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. After all, sisterhood is what makes their own story so remarkable. From that aunt, who lived in Georgia, she learned both about her fathers death and about the existence of her 16-year-old sister. 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. What is 'North To Home' all about. 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. 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. 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. IE 11 is not supported. QUESTION: You story is unique in that you didnt know each other a good part of your lives? Design is a wonderful way to express a message through illustration, and were glad we had the creative opportunity to pay tribute to three extra special women. Our Newest Wines from the Most Southern Winegrowing Region in the World - Aotearoa New Zealand! The McBride Sisters logo is so much more than just a logo. 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. The McBride Sisters Collection wines are offered across the United States and New Zealand. "I think we actually underestimated that." It was then that the McBride Sisters Collection was born. Robin was raised by her mother, Karen, more than 6,500 miles away in Monterey, California. Though they were raised in the far-flung, enormously iconic wine regions of Monterey, California and Marlborough, New Zealand, both sisters were destined to share a love of the grape. After meeting in 1999, their curiosity for wine became a true passion as the sisters began a wine import business, importing unique New Zealand wines into the US Market. Meanwhile, if you hurry, theres just time to toast the New Year with their pink bubbly. It was life changing. By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. How 2 friends created sparkling wine subscription service The Sip, surveyed 3,100 industry professionals in 2019 and found, EatOkra founders share inspiration behind their app highlighting Black-owned restaurants. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. The McBride sisters and their staff make the wines at custom crush facilities in California and New Zealand. Following a lengthy search by his family, Robin and Andra met for first time in 1999 at LaGuardia Airport in New York. Crushed raspberry and black cherry aromas are dusted with loam and layered with beautiful florals, sandalwood and spice. 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. They each thought they were only children.. The wine industrycan seem so complex for people who dont already have an in.How does one go about getting educated? 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. After all, Google really wasnt a thing when the search began in 1994. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. She said they faced pushback and a "lack of recognition.". They said it's also important to them that their wines are affordable. "When we started, it was a bit of an old boys' club," Robin said. She notes that the two of them have very similar palates. 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. [6] In 2010, they founded EcoLove, a brand focused on sustainable wines, sourced from vineyards throughout New Zealand. This bottle is our celebration of that essence. [6] In 2015, they started Truve, a brand focused on California Central Coast wines, in partnership with Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines. While Andra knew about Robin, Robin didnt know she had a younger sister, much less one across the world in New Zealand, and the two eventually connected in 1999. 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. Includes digital magazine access + a free gift. [1], Robin and Andrea McBride started their business as a boutique import firm with a limited selection of New Zealand wines. Long-lost sisters Robin and Andra McBride turned a mutual love of wine into a winery spanning Monterey and Marlborough. Patti LaBelle with the McBride Sisters, Andra (left) and Robin (right) / Photo by Jared Soares. And we admire the craft of wine making and had hopes to do it ourselves one day. The McBride Sisters crest weve created, which is a part of each bottles label, really illustrates and captures our story quite perfectly. The House of Pure Vinin downtown Detroit will host winemakers Robin and Andra McBride today. Enter the McBride Sisters Collection Reserve wines: a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir from Montereys cool Santa Lucia Highlands. . He told her he was dying of cancer and wanted to do one last. Our story is proof that a bond can form over a bottle of wine; a truth that comes to life with every McBride Sisters wine. The California grapes are from contract growers. The other two are Chardonnay from the central coast of California and a red blend of Petite Shiraz and Merlot Zinfandel. The movie is all about the McBride sisters who reunite in Alaska to celebrate Suzanne's birthday and connect their past to the present. The "S" is styled to look like a loc of our curly hair. McBride Sisters: We'll have a LOT of announcements coming over the next year! Q: The McBride Collection includes a sparkling Rose wine. 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. Explore the prestigious Santa Lucia Highlands, where we hand selected rows of vines for this exclusive McBride Sisters Collection Reserve Pinot Noir "Cocky Motherf*cker" 2019. Finally in 1999, Robin received a note from her father's sister. 