Believe it or not, black people love wine. There is no secret inside the community about this fact, but the outside world seems to not understand or are willing to accept this fact. However, a black filmmaker and winery owners from the Portland, Oregon region are out to change this this perception and the industry’s stereotypes.

Jerry Ball is the filmmaker behind the project to bring about awareness of black wine makers and the black community’s love for wine. Coming on the heels of a group of black women being kicked off a Napa Valley wine tour a few weeks back, the timing is perfect to discuss wine with the world and the black community. It’s obvious, we need to build and support our own in this space.

[ADSENSE2]According to the Red, White & Black Indiegogo page:

Red, White & Black is a passion project and the brainchild of Bertony Faustin, proprietor of Abbey Creek Vineyard in North Plains, Oregon. The first recorded Black winemaker in Oregon, Bertony began the Red, White & Black journey to help identify and tell the stories of other minority winemakers. As the project has taken shape, more minorities in winemaking have surfaced and an important story has become ever more urgent to tell.

The purpose of Red White & Black is to tell the story of minority winemakers in Oregon. To highlight those people who are deeply entrenched, have their livelihood on the line but somehow are missed by the press and not often included openly in the larger Oregon wine community. This is to tell the story of what life is like, what hurdles, acceptances, challenges and opportunities exist. To share what it is like to be a person of color or LGBT in a generally white, high brow industry. And, if we do this right, to inspire other minorities to explore wine for both career potential and it’s pure beauty as a product offered by nature and nurtured by human hand. Those hands can be of any color.

Red, White & Black Will Feature Winemakers:

• Bertony Faustin and Ocean Yap-Powell of Abbey Creek Vineyard
• Jarod Sleet of Argyle Winery
• Jesus Guillen of Guillen Family Wines & White Rose Estate
• Laurie Lewis and Renee Neely of Hip Chicks Do Wine
• Andre Mack of Mouton Noir Wines

Shuhe Hawkins of Seven Sails Vineyard

According to Ball, the documentary should be released in 2016.