Confirming the trend of black consumption of fine wines is the existence of the African American Association of Vintners and the African American Wine Tasting Society, which publishes The African American Wine Journal – geared specifically towards black wine lovers. According to Uptown Magazine, African Americans are even moving into the production of wine with about ten black-owned vineyards in the U.S., many of which have received rave reviews for their wines. The following appeared in The Wine Report magazine in January 2004:
Wine marketers “have made a big, fat mistake” by overlooking the buying power of African-American consumers, says Carolyn Hebsgaard. A Boston-area attorney, Hebsgaard is a charter member of Divas Uncorked—a group of professional African-American women who enjoy wine. “They’ve failed to recognize that we’ve arrived both professionally and socially.”
Even USA Today is getting in on the action having recently launched a Wine Club with reader tasting panels (www.USATODAYWineClub.com). The African American Wine Tasting Society (www.aawts.org) now has chapters in nine cities including New York City where, not surprisingly, African American wine consumption is highest.
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