BLACK WOMEN HAVE DEEP ROOTS IN THE WINE WORLD. ~ S. Evans
FORTHCOMING RESEARCH
"MOTHER VINE: an ancient scuppernong vine on Roanoke Island; perhaps the oldest cultivated vine in the United States."
Alexia Helsley, A History of North Carolina Wine: From Scuppernong to Syrah
WHAT HAVE BLACK WOMEN WRITTEN ABOUT WINE?
Mother Vines examines the rich history of Black women’s diverse global wine tastes. Over 250 Black women’s memoirs mention wine and reveal a deeply rooted tradition of enjoyment absent from discussions in the mainstream wine world. In a book, lecture series, and graduate seminar, Professor Stephanie Evans explores Black women’s international wine making and drinking to unpack themes of pleasure, pain, and power. This is a history of women #LaughingWhileBlack.
PUBLICATION
Mother Vines: A History of Black Women and Wine (working title)
#BlackWomensWellness
#CITEBLACKWOMEN | #CITEASISTA
LECTURES
AURBURN AVENUE RESEARCH LIBRARY
ATLANTA, GA
Annie L. McPheeters Distinguished Scholar
Four Lectures ~ ONLINE
Open to the Public (Registration in January)
Works-in-Progress Lecture Series
COURSE
GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY
WGSS - New Directions in Feminism, Spring 2022
Graduate Seminar
(Class is Full)
MY WINE STORY
Germany
Tanzania
Germany
The same year as "The Judgement of Paris" (1976), I moved to Hessish-Oldendorf with my military family. I was seven and we stayed for three years. I was introduced to beer and schnapps...which I would enjoy much later.
Paris
Tanzania
Germany
I have visited Paris four times: 2003, 2007, 2010, and 2011. I followed the footsteps of Dr. Anna Julia Cooper while teaching the "African Americans in Paris" class. Each visit, I've enjoyed classic spots like La Coupole.
Tanzania
Tanzania
Tanzania
In 2006, I stayed at the University of Dar es Salaam campus for one month, researching African women's dissertations. I met outstanding faculty, pictured here sharing a bottle of Côtes-du-Rhône.
Italy
Atlanta
Tanzania
To celebrate completion of my first book, Black Women in the Ivory Tower, I took a wine tour with my friend and mentor (2006). We visited Valpolicella wine region, Venice, Verona, and Bassano del Grappa.
Atlanta
Atlanta
Atlanta
I've enjoyed wine since the 1980s, and wine took a serious turn in 2006. But when I married Curtis Byrd in 2009, I gained a true wine lover as a life partner. We've made a life of enJOYing wine together.
Napa
Atlanta
Atlanta
On several trips to Napa, we visited Brown Family Estate (downtown), ZD Winery, and Domaine Carneros. Bubbles are a must at DC, Chardonnay at ZD, and Betelgeuse Sauv Blanc at Brown.
Life Long Learning
Life Long Learning
Life Long Learning
Though I'd been drinking all of my adult life, I did not have an "aha" wine until Valpolicella, Italy. My second "aha" came after visiting Napa, where I fell in love with all things rosé, which is now my go to.
Community
Life Long Learning
Life Long Learning
In Fall 2021, I shared space with wine professionals, hosting an online social gathering for the Association of Black Women Historians (ABWH). Sommelier Janeen Jason, 3 Parks Wine Shop owner Sarah Pierre, and somm & rum specialist Jade Marley offered tips and tasting notes about Black women's thinking on drinking.
Study
Life Long Learning
Study
In February 2021, after completing my book Black Women's Yoga History, I started to study the history of Black women and wine through memoirs. I also began to learn the basics by completing Napa Valley's Online Wine Academy courses: Wine 101 & WSET 1.
black-owned wines (december 2021)
resources
African American Vintners Association
African American Vintners Association
African American Vintners Association
Hue Society
African American Vintners Association
African American Vintners Association
Black Wine Professionals
African American Vintners Association
Black Wine Professionals
The Roots Fund
Journey Between the Vines Documentary
Black Wine Professionals
Red, White, and Black Documentary
Journey Between the Vines Documentary
Journey Between the Vines Documentary
Journey Between the Vines Documentary
Journey Between the Vines Documentary
Journey Between the Vines Documentary
Uncorked & Cultured
Terroir Noir Report 2020
Terroir Noir Report 2020
Terroir Noir Report 2020
Terroir Noir Report 2020
Terroir Noir Report 2020
The Wine Enthusiast
Terroir Noir Report 2020
The Wine Enthusiast
Travel Noir
Travel Noir
The Wine Enthusiast
The Mother Vine: North Carolina
Mother Vine Vineyard: California
The Mother Vine: North Carolina
Mother Vine Wine Bar: Australia
Mother Vine Vineyard: California
The Mother Vine: North Carolina
Mother Vine Vineyard: California
Mother Vine Vineyard: California
Mother Vine Vineyard: California
cite & support this research
#CiteBlackWomen & #CiteASista
To avoid plagiarism--in academic scholarship or in professional media and the public sphere--CITE THIS PAGE IN YOUR WORK. Here is the citation template for APA (or simply provide a link to this web page):
Evans, Stephanie. “Mother Vines: A History of Black Women and Wine." Mother-Vines.net. Published December 2, 2021. Access date XXX https://mother-vines.net/.
Invited Lectures
Dr. Evans will be offering four lectures that are free and open to the public, as part of the Auburn Avenue Research Library series. To invite Dr. Evans for a paid lecture, panel, or consultation about wine and #HistoricalWellness, use the form below.
Photo: Stephanie Y. Evans, cork collection (started in 2006).