A Black Sommelier’s Guide to Napa Valley and Wine

I interviewed Whitney- a vibrant, Black woman who recently became a sommelier and newly appointed President for Phoenix Chapter of Black Girls Wine Society. We chat about how she started as a sommelier and her tips navigating Napa Valley wineries.

Sara: What is the job of a sommelier?

Whitney: A sommelier really is a person who about wine and educating each person during their experience during their meals. A sommelier curates the types of wine based off of the wine varieties and matching it with the food that people about to eat so it can be a better experience.

Our job is to put you on to wines that you most likely are never going to try, or order on your own with the food that you probably will order again.

Sara : So how did you get started as a sommelier?

Whitney: Well, I've been going to wineries for almost a decade now. Then, last year I visited a Cooper's Hawk. They’re a chain winery. They were founded in Chicago and they're a nationwide brand of wineries and I thought they did a really good job. It's a restaurant in the back and the winery in the front.

While participating in a tasting, I met this lady named Miss Brenda and and she had much knowledge on the wine pairings. We were talking more about the wine and I was drinking it. And she was like, there's so many paths and routes you could take. And I started looking into it and then I was like “I think I could do this.”

Sara: What type of sommelier are you? Do you work in restaurants?

Whitney: I'm very bougie so I definitely know this is my niche, but I don't wanna be like just a regular sommelier in a restaurant or winery. In those spaces, you’re not having the opportunity to say, “okay, I want to feature this winery for this or I want to use this one.” So I decided to go the more private route-a private sommelier who curate wine events around the cities because there is a need for it. I see that wine is getting big. It's getting even bigger amongst Black people and minorities.

Sara: What educational route did you take to become sommelier?

Whitney: So I've always been the type of person I like to go work at the best places or go to the best schools. [So I asked] “Who is the most well known wine region in America? Napa Valley!” It's like the capital wine place in America. There’s Napa Valley Wine Academy. I looked at the different prerequisites you gotta take: wine 101 and you could do everything online, but I don't like online learning. I like going in person. And it was an excuse to go to Napa for the first time and really see what this is about. So January of this year I took the wine 101 course in Napa. I also took the WSET Level 1 and passed with official certification.

Sara: Let’s get into Napa. What wine tours would you recommend in Napa Valley?

Whitney: First, Napa is it is incredibly expensive. Where you're staying, dining, and the wineries-minimum $350. My top three favorite winery experiences was Opus One Winery, Raymond Vineyards, and Domaine Carneros.

Sara: What makes these wineries so special?

Whitney: Opus One Winery partner with The Rothschilds-that’s why they are so expensive but phenomenal. I always do wine pairings-food and wine. Opus wine pairings was about $200-they had a Michelin chef in the back and the food was phenomenal. The ambience, the experience, just that tour was so personalized; they even gave us personalized menus.

Raymond Vineyards is also one of my favorites. I actually am an ambassador for their Boisset Collection. I go to Raymond Vineyards every time I go to Napa 'cause there’s different things to do. They have crazy experiences. The  founder is Jean- Charles Boisset and he's from France and he is very eccentric.

Domaine Carneros has sparkling wines-partners with Moët and Chandon. They had a Sabrage experience, which means you get the saber and cut the cork with a sword When I went, they had this pate’ and I was tearing it up.

Sara: What about the Napa train?

Whitney: Yes the Napa Wine train! Try it! They had a major racial discrimination lawsuit a couple years ago and I guess they cleaned up shop and hired a lot of minorities. The experience was top tier-high class. I did two packages- the Gourmet Express and the Dome.

The Gourmet Express was the more affordable option (about $160). I got three courses and then they took me out into a different car where there’s dessert and coffee and all the other stuff. I liked that I got to experience two different cars that were decorated differently and it was really nice.

Sara: And the Dome?

Whitney-A little more expensive (about $330) sit upstairs and I had the whole glass Dome. It's a little bit more like first class level. It’s get 4 courses, but there’s no switching cars there the entire time.

Sara: So what resorts or places would you recommend to stay?

Whitney: So the first place I stayed was the Bel Abri. The Bel Abri was lovely-about $220/night, but the walls were very thin. The second place I went is called Elm House Inn-about $200/night. They did not have thin walls, theirs was more apartment house style. I love that place, and both of those were still reasonably priced for the amount of time I stayed.

Sara: Any Black-Owned Wineries you would suggest?

Whitney: The Brown Estates that’s in Napa. I haven't visited yet, but I had a glass of Brown Estate Cabernet from one of my friends who had just visited there, and it was really delicious. And [also] Theopolis. She’s the only black-owned female who owns her own winery. Her name is Theodora and she owns Theopolis Winery.

To see and visit Whitney’s wine pairing events and her sommelier journey, follow her social media.

Instagram: @pourwhitanother