund will focus on professional development for women in the traditionally male-dominated fields of wine and spirits, hospitality, and finance. The wine industrycan seem so complex for people who dont already have an in.How does one go about getting educated? Andrea McBride: How we transitioned was basically a dream that we wanted to be wine makers and now weve been in the business for 12 years.Robin: That was the catalyst. "Like, 'What do you girls know about wine?'" Since 2005, The McBride Sisters' mission has been clear - to transform the industry, lead by example, and cultivate community, one delicious glass of wine at a time. Enter Robin McBride and Andra McBride-John, the duo behind the eponymous Oakland, CA-based McBride Sisters wine collection. Sauvignon Blanc is dedicated to Andra's mums (birth mother and foster mother) so their initials are by the lioness (P.J. Robin and Andra McBride: The McBride sisters are Los Angeles natives who endured their own unique personal journey before becoming the first African American sisters to own a winery. Thanks to one icebreaker question, Robin and Andra McBride are now closer than ever and running a multi-million dollar company together. Both women were born in Los Angeles, but Andrea McBride spent much of her childhood in Marlborough, New Zealand, first with her mother, Pauline, who passed away, and then with a foster family. Big sister Robin McBride grows up in Monterey, California unaware that thousands of miles away, she had a little sister, Andra McBride. Before he died in 1996, he asked his family to find and connect his two daughters. And we admire the craft of wine making and had hopes to do it ourselves one day. Even celebrities can disappoint their parents. The MS stands for McBride Sisters with an S curled like the locks of our hair, with the two lionesses surrounding it representing our strong, supportive mothers, while the peacock depicts our bold and proud father. Now more than ever, social media has become an important vehicle for reaching young and diverse consumers, Andra says. Q: Do you both like the same kinds of wines? Based on the show's recommendation, the family pulled the records of every Robin McBride listed at the Department of Motor Vehicles and started writing dozens of letters. In an industry dominated by men, they are young minority women. You created your own family crest for the brandcan you tell me about that? You know, I was 16, and I have a big sister," Andra said. A separate Black Girl Magic line offers up bottles of sparkling, Riesling, ros, Merlot, Zinfandel, as well asspeaking of unintimidatingsparkling ros and red in cans. Today, Ashley McBryde has proven herself to be a talented country singer with a bright future, but her path to success was riddled with issues, many of which came from her complicated relationship with her parents. IE 11 is not supported. I spoke to the sisters about their love for wine, their experiences being African-American women vintners and their vision for McBride Sisters Wine. "A large part of the industry is run by a very small group of older white wealthy men. In meeting, the bond between Robin and Andra was instant, and intensified when they realized theyd both grown up as often the only mixed-race children in small, mostly white agricultural communities known for producing wine. There's a lot of dynasties in wine. Founded by sisters, Robin and Andra McBride, The McBride Sisters Wine. Sign up today and save 15% on your first purchase. Black Girl Magic, the-phrase-turned movement started by Cashawn Thompson in 2013, celebrates community and the consumers that have supported McBride Sisters Collection since the beginning. Ninety percent of the wine produced in the U.S. is made in California, but only 10 percent of the state's wineries are led by a female winemaker. We are continuing to expand where our wines can be found and enjoyed nationwide with some exciting collaborations. McBride Sisters Create Wines From Both California and New Zealand Andrea: The profiles of wine we like to taste are similar. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. "He was a 'Hollywood guy' who had rough relationships," said Robin. We need to dispel any otherism around Black Americans or women in the wine industry, as too often it is assumed that they do not take wine seriously enough or do not have the same capabilities as others to have a notable palate in the industry, Andra says, explaining that while the wine industry has made strides in recent years, it still has a long way to go to be more reflective of the world. [1][2] The company was founded in 2005 by African American winemakers Robin and Andra McBride, who first met as adults and bonded over a shared passion for winemaking. It was then that the McBride Sisters Collection was born. Fluker: With over 10 years in the wine business, how are you both collaborating to keep McBride Sisters wine fresh, innovative and unique? Robin said the industry is "very complicated" due to heavy reliance on gatekeepers wholesalers, distributors, retailers and more before it's greenlit into production. 