I am a black man from Harlem.
Sitting on grandmother’s apartment building steps 16 years ago I never even envision I would become a Certified Sommelier and enter an industry that changed my life.
On August 18, 2007 – at 17 years old – I have left my overnight job at White Castle, thinking that selling burgers was not what i would do for the rest of my life. I walked into ‘Sixty-Seven wines and spirits’, and after a short interview I got in : I was officially in the retail wine industry.
I worked as the stock and delivery person, refilling shelves, organizing the basement according to fast selling wines, taking deliveries. My interest peeked once i was promoted from a basement-position to the sales floor; there, i was able to recommend wines, suggest best sellers, explain how to appreciate them and taste wine.
Under the tutelage of Ben Wood and Oscar Garcia- “the shop’s Sommeliers” – I started to build knowledge and understand my palate. I have spent 4 years working at ‘67’ and learning the wine-101 first: how the wine is made, how to correctly use a wine opener, what wines taste best served cold, sweet vs. dry and so on.
What has always intrigued me was the wine lifestyle, how wine professional carried themselves, the lunches, the dinners, the food pairings, the knowledge, the fashion, the art, the craft, the passion, the long nights, and wild mornings, the highbrow of it all.
I loved it!
The industry seemed to be filled with life, although i did face slightly awkward racist situations that they did not surprise me… an old boys club.
I had two wine goals: to bring fine wines to Harlem and to become a sommelier.
Accomplishing both in 2015, I realized not only I could have an impact on wine industry but I could simultaneously introduce the bellowed craft to a whole new eager and younger generation.
That summer, primarily, because of our presence in Harlem, rosé and organic wines became the favourite drink of young educated black people. Our wine classes were heavily subscribed.
What is remarkable is that since the beginning of our activity, our community has shown desire to embrace wine learning and has been constantly aspiring to try new wines pushing their palates beyond what was familiar. It was great.
Today, the evolution continues and along with established wines, customers venture toward more fashionable, unusual wines.
I believe they have evolved, absorbed solid wine knowledge and now are ready to change the ‘old wine rules book’
A new, more open, curios and subjective generation of wine drinkers is changing the wine world, unafraid to try something new, new tastes.
This generation refuses to be held by old concepts. They are creating their own.