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. McBride Sisters: Wine and the wine industry has historically been a white man's world and that's changing quickly. A Sauvignon Blanc and Sparkling Rose from New Zealand. 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. 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. 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. A couple years following their first meeting, Robin moved back to California to spend more time with Andra who had just started college there, and the rest came naturally. 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. Big sister Robin McBride grows up in Monterey, California unaware that thousands of miles away, she had a little sister, Andra McBride. 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. Fluker: McBride Sisters also offers the Black Girl Magic Wine Clubs. Most of the options from theirtwo labels, eco.love andTruve, retail for under $20 and are sold around the country at more than 1,000 retailers. 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. Meaning, all those people have to buy the idea, granting access to the next in line, until the product finally makes it to shelves, where the profit can be made. The story of their journey starts with a man, their shared biological father, Kelly McBride. Absolutely! 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. Andra didn't visit her family in Alabama again until two years later. Robin McBride and Andra McBride John are known for their story, two sisters raised half a world . The sisters launched their newest brand in February. There's a lot of dynasties in wine. Fluker: With over 10 years in the wine business, how are you both collaborating to keep McBride Sisters wine fresh, innovative and unique? "I think we actually underestimated that." [8] Andra was raised in Marlborough, New Zealand. We Googled the top 100 restaurants in California and started knocking on doors., They were more or less clueless, she admits. Its a such a versatile wine because you can drink it year-round. And I definitely lost my breath," Andra recalled. And it was after college that their dreams of going into the wine business began to take shape. Whats yourfavorite thing aboutros right now? Thanks to one icebreaker question, Robin and Andra McBride are now closer than ever and running a multi-million dollar company together. Robin: Detroit is a great wine making community. 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. The most rewarding parts are knowing how hard we've worked and how much we've sacrificed to get here and seeing the smile on someone's face when they first taste the wine. And as I'm walking and thinking, I'm realizing that the reflection isn't moving as I'm walking. . In the year 1999, 25-year-old Robinand 16-year-old Andra McBride met for the first time at LaGuardia Airport in New York. Where Will Wine Take You? 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. In 2010, they started the McBride Sisters Wine Company. 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. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. Birth Year: 1966. 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. "It was just kind of like one thing in my mind was like, OK, yeah, yeah. [1][2] The company was founded in 2005 by African American winemakers Robin and Andra McBride, who first met as adults and bonded over a shared passion for 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. The McBride sisters and their staff make the wines at custom crush facilities in California and New Zealand. The process was inspired bytips from aprivate detective as seen on an episodeOprah, which Robin and Andras familyhad watched. She notes that the two of them have very similar palates. Her estranged dad shared his terminal diagnosis of stomach cancer and how he wanted to use his remaining energy to help her find Robin. Even celebrities can disappoint their parents. 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. What they unknowingly had in common was that they both grew up in wine country: Robin, in Monterey, California, and Andra inMarlborough, 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. The story of the McBride sisters is nothing like anything you've ever heard of before in the wine industry. "It's definitely an old boys' club," Robin said. The lionesses and peacock represent the Sisters' mothers and father, and together, they have the McBride Sisters Collection. 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. Robin: I think we just jumped in and we were naive about the lack of diversity and we just wanted to produce good wines. But like, what are the chances we're going to find this person out in the world?". She was placed with a foster family at the age of 6. It was all the feels," she said. And we admire the craft of wine making and had hopes to do it ourselves one day. [14], As of 2015, McBride Sisters had a team that was 80 percent female, including their head winemaker and vineyard director. For the first time, we will be opening a tasting room that will be open to the public and releasing exclusive reserve wines over the coming years. The origin story behind the McBride Sisters Wine. A separate Black Girl Magic line offers up bottles of sparkling, Riesling, ros, Merlot, Zinfandel, as well asspeaking of unintimidatingsparkling ros and red in cans. We each had a similar background in wining making regions. Their. Long-lost sisters Robin and Andra McBride turned a mutual love of wine into a winery spanning Monterey and Marlborough. After graduating from high school in New Zealand, Andrea attended the University of Southern California to be near her sister. They were in touch with Andra, but had no idea where Robin lived. "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. Andra grew up in New Zealand with her mother, Pauline, until she died of breast cancer. "When we started, it was a bit of an old boys' club," Robin said. After Robin's mother and their father divorced, Robin . McBride Sisters: Women make up a small percentage of the wine industry and women of color even smaller. Andrea: The profiles of wine we like to taste are similar. These are no pop-up wines in a short-term business plan. This wine is not about us, the McBride Sisters, but as a thank you for all of the support and inspiration that we get from so many amazing women over the years. Although their father, Kelly McBride, was not much part of their. Theirwines will also be sold at Kroger stores. "The phone rang, and I picked it up, and the person on the other end of the phone, said, 'Hey, Andra, it's your dad.' This wine is an ode to Robin and Andra's father who exuded confidence and understated elegance. Name: Martina McBride. First published on July 2, 2015 / 7:24 AM. Barbecue, grilled fish, meats, and veggies, burgers, French fries, fish tacos, fruits, cheeses, grilled cheese, and coastal cuisines like Mediterranean dishes and Spanish tapas. He told her he was dying of cancer and wanted to do one last thing before passing: connect her to another daughter he had her sister, Robin. We didnt know what each other looked like. They were all just really focused on helping to try and find Robin.". The sisters were born to different mothers, both in Los Angeles. