Richmond Wine Collective Is Helping People of Color Break Into the Competitive World of Wine | Eater SF

"After outgrowing their Treasure Island winemaking space, Noel Diaz and Barrie Quan leased an unequipped warehouse in Richmond and moved their natural winemaking operation there in 2017, eventually turning what began as shared rent with five other winemakers into the Richmond Wine Collective. Identifying as Mexican and with Diaz's background working in vineyards, they position Purity Wine as a more inclusive, natural-wine-focused operation that seeks to bring in more people of color and women—Diaz says natural wine has a vibe of being less exclusive. They collaborated with Bay Area artists such as Larry June and Bussdown, and operate a cooperative model that significantly lowers barriers—collective-owned equipment and shared bottling bring costs down (bottling is roughly 1 percent of the typical investment)—while offering mentorship, licensing skillshares (helped by Everwild Wines), harvest and production guidance, distributor introductions, and showcases like the By the Way wine fair and pours at their warehouse wine bar, the Study. The collective now supports 17 winemakers (including Lula, TyTy, and Gearhead Wines) plus six others trying winemaking for the first time, and Purity's wines have placement in local shops such as Alkali Rye, Ordinaire, Bodega, Arcana, and Key Klubin in San Francisco." - Dianne de Guzman