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. "My sister and I are on a mission to transform the industry, lead by example and cultivate community," Robin McBride says. They were all just really focused on helping to try and find Robin.". A Sauvignon Blanc and Sparkling Rose from New Zealand. They are looking for brands with a large social footprint, in areas including sustainability and even social justice. In meeting, the bond between Robin and Andra was instant, and intensified when they realized theyd both grown up as often the only mixed-race children in small, mostly white agricultural communities known for producing wine. For their part, Robin and Andra have doubled down on supporting Black and women-owned small businesses through their SHECAN initiative. At least 10 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 18; more than a dozen missing, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, Duo of 81-year-old women plan to see the world in 80 days, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh trial: What to know about the double murder case, Breaking into the wine business isn't easy, especially if you're a woman or a minority, Sisters build winery after discovering each other, Ukraine says it's ready if Russia tries to invade again from Belarus. According to Bloomberg, there are more than 8,000 wineries in the country as of 2020 and 0.1% of them are Black-owned. I was at home watching cartoons when the phone rang and a voice said, Hey, Andrea, this is your dad. And he told me I had a sister, Andrea recalled. [11] Another is a red blend of merlot and cabernet sauvignon. 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. Q: Do you both like the same kinds of wines? 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. Both of use like barbecue and we make a barbecue sauce with our wine. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The sisters shared a biological father, Kelly McBride, whom they had had little contact with while growing up. [12] The most popular set is a trio of Black Girl Magic wine featuring bottles of riesling, zinfandel, and ros. Q: What attracted you to sell your wines in the Detroit area? 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. Following a lengthy search by his family, Robin and Andra met for first time in 1999 at LaGuardia Airport in New York. Because we started in New Zealand, our wine-growing philosophy is rooted in sustainable farming and not diluting the purity of the fruit in the winemaking process, by covering it up with too much oak or other flavors that are winemaking tricks of the trade! And for that, they are both grateful to a father they never really knew. 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 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. McBride Sisters: You can't pick between your children! The Collection, launching in more than 1,500 retail locations nationwide, consists of four wines crafted in the McBride Sisters signature style, a blend of old world elegance with new world finesse. 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. Email her at aschamberg@gmail.com. We included Established 1999 because this is the year that we met for the first time and our whole worlds changed! Whats yourfavorite thing aboutros right now? "We grew up on opposite sides of the . Enter Robin McBride and Andra McBride-John, the duo behind the eponymous Oakland, CA-based McBride Sisters wine collection. Dont miss the food event of the year. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. It's called Truve, which is derived from the French verb "to find" and reflects their personal journey finding each other. Now we want to make the kind of wine we fell in love with.. Its a great wine drinking city and we wanted to connect with people that weve connected with on social platforms. The sisters said with the doors they've opened, they're committed to doing their part in leaving them open and helping others through. She was placed with a foster family at the age of 6. 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. "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. Photo: Courtesy of McBride Sisters Collection. "[11] The first wine in the collection was a riesling. Join our community of wine lovers & be the first to know about virtual events and new wine releases. "We didn't know about each other at all when we were growing up," Robin said. Now theres more women and women of color (in the business), we want to keep pushing that agenda and make that wine available. Theirwines will also be sold at Kroger stores. That search was carried out by his siblings using a method they heard about on an Oprah Winfrey Show featuring a private detective. This piece originally aired July 2, 2015. 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. Plus, get the exclusive Robb Report tote bag FREE. The story of their journey starts with a man, their shared biological father, Kelly McBride. 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. Andra grew up in New Zealand with her mother, Pauline, until she died of breast cancer. Their wines range from $16.99 to$19.99. As the two got to know one another, they discovered a shared passion for making wine, something they each developed growing up in the major wine regions of New Zealand and central California. 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 bold and proud father. The process was a grind. At the age of six, she was raised by her uncle and a foster family after her mother died of breast cancer. Andra grew up in New Zealand with her mother, Pauline, until she died of breast cancer. Andrea: Our wines are from two regions. Since the inception of their namesake brand in 2010, they've turned it into the largest Black-owned and. They affectionally named the wine with the peacock on the label Cocky Motherf*cker in honor of their father. Their new endeavor has had a couple of iterations along the way, including Truvee Wines, a brand they have since sold, as well as Eco.love wines, which is a wine club brand with limited availability. Birth Year: 1966. It's how you feelwhat you see, smell and hear as you prepare to taste the wine. And so the realization hit that that was the first time that I'd seen my sister, who happened to look a lot like me at that time," Robin said. Randi Richardson is a reporter for TODAY Digital based in New York. "When we first started, (the wine world) was definitely a place where we felt like we didn't belong," said Robin. 