The sisters shared a biological father, Kelly McBride, whom they had had little contact with while growing up. She said they faced pushback and a "lack of recognition.". That we have our very own! Long-lost sisters Robin and Andra McBride turned a mutual love of wine into a winery spanning Monterey and Marlborough. Join our community of wine lovers & be the first to know about virtual events and new wine releases. Subscribe to RR1 Live+ for exclusive virtual events all year long (at least 1 per month), conversations with Robb Report editors, special perks, and more. Robin McBride and Andra McBride John grew up on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean, Robin in Marlborough, New Zealand and Andra in Monterey, Calif. Bright acidity marks a clean, refreshing palate, with white nectarine peeking out from behind the apple. We Googled the top 100 restaurants in California and started knocking on doors., They were more or less clueless, she admits. And eventually, they decided to start their own wine company together. But like, what are the chances we're going to find this person out in the world?". They launched the She Can Fund in 2019 and have invested more than $3 million to date in women particularly Black women and other women of color in the food and wine industry. In the year 1999, 25-year-old Robinand 16-year-old Andra McBride met for the first time at LaGuardia Airport in New York. Their father wasn't around for most of their lives, but before he died of stomach cancer in 1996, he asked his family to try and connect the two girls. Andra McBride and her sister, Robin McBride, are the founders and owners of the largest Black-owned wine company in the United States, The McBride Sisters Wine Company, which topped $5 million . According to NPRs How I Built This podcast, the half-sisters who were coincidentally raised in wine regions located in different parts of the world Andra with her mother Pauline in New Zealand until Pauline died when Andra was six and Robin with her mother Karen in Monterrey, CA the sisters grew up unaware of the other and were each raised as an only child. And as it turned out, they shared more than an avant-garde father in L.A. The packaging for the McBride Sisters Collection 2018 Reserve Pinot Noir ($50), on the other hand, exudes a little more attitude, from the showy peacock on the label to the name, a fond reference to their fatherahem, Cocky Motherf*cker. The man behind the ode might have been, in their words, electric, charismatic and confident in his style, but the interpretation in the wine has a wonderful irony to it. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. By then, the family had been looking for Robin for five years and doubled down on their efforts after finding Andra. I cover dynamic women of color and their careers. 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. EN RU CN DE ES. 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. Andra didn't visit her family in Alabama again until two years later. 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. The McBride Sisters Collection, launched in May 2017, is composed of four wines, including a Chardonnay and a red blend from Central Coast, California and a Sauvignon Blanc and a sparkling brut ros, both from Marlborough, New Zealand. Birth State: Kansas. . 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Anne Schamberg is a freelance writer who lives in Waukesha. Total production stands at about 30,000 cases. Join our community of wine lovers & be the first to know about virtual events and new wine releases. When she was 2,. Fluker: With over 10 years in the wine business, how are you both collaborating to keep McBride Sisters wine fresh, innovative and unique? The crest reflects our Sisterly bond and is designed with our shared father, represented as a proud peacock (he was known to be quite cocky) over the initials MS for McBride Sisters. Fluker: What do you envision for McBride Sisters wine for the next 3-5 years? [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. "I remember being just so excited. Not just because they bear a striking resemblance from their trademark curls to their nearly identical smile and eyebrow shape, but the duo navigate a room in lockstep and have an unmistakable energy that is often only detectable when youre among siblings. She was. Since 2005, The McBride Sisters mission has been clear - to transform the industry, lead by example, and cultivate community, one delicious glass of wine at a time. It was all the feels," she said. [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. "It was just kind of like one thing in my mind was like, OK, yeah, yeah. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. But because Andrea spent some of her summers as a kid in New Zealand helping out at a vineyard owned by her uncle, she takes the lead on vineyard management, with an emphasis on sustainability. 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. Since launching McBride Sisters Collection in 2010, the entrepreneurs have been at the forefront of making wine more inclusive alongside Black-owned wine brands like Napas Brown Estate Vineyards, but the sisters are quick to identify where the industry falls short. "[11] The first wine in the collection was a riesling. The McBride Sisters story began in 1999, when Robin and Andra, long-lost sisters raised on opposite sides of the world, were reunited. Speak about why you created the Black Girl Magic collection. In 2005, the sisters found themselves together in California, fueled by a shared passion for all things wine, wine-making and a desire to shake up the industry with a blend of old-world elegance and new-world finesse. 