Following a lengthy search by his family, Robin and Andra met for first time in 1999 at LaGuardia Airport in New York. Birth City: Sharon. "Andra gets on the phone and we're both pretty stunned and shocked because nobody thought that this was going to be happening at this moment because, according to the letter, she is in New Zealand, she's not in Alabama," said Robin. We acknowledge that we alone as a company cannot change the wine industry, but it is our hope that weve inspired women to embark on careers in the industry and that weve also inspired other companies and wineries to follow suit, Robin says to TZR. After all, Google really wasnt a thing when the search began in 1994. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) McBride Sisters Wine Company, San Luis Obispo, CA. Andra McBride: We share the same father, but were raised separately by different mothers. Seeking to buck that trend, the sisters have assembled a team that's 80 percent women, including their head winemaker and vineyard director. [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. The other two are Chardonnay from the central coast of California and a red blend of Petite Shiraz and Merlot Zinfandel. Fluker: As the first African-American sisters to own a wine company, share your journey with establishing your mission statement for McBride Sisters wine? 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. The sisters shared a biological father, Kelly McBride, whom they had had little contact with while growing up. Separated by geography but united through their love of wine and family, the McBride sisters embody the spirit of entrepreneurship through their passion and determination to fulfill their fathers last wish, for them to be reunited again. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. But, on most days you can usually find Andrea sipping the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Robin enjoying the Central Coast Red Blend, both are amazing expressions of our hometowns. They had a dream . Consider adding The McBride Sisters Wines to your wine cellar and support a Black owned business at the same time! The largest Black-owned wine company in the United States, McBride Sisters can now be found everywhere from Trader Joes to Target, but the journey to building the thriving family business is even more impressive given that Robin and Andra didnt even know about one another for the first half of their lives. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. And so obviously for us coming in as opposite really of everything that, to that point had been successful in the wine world, which was an older white man we definitely were looked at as not just not belonging, but really incapable of being successful.". Through their core values: sustainability, empowerment, innovation, and community, the McBride sisters were able to curate a unique wine experience for their customers for more than 13 years. Raise your hand if you would like some backstory behind the SHE CAN can designs! [17] According to the company, by November 2020, the McBride Sisters brand was carried in 2,697 stores in the United States, up from only 84 stores before May of that year. Andra and Robin grew up on separate continents, each one believing they were an only child. Long-lost sisters Robin and Andra McBride turned a mutual love of wine into a winery spanning Monterey and Marlborough. The wine industrycan seem so complex for people who dont already have an in.How does one go about getting educated? 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. Both areas are naturally beautiful and leaders in environmental protection so sustainable farming and winemaking practices are key to us. 2023 SheMedia, LLC. Better grapes make better wine. Our manifestation is having wine to be a high quality go-to everyday wine for having people over. Robin: I think we just jumped in and we were naive about the lack of diversity and we just wanted to produce good wines. Their mothers had been married to and divorced from the same man, Kelly McBride, who had not remained a part of either of his daughters lives. Now we want to make the kind of wine we fell in love with.. Or, for more information, visitRR1. Best Known For: Country singer Martina . The largest Black-owned wine company in the United States, McBride Sisters can now be found everywhere from Trader Joe's to Target, but the journey to building the thriving family business is even more impressive given that Robin and Andra didn't even know about one another for the first half of their lives. "I'm walking down the jetway, and I see what I think is my reflection at the end of the jetway in a mirror. The story of the McBride sisters is nothing like anything you've ever heard of before in the wine industry. These Pretty Cocktails Will Impress At Your Next Dinner Party, 9 Whiskey Cocktails That Go Beyond The Classic Old Fashioned, The IKEA X Marimekko Collab Is Inspired By Nordic Self-Care Rituals. Robin and Andra McBride, founders of McBride Sisters Wines, are the first African-American sister duo to found and establish a wine company. ", Robin remembers feeling more surprised than Andra. The McBride Sisters Collection wines are offered across the United States and New Zealand. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Subscribe now and save. Fluker: With over 10 years in the wine business, how are you both collaborating to keep McBride Sisters wine fresh, innovative and unique? Through their core values: sustainability, empowerment, innovation, and community, the McBride sisters were able to curate a unique wine experience for their customers for more than 13 years. [8] Andra was raised in Marlborough, New Zealand. 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. Robin: Overlooking to rocky coast of Monterey Bay. Join The Zoe Reports exclusive email list for the latest trends, shopping guides, celebrity style, and more. Please enter valid email address to continue. Andrea: Our wines are from two regions. And the farming she describes is sustainable, the wines made with minimal intervention, designed to showcase the place. A Sauvignon Blanc and Sparkling Rose from New Zealand. We didnt even know about service hours and would show up at a restaurant at lunchtime, not knowing that the sommelier only tastes wines at certain times.. Andra said the aforementioned phone call was the first time she'd spoken to her dad in six years. Enter the McBride Sisters Collection Reserve wines: a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir from Montereys cool Santa Lucia Highlands. 