When Channing Frye retired in 2019 after 15 years as a stalwart power forward in the NBA, he was stuck. With his long-term plans gone, he began to feel depressed, he said.
“My wife said, 'What do you like?' I said, 'I love people and I love wine.' You can become a party planner or go into the world of wine. ”
Mr. Fry chose wine. He founded the Oregon-based label Chosen Family Wines with his wife Lauren after playing for the Portland Trail Blazers early in his career. His partners include former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Kevin Love, who is currently with the Miami Heat.
But what sets Chosen Family Wine apart is its commitment, its mission, to bring wine to communities that have long been ignored by the wine industry. While some companies work to incorporate people of color into their existing corporate structures, the Chosen Family set out to meet people of their own volition and introduce them to wine in a comfortable and familiar setting. did.
“We want to be intentional and show people how approachable wine can be,” said Chosen Family Vice President Tickett Bramlett. “When they talk about wine, I want them to talk about what they know. They can't use all the Eurocentric language that is standard in textbooks.”
The racial reckoning that followed the killing of George Floyd in 2020 prompted many in the wine industry to pursue large-scale efforts to diversify both the industry itself and its customer base. With some exceptions, many of these efforts were short-lived.
“To be honest, DEI is dead,” said Ikimi DuBose Woodson, executive director of the Roots Fund, a nonprofit that helps people of color access the wine industry. “It was almost a fashion trend. A lot of companies that made promises backed out of their promises. They say they can't afford it.”
Far more successful have been black wine experts, who have placed wine in the context of familiar and cherished elements of black culture. People and organizations like Jermaine Stone who are fusing wine and hip-hop. Oenoverse is dedicated to building a more inclusive wine industry in Virginia. and Chosen Family promotes a community-based, grassroots approach.
But to make people who have traditionally felt excluded feel welcome, the standard of remembering the grapes, locations, and producers, and immersing yourself in descriptions of aromas and tastes is essential. We need a method other than that.
“You have to be patient, you have to be really patient,” Frye said during a visit to the Chosen Family tasting room in Wilsonville, Oregon. You have to meet them where they are. We have to merge two different worlds. ”
Despite his 7-foot stature, Mr. Fry, an imposing and unimpressive man, speaks plainly, avoiding the pedantic wine jargon that can easily be associated with snobbery or pretentiousness. He found a way to connect wine to the culture of his audience, rather than pastoral images derived from the European countryside.
“If you're a wine lover, I want to empathize with you,” he said. “Chardonnay goes well with salmon, but how many people in Mississippi eat salmon? Chardonnay goes well with catfish. You make wines that aren't scary. Party with fun music and a DJ. Let's have fun. Serve the wine. People say, 'I never knew wine could taste like that.'
Ms. DuBose-Woodson says the wine industry should be involved in opening up its markets to people of color. She says this is a demographic issue, especially as baby boomers, who have long supported the industry economically, are aging out of their purchasing prime.
“These are communities that are replacing the old white people,” she said. “If you don’t get involved in these communities, you’re going to lose that money.”
Just as some prestigious business schools require students to learn about wine in order to function in high-class social environments, it is also beneficial for people of color to gain at least a working knowledge of wine. , she said.
“They need to be able to connect to the network. It's a business necessity,” she said. “Black and brown leaders in our respective communities, we deserve this knowledge so that we can thrive in these environments.”
The process of building a new market takes time and investment, starting with what Bramlett calls comfortable gathering opportunities where wine is available in a safe space.
“It’s a very strong feeling to be able to come here and be who you are,” she said. “You can make the wine you want.”
Frye said the Chosen Family has provided opportunities to market to Black audiences, including participating in the group “Winning While Black,” which organizes networking opportunities for Black people.
“Then we will hold a follow-up tasting seminar,” he said. “We have a positive relationship with wine. Don't tell people they're wrong.
“It's an untapped market. Once they trust us, it gives us the authority to go out and explore. But we have to invest. We're not going to come back right away.”
It also helps that, unlike many celebrity wines, Chosen Family wines are really good. The selection is entirely from purchased grapes and is centered around the Willamette Valley, ranging from simple but delicious Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs around $25 to $30, to delicate and lively, but more complex and age-worthy wines. We offer a wide range of products, including pre-order sets of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Mr. Fry calls them “everyday drinkers.”
The Chosen family also offers a series of wines that Fry calls collaboration wines. For this wine, the Chosen family partners with another producer to create single-vineyard wines from various regions of the Willamette Valley. For example, something like a beautiful saline Chardonnay made in the lingua franca. Eola Amity Hills. Its offerings extend beyond Oregon, including the rich Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir partnered with Salty Goats and the fresh, complex Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.
“We're always looking for new things and want to put new winemakers on the map,” Fry said. “We're reaching a certain demographic, so why would he only offer them one type of wine? I don't drink that much. Why not share these regions and winemakers?” mosquito?”
When Mr. Frye first came to the Trail Blazers in the 2007-08 season, he was introduced to wine when he visited Domaine Drouhin with his wife. There is.
“I listen more than I talk,” he said. “There are so many layers to wine, so many different aspects. It's like going through the closet and into Narnia.”
Mr. Fry has faced his own obstacles to acceptance.
“People think it's a money-making or vanity project,” he says. “I get asked all the time, 'Why are you so black-centric?' It wasn't. But I'm a novice at this. Do you know who wants to work with us? Blacks and Hispanics The people of
No matter how difficult it is, he finds fulfillment in the work.
“I love how it breaks down walls with every sip,” he says. “Whether you're white or black, if you come here, you'll feel different when you leave.”
