Wine Summary​
Newton Johnson - 100% Albarino. Full bodied, fruity, med plus acidity, leafy green granny smith (tart) apple.  You know that one with the shiny ski.
Fram - Palomino dominated with Chenin and Honey pot.  Medium body, med acidity, under ripe pineapple, apple flesh-no skin.
AA Badenhorst Spookberg - Old Vine Palomino.Understated, Light body, low acidity, very mild fruit flavors, earth, slight nutty, natural flavors with a hint of saltiness on the finish. (It’s like that one friend who doesn't talk much but is super interesting)

I remember the day I learned black people make wine too”
It was 9 years ago, I was teaching a private in home wine class in Ladera Heights, Ca. This beautiful older woman asked if “I had been to the black owned winery, Rideau?” I had not but made it a point to visit the following weekend. 

I fell in love with my passion for wine after visiting Rideau Vineyards and seeing Ms. Iris Rideau in action. I visited again for the next several years. Every month bringing with me groups of 50 people at at time. 

I made it my mission to find more like Iris. When I found them I made it my mission to showcase these brands. Eight years ago I started a wine festival and hoped at least 35 people would show up so that I could recover my cost for the venue. They did. Seven years later that festival turned into a popular 3 day weekend coined "Wine Over LA" with a sold out train trip to Santa Barbara for wine tasting ,a four course dinner and wine pairing featuring black owned brands and a party on a yacht featuring 16 Black owned wine brands. 

Fast forward to Covid-19 and a new norm. The festival will still be three days but virtual featuring 14 brands!!!!! Friday Night "Cooking and Sipping" with Iris Rideau, Saturday, a virtual tour and Tasting with native American winemaker Tara Gomez and on Sunday our annual wine festival with virtual tastings, wine lessons and wine talk with 15 black leaders in the wine industry.


Iris retired and sold Rideau vineyards in 2018. Last time I visited her with a group of friends we sat down to talked about her upcoming book, her contributions to the wine industry and the current state of black people in the wine industry. On that day Iris final words of encouragement to me:

“I’m so proud of what you have accomplished in the wine industry, I’m passing the torch”
~Iris rideau
The video is on my YouTube Chanel.


Purchase Wine Over LA: Diversity Wine Route

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
First Black Female Vineyard Owner to Headline Zuri Wine Tasting’s Meet the Maker Dinner Party Series
LOS ANGELES, CA (October 28, 2019) – Iris Rideau, the first black female vineyard owner, and former owner of Rideau Vineyards is set to headline Zuri Wine Tasting’s, upcoming Meet the Maker Dinner Party Series at Post and Beam on Saturday, November 23, 2019.
The event will be the third in a four part Meet the Maker series featuring wines made by African Americans, Women and Latinos. Rideau is the first black woman to solely own a wine making facility, vineyard and tasting room. During her days at Rideau, she created a wine brand known for her effortless combination of French Rhone varietals and the savoury taste of Creole cuisine. Rideau undoubtedly had a knack for wine. Under her leadership Rideau made award winning wines, including Best of Show prize from the New Orleans Wine Competition and Best in Show from the Los Angeles International Wine Competition.
Guests will also be treated to a four course New Orleans inspired dinner prepared by Post and Beam’s Head Chef and owner, John Cleveland. The dinner will
be paired with limited edition wines from the library collection at Rideau Vineyards.
Rideau and Zuri Wine Tasting’s, Tuanni Price, guide them through the tasting notes of each wine served.
Commenting on this upcoming event, Price said: “I am excited and feel honoured to be having such a prolific figure in the history of wine at this Meet the Maker Dinner Party Series. I am also excited to bring an upscale event to the community I was raised in. This is an opportunity to learn about wines from an expert, taste some award winning wines, all while enjoying good food, music and people. It will be winemazing!”
This Meet the Maker Dinner Party Series is on track to sell out; therefore, interested persons are encouraged to book their spaces early. Tickets are available for $100 per person for indoor dining and $125 for VIP patio. For further information or to purchase event tickets, visit: https://www.zuriwine.com.
The dinner party will begin at 7:00 pm with a sparkling wine reception featuring Moreno Sparking
Wine, live music from Grammy Award Winning artist Bobby Watson and The Cookies, and a meet
and greet reception with Iris Rideau.
It’s not just about food, wine and entertainment. Post & Beam, the 8-year-old restaurant in the back of
the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw plaza in South Los Angeles is a one of a kind iconic restaurant. It’s about
engaging in history and culture. It’s about bringing unique and upscale experiences to the
community. Guests will also receive expert lessons in wine education as Iris