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. Robin (right) andAndra McBride (left) are teaching others what they've learned about the wine industry as sister co-founders of a booming wine company. **. Robin: We are big believers in sustainability because you get a higher quality grape and its right for the planet. To us, black girl magic is that drive, it's the creativity, resilience, and innovation that shines brightly. Therefore, its much more than a single serving. They had a dream between them, of making wine. August 7, 2021 by Kiri Tannenbaum Director of Culinary Relations. "[11] The first wine in the collection was a riesling. Wine is agriculture, says Robin. You have to have an extreme case of optimism and thick skin to be successful in this business. These wines, priced between about $12 and $17 a bottle, became available at Kroger-owned stores this fall. After all, sisterhood is what makes their own story so remarkable. We are continuing to expand where our wines can be found and enjoyed nationwide with some exciting collaborations. 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. [6] According to the Boston Globe, McBride Sisters is also "one of the few Black-owned wine labels that encourages consumers to be socially conscious. "The catalyst was one of his brothers, our uncle, was in his living room, watching an 'Oprah' episode, and she featured private detectives on how you find people that owe you money or how you find displaced loved ones," Andra said. Robin and Andra McBride, founders of McBride Sisters Wines, are the first African-American sister duo to found and establish a wine company. We were in our early twenties and thirties the industry had never seen wine company owners like us before. Following a lengthy search by his family, Robin and Andra met for first time in 1999 at LaGuardia Airport in New York. Half-sisters Robin and Andra launched their California wine company, the McBride . [8] In 2019, the McBride Sisters also launched an eco-friendly line of canned wine,SHE CAN. Dominique Fluker: How did you both discover your love of wine after being continents apart and finally reuniting in 1999? according to Nielsen data cited by Wine Spectator. You may opt-out by. IE 11 is not supported. 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. 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. They can be found at many Metro Markets and Pick n Save stores throughout the Milwaukee area. The African-American sisters are scheduled to launchtheir McBride Sisters Collection to Detroit and Michigan. 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. Following the death of their father Kelly McBride in 1996, Kellys relatives, who already had a relationship with Andra, set out to find Robin, who never had a relationship with her father or his family. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. "My sister and I are on a mission to transform the industry, lead by example and cultivate community," Robin McBride says. Q: How would you describe your wine-making style? In honor of their brand-newTruveros launcha 2015 Grenache ros from the Paso Robles region of Californiawe spoke with the sisters on drinking pink, food pairings,and the ethos of their sisterly wine labels. 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. There was a lot of basic access to information that we didn't have that we felt like shouldn't have been one of the things that could have made or broken our company," so they're teaching it. For the McBrides, success is not just about selling wine, but also creating a sort of sisterhood among their mostly female staff. Andra: In the hills looking down on Queenstown in New Zealand. Was it difficult? Q: Which wines will you be launching in Detroit? 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. Join our community of wine lovers & be the first to know about virtual events and new wine releases. Join our community of wine lovers & be the first to know about virtual events and new wine releases. Total production stands at about 30,000 cases. McBride Sisters: Black Girl Magic was really inspired by amazing women and created to celebrate them. 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. Photo: Courtesy of McBride Sisters Collection. We still don't see a lot of women, a lot of people of color," Andra said. " Contact Susan Selasky: 313-222-6872 or sselasy@freepress.com. In just the past 12 months, McBride Sisters Collection has sold more than 35,000 cases of wine in retail outlets, according to Nielsen, up 40 percent from the previous year. We bought some wine and had 120 days to pay it back. 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. But the proof is in the bottle, we've been owners, makers, and innovators for fourteen years! Following a lengthy search by his family, Robin and Andra met for first time in 1999 at LaGuardia Airport in New York. This is a BETA experience. 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. We definitely do look like sisters., She added that they soon discovered they had grown up in similar places, small places agricultural communities with up-and-coming wine regions.. They affectionally named the wine with the peacock on the label Cocky Motherf*cker in honor of their father. Meanwhile, if you hurry, theres just time to toast the New Year with their pink bubbly. The History of Sangria and Its Powerful Influence on Afro-Latinx Communities, Holiday Your Way: Celebrating the Diversity of Food with Chef Pierre Thiam, Holiday Your Way: Tis' the season with Claudette Zepeda, Hispanic Heritage Month: Celebrating Doa Vega's Sonya Vega, Hispanic Heritage Month: Celebrating Agua Bonitas Kayla Castaeda. And it turned out they both grew up in small agriculture towns known for winemaking and they were both passionate about wine. A bright, silky palate is balanced between sweet-seeming fruit and earth, delivered with artful plushness. The story of their journey starts with a man, their shared biological father, Kelly McBride. 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. These values show up not only in the wines they make but in all facets of their company. 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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. The movie is all about the McBride sisters who reunite in Alaska to celebrate Suzanne's birthday and connect their past to the present.