There’s a quiet but powerful evolution underway in the world of wine. For centuries, the narrative of refinement and terroir has been told through the vineyards of France and Italy, filtered through a singular lens of tradition. But in 2025, a new chapter is being written with the debut of Afro Wine Week. Black wine professionals from Stellenbosch to Atlanta, London to Napa are the new vanguard, shaping taste, language, and culture on a global stage.
In South Africa, a country rich in viticultural heritage, Black-owned wine brands are rewriting the playbook. Ntsiki Biyela, South Africa’s first Black female winemaker and founder of Aslina Wines, produces vintages deeply rooted in her personal journey and cultural grounding. Meanwhile, Berene Sauls, launched Tesselaarsdal in tribute to her family’s history in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley.
Across the Atlantic, the movement is equally powerful. Vincent Morrow, one of only a handful of Black Master Sommeliers globally, is redefining fine dining at Press in Napa Valley. In Atlanta, Sarah Pierre of 3 Parks Wine Shop has created a space where curation and community go hand in hand, while Janeen Jason at VinoTeca is reframing wine education outside traditional strongholds. Together, these voices are building a bridge between continents, making excellence in wine both rooted and global.
The impact of this movement extends beyond the vineyard. It is transforming the way wine is talked about, taught, and enjoyed. For too long, wine culture has been dominated by rigid tasting notes and coded terminology, often leaving newcomers feeling excluded. Today, Black wine professionals are dismantling that barrier with creativity and authenticity.
Take Alice Achayo, known as The Wine Linguist, whose storytelling approach connects flavour to everyday joy and memory. Or André Hueston Mack, founder of Maison Noir Wines, who blends hip-hop aesthetics with fine winemaking, dismantling pretension and opening the door to broader audiences. Their work doesn’t just describe wine, it translates it into culture.
And yet, access remains a challenge. In the United States, Black-owned wineries represent less than 1% of the industry, despite Black Americans comprising over 10% of the population. In South Africa, Black vineyard ownership remains under 3%, a stark reminder of both historical barriers and how recent this transformation truly is.
Enter Afro Wine Week, debuting in Cape Town from 5–13 September 2025. Positioned alongside Africa’s largest and most influential wine trade fair, CapeWine, the week is designed as a powerful convergence of visibility, commerce, and cultural celebration. Co-founded by Tuanni Price, founder of Zuri Wine Tasting, and Carol Burns, Afro Wine Week is unapologetically ambitious. With modular programming that spans intimate welcome dinners at Wilde Vy, an immersive Afro Wine Summit, soulful Sips With Soul wine tours, and a Black-owned restaurant crawl, the week offers both luxury experiences and hard-nosed business opportunities.
“Whether you’re here to discover new wines, source product for export, or build cross-continental partnerships, this is about giving you the power to maximise your objective,” says Price.
With support from Wesgro and hosted at its world-class Cape Town facilities, Afro Wine Week gives attendees unprecedented access to producers, markets, and strategies.
At its core, Afro Wine Week is futurist in ambition. It envisions a world where taste becomes cultural currency, and where African wines serve not only as commodities but as vessels for imagination, wealth creation, and identity. Rooted in heritage but forward-looking in execution, it is shaping global narratives around luxury, entrepreneurship, and cultural capital.
And with every pour, from a Maison Noir Pinot to a Klein Goederust Cabernet, African wines are quietly expanding global palates. They remind us that elegance and innovation are not mutually exclusive, and that the future of wine must be more diverse, dynamic, and deeply rooted in culture.
Visit afrowineweek.com for full programming details.
