More and more Black women are venturing into the wine industry. This summer, Marlo Richardson joined the less than one percent of black-owned wineries when she launched her California-based winery, Braymar Wines in July.
The California mother of two named the wine after her daughters, Brayli, and Marli. The concept of Braymar Wines was developed during the pandemic in 2020. But the Los Angeles native has been a fan of wine since she opened her first restaurant in 2010 in Playa Del Rey, Calif.
“With everything that happened during the pandemic, and having to suddenly become a homeschool teacher and a mom and trying to work, and at the end of the day, all I could think of is I just need a glass of wine,” Richardson said.
“So I came up with a name. And that also helped me design the logo for the brand, because I wanted it to look like kids drew it.”
The bottle has a QR code which customers can scan and read its origin story.
“I think every good product/ wine has a good story to match the quality of the product,” she told SheSingle.
“I want people to know my story and to be inspired by it.”
The wine is produced by Top Drawer distillery, also owned by Richardson, and includes a North Coast Proprietor’s Red Blend, Sonoma Brut, California Sparkling Rosé and a Chardonnay. Its contents and grapes are sourced from a highly-rated winery in Napa and its blends are a combination of various grapes from different coasts in California.
The Braymar red wine has the aroma of ripe berries, vanilla, and coffee with flavors of fruit and oak. Braymar Chardonnay has a very light and fruity aroma with citrus, green apple, and pineapple flavors.
As a restaurant and bar owner operator of Stage 21 Sports & Entertainment Lounge in Culver City, Calif., Richardson said she has had the opportunity to listen to her customers, when they repeatedly asked for certain varietals. She took their requests as an opportunity to make sure Braymar represented their trendy tastes.“Braymar was inspired by my desire to create memories with people I care about,” Marlo says
“Many of those lasting memories have occurred during a conversation that took place over a glass of wine or other cocktail.”
“We are very close. I try to make everything we do a learning experience.
Braymar Wines is currently available to purchase online and can be found in four locations across Los Angeles, including Stage 21 Bar and Lounge, Fat Tuesday, Delmonicos Steak and Lobster House, and The Meeting Place.
For more information on Braymar Wines go to the website, https://www.braymarwines.com/.