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. Dominique Fluker: How did you both discover your love of wine after being continents apart and finally reuniting in 1999? Wine is agriculture, says Robin. We both like aromatic whites and medium-bodied reds.. But, as Andrea joked, We had two problems we didnt know anything about winemaking, and we didnt have any money., They jumped in by importing wines from New Zealand because the least amount of capital was needed, Andrea said. The search involved sending letters to a long list of people named Robin McBride on Department of Motor Vehicle lists. Their signature McBride Sisters Collection wines are direct reflections of the terroirs of their youth, with flavors designed for all palates. Newly found sisters who had been raised across the world from one another, Robin and Andras love affair with wine was planted within them from an early age while growing up in two of the worlds most iconic wine-growing regions. Black Girl Magic, the-phrase-turned movement started by Cashawn Thompson in 2013, celebrates community and the consumers that have supported McBride Sisters Collection since the beginning. "We had these dreams and had we not met, we probably wouldn't be in the wine industry, but we kinda felt like the stars lined up," Andra said. McBride Sisters: Black Girl Magic was really inspired by amazing women and created to celebrate them. Robin had launched her journey first, having decamped Los Angeles with her mother, embarking on a post-divorce road trip up Pacific Coast Highway and landing in Monterey. He died not long after that, but his dying wish was for his older daughter to be located. To expand their reach with their consumers, the sisters launched a private Facebook group called McBride Certified: Wine 101 with Robin and Andra, a class and community that features an eight-module course explaining the basics of wine and serves as a hub for the McBrides most devoted fans. The S is styled to look like a loc of our curly hair. McBride Sisters Wine Company is a Black-owned, female-led wine company in the United States. At their website, mcbridesisters.com, youll find more information, as well as wine-paired recipes. Q: Do you both like the same kinds of wines? As with the substance of the larger brand, the label is drawn from the sisters experienceits bright red VW bug the getaway car that ferried Robin and her mother up the state way back when, with the Big Sur bridge in the background. Both sisters will tell you that they each take an equal share of the responsibilities. Q: What attracted you to sell your wines in the Detroit area? I literally just found out about her a few minutes before I called And she had a lot to share with me.". Raised among the vines of Monterey, California and Marlborough, New Zealand, one could say that the McBride Sisters path to winemaking was destiny at work. Do youhave tips for wine neophytes who want to learn more? There's a lot of family lineages that still run things. Robin and Andra are a testament to what it means to stay ready, stay resilient, and remain open to new experiences, big and small. The duo also partnered with Simon & Schuster for the Black Girl Magic Wine and Book Club, where two Black Girl Magic wines are paired with a book from a Black woman author. The McBride Sisters crest weve created, which is a part of each bottles label, really illustrates and captures our story quite perfectly. Their aunt answered and, after praising God, immediately handed the phone to Andra so the sisters could talk for the first time. Robin called the enclosed number, coincidentally, during Andra's time in Alabama. [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. And I definitely lost my breath," Andra recalled. The strong and empowered lionesses on the sides of the Sauvignon Blanc and Ros cans pays tribute to the women who encouraged and inspired us throughout our lives. 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. So the two sisters immediately talked and decided to meet at LaGuardia Airport in New York the next day. Please enjoy responsibly! [3][1] The brand uses grapes from both California and New Zealand,[4] and is focused on providing quality bottled and canned wines that are affordable and "celebrate inclusivity". Working in the industry with our first wine import business surrounded by wine, winemakers, and wine professionals certainly helped too, so weve learned a lot along the way and have also taken classes to further deepen our knowledge. 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. What inspired each of youto go into wine? [5] As of 2020, Wine Spectator noted that it was the largest Black-owned wine company in the US by volume. The sisters said their current career goal is to help usher in a more diverse generation of winemakers. As the work began, so did their reality as two fierce, female and forward-thinking leaders in an industry historically defined by tradition and gender. McBride Sisters: Wine and the wine industry has historically been a white man's world and that's changing quickly. There is always something more to experience and learn about wine so were constantly trying to educate ourselves and perfect our skills! And the farming she describes is sustainable, the wines made with minimal intervention, designed to showcase the place. What is 'North To Home' all about. "When we started, it was a bit of an old boys' club," Robin said. They told us we CAN do anything we set our minds to because they knew that no goal or dream is too big. "We had to like figure out how do we introduce new people to wine and then pull through this chain in