​Media contact: Tuanni Price
Email: Tuanni@zuriwine.com
Phone: 424.222.9463

Our first stop was Baily Vineyard & Winery, established in 1986 this family owned winery features Bordeaux style wines. The winemaker is Phil Bailey.
I tasted through almost all the wines on the list. My favorite was the 2016 Sangiovese, not a Bordeaux style wine, however a well made light body Italian varietal that had a perfect balance of fruit, spice and mild tannins. To be completely transparent I did not care too much for the white wines, they lacked the acidity that I usually crave in whites. The reds exceeded my expectations! It was difficult for me to single out a second place favorite, the reds were all delicious. Malbec, Cab Franc, and even a Meritage were all well balanced with typical flavor profiles and pleasing. We even tasted a 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon who’s vines were planted in 1968. It was filled with the complexity,fruit layers and bit of funk you’d expect in an old vine wine.
The tasting room vibe was relaxed and welcoming. Cindy helped us and I could have not asked for a better hostess with the mostest! Tasting fees $15 for 6,bottle price $20-$65. No reservation required.

South African wine master class at Republique Resturant in Los Angeles with some of the most innovative, proud, creative winemakers direct from SA to LA! What an honor to spend a couple hours learning from
Eben Sadie @sadiefamilywines
Graham Weerts @capensiswines
Abrie Beeslaar @beeslaar_wines
Sebastian Beaumont @beaumontwines
Adi Badenhorst @aabadenhorst



The the wines poured were an amazing example of the talent and care that goes into SA wines.
My key take aways:
-The soil in The Western Cape where the majority of wine grapes are grown is very diverse.
-The acidity in South African wines is uniquely higher than average and consistent. It adds so much texture to the wines that whites can even be enjoyed at room temperature.
-SA is more advanced in technology and research than its counterparts (France and the U.S. for example)
Bottom line South Africa is producing world class wines based on sites, technology and passion!
#southafrica #wosa #wine @ Republique

Part Three - The people and the culture
As my South African narrative came to its end  I spent the last few days tasting with a group called Blacc. Friendship, support, knowledge, goals, professional, community are just a few words that come to mind when I try to describe what Blacc is. It’s a support group of mostly black professionals who work in the wine and spirits industry.  Every Monday the group charters a couple buses and travels to a wine farm or distillery to learn and taste. My first trip with Blacc I was completely nervous. I felt like I was entering a world of wine scholars. Would they like me? Are my tasting skills equal to theirs? When I showed up I was welcomed with smiling faces and hugs. It was  inspiring to be included in a group of people who take so much pride in their profession and are eager to learn. I found my network and my friend circle all in one. The fact that wineries open their doors with amazing food and wine also helped!
​

I left South Africa two weeks later than planned. It was hard to end my adventure.  The last weekend of my stay I had a dinner party at my apartment to thank my new South African friends for a great adventure. As I looked around the room at the attendees I realized I had met  so many new friends with diverse backgrounds. I don’t mean to name drop, however it’s important to share a bit of each of their stories because often times people don’t realize there are people who are proudly African ,make a positive impact on the continent and are happy and prosperous in Africa.  There was the poet-professor, Diana Ferrus. There was a model turn talent agent, the bar manager from one of the hottest hip hop clubs, two top Sommeliers, the restaurant manager from one of the top hotels in Cape Town, a classically trained pianist, and even a few American friends I met while in Cape Town.
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My African adventure story finally ended, I returned to America with a few cases South Africa wine and new international friends I collected along my journey. I went back to my corporate America narrative forever changed and my soul full of positive vibes. I feel excited to have witnessed first hand how the story of South African wine and people transform the way people all over the world think about Africa .

​

     I spent three months in the Western Cape of South Africa working a harvest and immersing myself into an African wine story. The goal was to narrate my own wine adventure. The timing was perfect, I escaped from my corporate American narrative just in time for harvest season in the Southern Hemisphere. This was definitely one of life’s bigger decisions for me. My rationale, I could always return to my ordinary story however the opportunity and fearlessness to live my dream as an adventure story may not return. My dream was to learn, to absorb and also to give back in a wine life. To help manifest this dream I wrote down three soul feeding objectives: work a harvest, volunteer and study wine.
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Out of all the countries in the Southern Hemisphere South Africa was my number one choice for this adventure of a lifetime. I had previously visited the popular wine region Stellenbosch and was familiar with South African Culture and the wine community. South Africa is a beautiful place where people unite through past experiences. It’s rich in culture and budding traditions, especially in the wine industry. To be transparent, I especially love it because it’s the only place in the world where diversity is prominent in all aspects of the wine world. Workers in the vineyard, the cellar, the tasting room and sommeliers at world class restaurants, people are exceling in all shades which offered a perfect framework for my African wine story.

