Meat + Three

Legacy in the Glass: Black Joy, Wine, and the Communities We Build

Episode Summary

In this episode, we uncork a different kind of wine story—one rooted in joy, land, and legacy. From a biodiverse vineyard in the Midwest to a Black-owned Prosecco brand in South Carolina, we meet the innovators reshaping the wine world on their own terms. You’ll hear from Krista Scruggs of ZAFA Wines, Justin Wages of Don Luchi Prosecco, sommelier LaShea Delaney, and Cecilia Cuff of Bronzeville Winery, as they share what it means to cultivate not just grapes, but community. Together, they’re building ecosystems—on the land and in the industry—that defy tradition and reimagine who wine is for.

Episode Notes

In this episode, we uncork a different kind of wine story—one rooted in joy, land, and legacy. From a biodiverse vineyard in the Midwest to a Black-owned Prosecco brand in South Carolina, we meet the innovators reshaping the wine world on their own terms. You’ll hear from Krista Scruggs of ZAFA Wines, Justin Wages of Don Luchi Prosecco, sommelier LaShea Delaney, and Cecilia Cuff of Bronzeville Winery, as they share what it means to cultivate not just grapes, but community.

Together, they’re building ecosystems—on the land and in the industry—that defy tradition and reimagine who wine is for.

 

Further Reading:

Interested in reading Natalie Baszile’s book, We are Each Other’s Harvest, pick it up here.

Follow ZAFA Wines new chapter on their webpage, Instagram, and sign up for their newsletter.

Read more about Dr. Elaine Ingham’s soil web research and regenerative farming. 

Live in South Carolina, North Carolina, or Tennessee? Check out Don Luchi’s Prosecco.

If you're in LA, grab a bottle from LaShea’s selection at Carla’s Fresh Market.

In or visiting Chicago? Check out Bronzeville Winery and their Wine Collective.

We are all about making the wine industry accessible. If you are a BIPOC winemaker and/or interested in breaking into the wine industry? Check out these resources given to us by our interviewees: The Hue SocietyWine Unify, The Roots Fund, Black Wine Professionals, and The Veraison Project.

 

This episode of Meat and Three was reported by Ash Tyler and Kiki Canuto.

Our lead producer on this episode was Ash Tyler, with special editorial support from Zariel Grullón, Jessie Nicely, and Maya Okindo.

Meat and Three is produced by H Conley and Taylor Early.

Our audio engineer for this episode was Sam Gerardi.

 

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