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. The lionesses and peacock represent the Sisters' mothers and father, and together, they have the McBride Sisters Collection. Absolutely! After connecting for the first time in 1999, we realized we had this shared passion for wine and it became such a central part of our bond, and we knew the universe had put us together for a reason to make a future together out of our separate pasts. Bright acidity marks a clean, refreshing palate, with white nectarine peeking out from behind the apple. Founded by sisters, Robin and Andra McBride, The McBride Sisters Wine. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. And it was after college that their dreams of going into the wine business began to take shape. The aforementioned "Cocky Motherf*cker," is a tribute to the sisters' father and his confidence and presence with his trademark afro featured prominently on the head of a peacock. The origin story behind the McBride Sisters Wine. As minoritiesand women, we knew we had to work harder. "We laugh to this day because Andra was very excited because, of course, she's known about me for a long time. [9] They are members of the Association of African American Vintners (AAAV), which was founded in 2002. Join our community of wine lovers & be the first to know about virtual events and new wine releases. And a large part of opportunities and success has come from being associated with those people and those families. The House of Pure Vinin downtown Detroit will host winemakers Robin and Andra McBride today. We've decided to honor our mothers in the packaging for the SHE CAN line. The McBride Sisters have ignited the movement to change that. The process was a grind. McBride Sisters: The most important thing to us is to stay connected to wine lovers, to see how and where they are enjoying wine, what that experience is like, what if anything is missing and make it better for them. She was. That we have our very own! So 16 years later, their banner now distributes wines to major grocery chains throughout the country. Hannah is hiding a life-changing secret, and Beth is weathering her own personal crisis. 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. In staying open, you never know whator who you may discover. The story of their journey starts with a man, their shared biological father, Kelly McBride. [3], The Black Girl Magic Collection debuted in 2018, and was created "to honor and cater to underserved Black women wine lovers. Birth date: July 29, 1966. By value, sales are up 43 percent, to $5.52 million. Birth State: Kansas. The McBride Sisters story began in 1999, when Robin and Andra, long-lost sisters raised on opposite sides of the world, were reunited. Now more than ever, social media has become an important vehicle for reaching young and diverse consumers, Andra says. We still don't see a lot of women, a lot of people of color," Andra said. " This venture launched their first production, eco.love Wines a sustainable wine company from New Zealand. The McBride sisters started their wine business in 2005, six years after meeting each other for the first time. The Free Press caught up with the McBrides by phone ahead of their 7:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday appearance at House of Pure Vin, 1433 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Therefore, its much more than a single serving. "The world brought us together; we're invincible, we can do anything," Andra said. [6] Starting in 2017, all their wines from New Zealand and California were brought together under the McBride Sisters Collection, and sold in grocery stores across the United States. Their. This is a BETA experience. Robin and Andra McBride, founders of McBride Sisters Wines, are the first African-American sister duo to found and establish a wine company. Reunited (in the end, their father wanted them to know each other), it was natural to join forces in the dream of a two-continent winery. Both sisters were born in the Los Angeles area to different mothers but to a mutual fatherColen McBride. The sisters were born to different mothers, both in Los Angeles. What they unknowingly had in common was that they both grew up in wine country: Robin, in Monterey, California, and Andra inMarlborough, New Zealand. Figuring out which bottle of wine to buy is always difficult, so you might as well pick one that comes with a good story. Each sister had individual curiosities aboutthe wide world of wine and an interest in producingdelicious, affordable varietals. Enjoy Responsibly. "It's definitely an old boys' club," Robin said. One of their icebreaker questions was: What was it like where you grew up? [17] The post went viral by after it was shared by celebrities including former professional basketball player Dwyane Wade and actor Gabrielle Union. In an industry dominated by men, they are young minority women. And eventually, they decided to start their own wine company together. 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. You created your own family crest for the brandcan you tell me about that? She said they faced pushback and a "lack of recognition.". But we knew that we were both biracial, Robin said. Andra: In the hills looking down on Queenstown in New Zealand. Robin: When Andra was a junior in college, we both began working in the wine industry, our first business was as wine importers to gain experience and expertise in the business of selling wine, and then later launching eco.love wines from New Zealand and now Truve Wines. We describe our signature style as old world style with new world finesse. "She wrote on the letter 'I'm your aunt, and I'm sorry to tell you that your dad has passed away, but you have a little sister,'" Robin said. The sisters launched their newest brand in February. Fluker: With both of your backgrounds heavily rooted in Monterey, California and New Zealand, how do those environments influence the unique style of McBride Sisters wine? From that aunt, who lived in Georgia, she learned both about her fathers death and about the existence of her 16-year-old sister. So, in an effort to bond, they went to wine tastings and vineyard tours. . They had a dream between them, of making wine. We encourage