business versus the more traditional way, which is kind of buying your way up to get access to the consumer. "We grew up on opposite sides of the . Born nine years after Robin, also in L.A, Andra was unaware of her older sister. And as I'm walking and thinking, I'm realizing that the reflection isn't moving as I'm walking. KNOW WHAT YOURE DRINKING: A single can of SHE CAN is equivalent to two and a half glasses of wine (or half of a bottle). [11] Another is a red blend of merlot and cabernet sauvignon. Now their women-led, Black-owned company aims to shake up the wine industry. They told TODAY Food in an interview how they connected in a fairytale-like story to form The McBride Sisters Wine Company and discuss how they're making the wine industry more accessible to marginalized communities. [13] In December 2020, Washington Post wine columnist Dave McIntyre recommended the Black Girl Magic Sparkling Brut as "delicious". Their. They did pretty well until 2008 when economic woes hit the country. Q: Which wines will you be launching in Detroit? Based on the show's recommendation, the family pulled the records of every Robin McBride listed at the Department of Motor Vehicles and started writing dozens of letters. wine for the new world. 2015 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. The MS stands for "McBride Sisters" with an S curled like the locks of our hair, with the two lionesses surrounding it representing our strong, supportive mothers, while the peacock depicts our. You may opt-out by. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) McBride Sisters Wine Company, San Luis Obispo, CA. [6] In 2010, they founded EcoLove, a brand focused on sustainable wines, sourced from vineyards throughout New Zealand. Please enter valid email address to continue. The story of how the McBride sisters, Robin and Andra, reunited and started the McBride Sisters Collection, the largest African American owned wine company in the country, is something straight out of a movie.The sisters, born of the same father but unaware of each other until they reached adulthood, finally found each other in 1999. Whats each of yourfavorite places to drink wine in the world? Robin was raised in Monterrey, Calif.,and Andra, born 9 years later was raised by her mother in Marlborough, New Zealand. The African-American sisters are scheduled to launchtheir McBride Sisters Collection to Detroit and Michigan. 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.". She notes that the two of them have very similar palates. Changing the Game for Dance Creatives : A Q&A with the Talented Taja Riley. Sign up today and save 15% on your first purchase. "Like, 'What do you girls know about wine?'" Their father, a rakish, Alabama-born 6-foot-6-inch wanna-be actor with 11 siblings, had a way with the ladies. McBride Sisters: You can't pick between your children! [9][10] They soon discovered a shared interest in winemaking. 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. "It's definitely an old boys' club," Robin said. [15], The SHE CAN wine collection also sponsors a professional development fund, which awards scholarships to women. Our Newest Wines from the Most Southern Winegrowing Region in the World - Aotearoa New Zealand! The House of Pure Vinin downtown Detroit will host winemakers Robin and Andra McBride today. Robin and Andra McBride, founders of McBride Sisters Wines, are the first African-American sister duo to found and establish a wine company. The McBride Sisters continue to withstand the elementsin both business and in life. Ros is an incredibly versatile wine and really easy to pair with a number of different foods. But not for. "A lot of our experiences of us being curious about wine and how we were treated when we were in those tasting rooms and stuff is really a lot of the foundation of what our company is built on today, which is making wine accessible for everybody and helping people on their journey and making it fun," said Andra. 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. two connected over their shared experiences while exploring wine regions, wine brands, who have historically positioned wine, hope will make pursuing a career in wine a little easier for the next generation of women. Andra McBride: We share the same father, but were raised separately by different mothers. Expect a Gamay and a Pinot Noir from New Zealands Central Otago region to join the Reserve tier soon. The success that the McBride sisters have experienced is impressive for any business, but its almost unheard of in the wine world, where the barrier to entry is high financially, culturally, and socially. Matriarchies all the way! Andra: In the hills looking down on Queenstown in New Zealand. 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. Join our community of wine lovers & be the first to know about virtual events and new wine releases. Robin McBride: It was 1999 and I was 25 and Andrea was 16. Robin and Andras journey has provided them with a lifetimes worth of insight they hope will make pursuing a career in wine a little easier for the next generation of women interested in the field. [17] The post went viral by after it was shared by celebrities including former professional basketball player Dwyane Wade and actor Gabrielle Union. Their story is proof that a bond can form over a bottle of wine; a truth that comes to life with every McBride Sisters . [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. 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. All Rights Reserved. Both areas are naturally beautiful and leaders in environmental protection so sustainable farming and winemaking practices are key to us.