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. Sauvignon Blanc is dedicated to Andra's mums (birth mother and foster mother) so their initials are by the lioness (P.J. / CBS News. We just went around all of it and created demand," explained Robin. We started to see we were not like the average wine makers. Seeking to buck that trend, the sisters have assembled a team that's 80 percent women, including their head winemaker and vineyard director. For Andra and Robin, the company's success feels like the culmination of their journey as sisters. 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. What inspired each of youto go into wine? Where Will Wine Take You? The sisters started small. Q: Which wines will you be launching in Detroit? And I definitely lost my breath," Andra recalled. Absolutely! [17] The post went viral by after it was shared by celebrities including former professional basketball player Dwyane Wade and actor Gabrielle Union. New drug could slow one type of vision loss. They initially settled on the idea of importing and selling wines from New Zealand to restaurants throughout California, a concept they pivoted and grew into the McBride Sisters collection that exists today. Bright acidity marks a clean, refreshing palate, with white nectarine peeking out from behind the apple. [15], The SHE CAN wine collection also sponsors a professional development fund, which awards scholarships to women. Older sister Robin McBride was raised in Monterey, Calif., by her mother, Karen. Our experience when we first started, our credibility was challenged a lot. The lionesses and peacock represent the Sisters' mothers and father, and together, they have the McBride Sisters Collection. By the time the two of us met, our father had passed away. 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. 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. House of Pure Vin is a fantastic wine tasting place and shop and we have a lot of friends in Detroit. 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? Even celebrities can disappoint their parents. At their website, mcbridesisters.com, youll find more information, as well as wine-paired recipes. "[7], The McBride sisters grew up far apart in acclaimed winemaking regions, unaware of each other until they were adults. We like fruit driven, cooler climate wines that express the environment where they were grown. Like this article? Raised on opposite sides of the globeNew Zealand andMonterey, California the sisters equally fostered a unique appreciation for the craft of winemaking. In 1999, in a made-for-the-big-screen scene at La Guardia airport, Robin and Andra McBride met for the first time, each having only just learned that she had a sister in the world at all, let alone on an entirely different continent in a different hemisphere. Robin and Andra are a testament to what it means to stay ready, stay resilient, and remain open to new experiences, big and small. 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. Fluker: What is your favorite wine from the McBride Sisters collection and why? The collection also includes merlot, zinfandel, and a red blend, as well as a zesty sparkling brut thats perfect for toasting to special occasions. In 2010, they started the McBride Sisters Wine Company, breaking the mold of the male-dominated and predominately white wine business, becoming the first African American Sisters to own a wine company. Robin was raised in Monterrey, Calif., and Andra, born 9 years later was raised by her mother in Marlborough, New Zealand. Andra and Robin grew up on separate continents, each one believing they were an only child. Born nine years after Robin, also in L.A, Andra was unaware of her older sister. First they built a boutique import firm focused on New Zealand wines. There, she grew up among the vineyards and winemakers of the Santa Lucia Highlands, and was entirely caught up in the vision. Andra said the aforementioned phone call was the first time she'd spoken to her dad in six years. Changing the Game for Dance Creatives : A Q&A with the Talented Taja Riley. The sisters were born to different mothers, both in Los Angeles. What are some of your favoriteros pairings? And the Black Girl Magic collection, Robin and Andreas personal ode to their culture and story, is inspired by the magic and resilience of Black women, to be enjoyed by all. And as it turned out, they shared more than an avant-garde father in L.A. The wine event is open to the public and the sisters will be there to sign bottles of wine. The entrepreneurs encourage women with a passion for wine to fully immerse themselves in the industry, from following brands on social media to participating in industry-related programs and conversations. But like, what are the chances we're going to find this person out in the world?". We are continuing to expand where our wines can be found and enjoyed nationwide with some exciting collaborations. Andra and Robin McBride have a personal story as unique as their professional one. I cover dynamic women of color and their careers. With different mothers but the same father, the sisters grew up without knowing that each other existed. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) McBride Sisters Wine Company, San Luis Obispo, CA. Now more than ever, social media has become an important vehicle for reaching young and diverse consumers, Andra says. The perfect tummy control bodysuit, a popcorn gadget, more bestsellers starting at $8. We Googled the top 100 restaurants in California and started knocking on doors., They were more or less clueless, she admits. The story of their journey starts with a man, their shared biological father, Kelly McBride. Q: How did you get started? [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. We dont have any other siblings. Or you can raise a glass to sisterhood with my favorite McBride wine, which is their excellent New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Whats each of yourfavorite places to drink wine in the world? 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.