One of the more encouraging developments in the wine industry over the past few years has been a rising emphasis on diversity—fostering it, supporting it, and seeing it. There have been wine events by and for Black wine drinkers for years, but they’ve gotten bigger and better as with increased visibility and support from many fronts.
For the past 5 years, Aminah “Chef Mimi” Robinson-Briscoe, a 2022 Wine Enthusiast Top 40 tastemaker, has been putting on the Black Food and Wine Experience, an annual series of wine and food events foregrounding Black chefs, Black wineries, and celebrating the people of color who enjoy them.
This year’s event looks to be a grand time, featuring wine dinners, industry discussions, and culminating in the takeover of the San Francisco Ferry Building for the grand tasting to finish the weekend, which will feature “a range of food and beverages that span the African Diaspora.”
While the event celebrates Black wine culture, allies of all stripes are welcome.
The 2023 Black Food & Wine Experience
Grand Tasting: Saturday, June 17
7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
San Francisco Ferry Building
1 Ferry Building
San Francisco, CA 94105 (map)
Tickets to the grand tasting are expected to sell out, so get yours online well in advance. The grand tasting will set you back $250, while the dinners and other experiences cost between $195 and $250 apiece.