At Stoney Wines we are committed to raising our glass to those woman who are pioneers.  Today, we celebrate the first American black female winery owner who paved the way for people like Donna Stoney.  Here's to you Iris!

Meet America’s 1st Black Woman Winery Owner

The key to the future is knowledge of the past. This year of racial strife and reckoning has ushered in a newfound recognition and respect for Black-owned businesses and brands. There is a heightened awareness of Black winemakers and professionals in the wine industry, almost as if discovering unicorns. But Black people are not new to the wine industry. Pre-dating the Mayflower’s landing, the 1850’s gold rush in California, and the Old South’s grape boom, the American wine industry was built on the un-paid labor of enslaved Africans and Native Americans. Laws were passed to ensure winery owners had the “staff” needed to cultivate the vines. How does a woman born into poverty in the segregated South rise to become the first Black woman in the United States to own and operate a winery? It’s complicated.

Read more here https://vintnerproject.com/changemakers/iris-rideau-the-making-of-a-memoir/