the wine consumer to explore outside of the old expectations of wine, it's more than a gray winemakerit's much more than just a beverage, it's an experience. These are no pop-up wines in a short-term business plan. The reunion story of long-lost sisters Andrea and Robin McBride stems from exactly the person you'd imagine would be involved in such a tearjerker: Oprah. Whats each of yourfavorite places to drink wine in the world? In 2010, they started the McBride Sisters Wine Company. He told her he was dying of cancer and wanted to do one last. Before he died in 1996, he asked his family to find and connect his two daughters. Dont miss the food event of the year. Two wines hail from New Zealand, the Sauvignon Blanc, and Sparkling Brut Ros, and two wines from Californias Central Coast, the crisp Chardonnay, and Red Blend, not to mention their Black Girl Magic California Riesling limited exclusive collection. Now, the company offers products across the United States and New Zealand and raked in over $5.5 million in sales for fiscal year 2020, according to Nielsen data cited by Wine Spectator. We included Established 1999 because this is the year that we met for the first time and our whole worlds changed! We were in our early twenties and thirties the industry had never seen wine company owners like us before. 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. They told us we CAN do anything we set our minds to because they knew that no goal or dream is too big. Today, more than 13 years from their entrepreneurial start in the wine industry, the sisters have worked to bring wine lovers the best of both worlds with their third collection, The McBride Sisters Collection. In 2005, the sisters found themselves together in California, fueled by a shared passion for all things wine, wine-making . We try to be in tune with nature doing things like planting cover crops that attract beneficial insects and watching the amount of water we use, she said. [11] Another is a red blend of merlot and cabernet sauvignon. We were completely unaware of one another growing up, as I had moved back to my mother's native home in Marlborough, New Zealand when I was very young, and Robin stayed with her mother in Monterey, California. By the time the two of us met, our father had passed away. [5] The Black Girl Magic 2020 California ros was awarded "Best for TV Binges" by the editors of Cosmopolitan magazine in the Second Annual Cosmo Wine Awards. McBride Sisters Wine Company is a Black-owned, female-led wine company in the United States. Sign up today and save 15% on your first purchase. "We grew up on opposite sides of the . The two shared the same father but different mothers, and werent aware they had a sisterly half until their father and other family members helped to unite them through an endless trail of handwritten letters and phone calls lasting five years. And a hint of roundness speaks of the effect of a restrained, 16 percent new French oak. We are often met with skepticism and automatically dealt a lack of credibility. There is always something more to experience and learn about wine so were constantly trying to educate ourselves and perfect our skills! The McBride Sisters crest weve created, which is a part of each bottles label, really illustrates and captures our story quite perfectly. Now their women-led, Black-owned company aims to shake up the wine industry. Q: The McBride Collection includes a sparkling Rose wine. This piece originally aired July 2, 2015. Their winemaking story is unique in many ways. It also has attractive price points and can match up to a lot of different cuisines. This collection is inspired by the beauty, power and resilience of Black women and offers a variety of wines to suit any palate, to be enjoyed by all., Andra and Robins upbringing in prominent wine regions helped them to understand each other and the industry on an intimate level, but (according to How I Built This), they quickly realized that their vision of building a wine company would have to involve them making a visible effort to change the face of the wine world as a whole. Do youhave tips for wine neophytes who want to learn more? Wine is agriculture, says Robin. "We've been in the business so many years. Robb Recommends: This Napa Cab Is the Best Wine to Drink With Your Burger This Summer, On a Tiny Tuscan Island, Inmates Work to Rehabilitate by Making Delicious Wine, One of Americas Most Interesting Winemakers Just Debuted New Central Coast Rhne Varietals, The 10 Best Rieslings to Buy Right Now, From California to Australia, Humans First Started Growing Wine Grapes 11,000 Years Ago, a New Study Shows, How to Make a Bijou, a Gin and Green Chartreuse Cocktail That Packs a Complex Punch, McBride Sisters Collection 2019 Reserve Chardonnay ($40), McBride Sisters Collection 2018 Reserve Pinot Noir ($50), Why Its Time for Fine Wine to Ditch the Cork and Embrace Screw Caps, Brad Pitts Ros Champagne Will Be the Oscars Official Bubbly This Year, The 9 Best Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons From the Storied Howell Mountain Appellation, The 10 Best Bottles of Bubbly to Pop This Valentines Day. Robin and Andra are a testament to what it means to stay ready, stay resilient, and remain open to new experiences, big and small. And theyre growing. He died seven months later, before he was able to find Robin (he'd loss touch with her after divorcing her mother). For Andra and Robin, the company's success feels like the culmination of their journey as sisters. "I'd lost my mom, and, you know, we'd lost our father, and, you know, that was-- it was my sister," Andra said. McBride Sisters Wine Company is a Black-owned female-led wine company in the United States.12 The company was founded in 2005 by African American. Theirwines will also be sold at Kroger stores. Sign up today and save 15% on your first purchase! We each grew up with an appreciation for farming and wine living in these newly developing wine regions and that is where our desire to learn about and work in wine came from. With the idea for the McBride Sisters Collection officially planted, Robin and Andra scraped together initial seed money of $1,800 just to cover licensing paperwork. Patti LaBelle with the McBride Sisters, Andra (left) and Robin (right) / Photo by Jared Soares. From the time we met and when Andrea moved to California to go to USC, thats the time we got to know each other.