Now let’s go, take a virtual trip with me and live a South African wine story.
Part 1 of 3 - Harvest & Volunteering
I landed in Cape Town in March full of excitement and ready for whatever wine adventures were soon to come. A couple days later I eagerly reported for work at DeToren Wine Farm. I worked three weeks at DeToren, each day the team was surprised to see me back. Harvest is no walk in the park. Although the days were long and tiring, working harvest was a magical experience. I loved every moment! From picking and sorting grapes, to using every muscle in my body to break through the hardened yeast caps during punch downs, the repetitive pump overs to mix wine and move fermenting juice from one tank to another, and even the spotless cleaning required after every process, the narrative to my carefully crafted wine adventure was unfolding into a soul feeding experience. Every day seem to be filled with good people and better wine. One of my most memorable experiences at DeToren was working the sorting table where we hand selected berry by berry grapes for Book XVII wine. There I stood with migrate workers from Zimbabwe when Tim Atkin walks up, I greeted him with a friendly California hello. After he recognizes my accent and duly noted “positive American vibes” I did my best to inspire one who I thought was a tourist visiting the wine farm. I tell him that working harvest is the best way to learn about wine. (I am thinking to myself quit your job and come join me in the cellar.) I feel proud of myself for trying to recruit another member to my wine tribe. After he walks away, the intern ask if I knew who I was talking to. “Hum, well, yes he said his name was Tim Atkin” She replied “the world famous, Master of Wine, Tim Atkin.... one mention of your name by Tim and you become famous in the wine industry”. Well alright then Tim! For the rest of the day I could not get Beyoncé’s song out of my head...”say my name... say my name”.

     One time the assistant wine maker at DeToren asked if I could help stomp grapes for the exclusive Black Lion Label. My heart jumped with excitement. He lower me by fork lift into an over-sized stainless steel crate full of freshly picked Shiraz grapes. I marched in the crate with my bare toes pressing and gently breaking the grape skins. I could feel the soul of wine wiggle between my toes. My own real life, “I love Lucy “moment. I could hardly believe the moment I was living… bare feet in fresh grape juice in the southernmost part of the African continent, blissful. (Not to worry part of the process is to sterilize your feet before the big stomp.)

     On my days off from DeToren I volunteered at a school called PYDA, Pinotage Youth Development Association. It is a program that trains Black South Africans to work in the wine industry. The students are between the ages of 18 and 24 in this program they earn a well-rounded education in the wine industry that includes everything from learning about vineyard techniques, to working in a tasting room and even wine tourism. Since my first visit to South Africa I have made it a point to visit with the students. I share wines from America and knowledge about wine and entrepreneurship. This visit I taught an American wine class showcasing wines from all over America, New York to California and everything in between. I usually take an entire case to share with the students, it’s usually their first and in some cases the only time they may have an opportunity to taste a high end California Cab.
     
​     Before my first day of class the program director told me the program had grown. Great I thought until I realized that also meant I would have 50 students in my class. Hosting a wine tasting for 50 adults does not scare me, however for 50 youths between the ages of 18-24 made me nervous as heck. The class and tasting went well. So well that by the end of it the students were excited about American wines. We finished the day posing for selfies and exchanged social media information.
I was happy that I was able to share American culture through wine education. I even used hip hop to explain that the Fingers Lake region is in New York, on the East Coast and Napa on the West Coast, in California. Think Biggie from the East and Tupac from West.... oh now they understood the geography of the United States. Part of my volunteer time with the students included arranging a day to work in the Vineyards harvesting grapes. I reached out to my wine farm contacts and secured a farm for us to harvest grapes for a day. Vivian the owner at Seven Sisters helped organize and offered her neighboring tasting room for a Braai. I collected donations from my friends in America to buy food and we had one of the best Bria’s of my life. Oh a Braai is a South African BarBQ. Two of the students cooked on the grill while another group taught me how to dance to South African hip hop. That day I learned how to do the gara~gara and pretty much confirmed I am challenged with rhythm.