Black Vintners group formed

Wines & Vines, Jan, 2003

In a move to reach out to the untapped African-American market, a group of growers and wine producers has formed the Association of African American Vintners, based in Sonoma County. Mac McDonald, the owner of Vision Cellars in Windsor, Calif., said the aim of the group is to try to sell more fine wine to black consumers.

"I'm saying to the world that there is a market that is untapped and we can tap it for the good of the whole wine industry. As winemakers we're going to better promote ourselves by uniting our ideas and resources," McDonald told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

At this point, the new association has four members in Sonoma and Napa counties. In addition to Vision Cellars, the membership includes Sharp Family Cellars in Sonoma, Post Crest Vineyards in Calistoga and Bates Creek Vineyard in Napa.

The executive director of the group is Jo Diaz, a public relations specialist in Sonoma. She said the goal is to get African-American winery owners in other states into the organization.

Jaimie Douglas, executive director of the Sonoma County Wineries Association, told the Press Democrat that she welcomed the new group. "This is good news for the wine industry. An organization like this offers great opportunities to broaden our market by reaching out to ethnic markets," Douglas said. "Zeroing in on the African-American market is a very smart move because it's a group of people the wine industry has largely overlooked."