‘Must Be Nice’: Black Woman Wins National Winery Contest, Gets Paid To Sip While Living Rent Free

Getting paid to sip wine is the newest gig for this Black woman who won a national wine campaign.

But that’s not all that’s great about her new job—as a contest winner, she’ll also be living rent-free while learning from the best in the wine business.

Lindsay Perry, 28, of Austin, Texas, will be moving to Sonoma County, California, as one of two national winners for the Murphy-Goode Winery’s “A Really Goode Job” campaign search.

As compensation for her time at the winery, she’ll receive a $10K per month salary, free rent for a year, and 30 cases of Murphy-Goode to take home.

“Working for Murphy-Goode Winery will present a unique challenge and represent a big pivot in my life. I’ll be jumping into the wine industry in the best way possible,” Perry said, according to WineIndustryAdvisor.

While at Murphy-Goode, Perry will have both feet in the winery’s operations. According to Yahoo News, her job description includes learning the growing, dynamic world of e-commerce and working with a team to drive awareness and build demand for the wine company.

She’ll also shadow winemaker Dave Ready Jr. and his team during harvest. On Sept. 1, she’ll begin her 90 days of shadowing before moving into a role aligned with her interests and expertise.

“Having the opportunity to shadow Dave, learn to make wine, and grow professionally through this year of exploration, will change the trajectory of my life,” Perry said.

Perry, a digital marketing specialist, landed the opportunity with some experience already under her belt.

“I’ve completed WSET Levels and l and ll with the Napa Valley Wine Academy, so I’m able to recall hundreds of wine facts at the drop of a hat,” she said in her application video.

Murphy-Goode received over 7,000 submissions from around the world. The winery welcomed the top 17 finalists to Healdsburg in July for in-person interviews and county exploration.

Perry will be joined by another contestant winner: 28-year-old Veronica Hebbard of Orlando, Florida. The winery said both winners stood out for their passion for wine, creativity, humor, and drive.

“When we started out on this journey, we cast the net wide to find candidates with unique experiences and points of view,” Ready said. “I’m looking forward to working with Lindsay and Veronica this harvest, but also learning from each of them, and seeing what new ideas they will bring to the job.”