'Bias Is a Business Killer,' Says the Co-Founder of the Largest Black Their signature McBride Sisters Collection wines are direct reflections of the terroirs of their youth, with flavors designed for all palates. Robin (right) andAndra McBride (left) are teaching others what they've learned about the wine industry as sister co-founders of a booming wine company. Meaning, all those people have to buy the idea, granting access to the next in line, until the product finally makes it to shelves, where the profit can be made. In staying open, you never know whator who you may discover. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) McBride Sisters Wine Company, San Luis Obispo, CA. . Because we started in New Zealand, our wine-growing philosophy is rooted in sustainable farming and not diluting the purity of the fruit in the winemaking process, by covering it up with too much oak or other flavors that are winemaking tricks of the trade! The family had been sending letters to every Robin McBride in the phone book until finally one made it to their intended recipient in Monterey, California. Before he died in 1996, he asked his family to find and connect his two daughters. wine for the new world. But the proof is in the bottle, we've been owners, makers, and innovators for fourteen years! & D.H.H.). Q: What attracted you to sell your wines in the Detroit area? In 2010, they started the McBride Sisters Wine Company. The sisters started small. If You're 1 of These 4 Zodiac Signs, Saturn in Pisces What Is Pedro Pascal's Zodiac Sign? What they unknowingly had in common was that they both grew up in wine country: Robin, in Monterey, California, and Andra inMarlborough, New Zealand. "It was just kind of like one thing in my mind was like, OK, yeah, yeah. Sign up today and save 15% on your first purchase! And then we met, we looked like each other, we had all these uncanny similarities, we were instant best friends, I couldn't have dreamed that the experience of finding a sister could get any better. Join our community of wine lovers & be the first to know about virtual events and new wine releases. [3] The scholarship fund initially focused on helping women in the wine and spirits industry,[15] but was later expanded to include female entrepreneurs across all industries, and provides mentoring and leadership coaching in addition to financial assistance. The collection also includes merlot, zinfandel, and a red blend, as well as a zesty sparkling brut thats perfect for toasting to special occasions. "I'd lost my mom, and, you know, we'd lost our father, and, you know, that was-- it was my sister," Andra said. Following a lengthy search by his family, Robin and Andra met for first time in 1999 at LaGuardia Airport in New York. McBride Sisters Wine Company is a Black-owned, female-led wine company in the United States. The African-American sisters are scheduled to launchtheir McBride Sisters Collection to Detroit and Michigan. After meeting in 1999, their curiosity for wine became a true passion as the sisters began a wine import business, importing unique New Zealand wines into the US Market. Robin and Andra are a testament to what it means to stay ready, stay resilient, and remain open to new experiences, big and small. Born in the states, Andrea's mother took her back to Marlborough, New Zealand where she would grow up believing she too was an only child. The story of their journey starts with a man, their shared biological father, Kelly McBride. As minoritiesand women, we knew we had to work harder. The other two are Chardonnay from the central coast of California and a red blend of Petite Shiraz and Merlot Zinfandel. And when I was coming down the jetway, I looked up and thought I saw my reflection and then I realized it was Andrea. Not just because they bear a striking resemblance from their trademark curls to their nearly identical smile and eyebrow shape, but the duo navigate a room in lockstep and have an unmistakable energy that is often only detectable when youre among siblings. Get the Robb Report newsletter for similar stories delivered straight to your inbox. If youve ever seen Robin and Andra in a room together, as I was fortunate enough to mere weeks before the first wave of COVID-19 lockdowns, theres no doubt that the women are related. Anne Schamberg is a freelance writer who lives in Waukesha. KNOW WHAT YOURE DRINKING: A single can of SHE CAN is equivalent to two and a half glasses of wine (or half of a bottle). Includes access to the digital magazine. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Because James didn't really have an abiding father figure in his life, he brought his questions to his mother.