Philadelphia’s Roxborough neighborhood is about to get schooled in a new experience from the BlacOak Wine Club that will bring the knowledge of wine to all. BlacOak Tasting Room is expected to open at the end of the month at 6139 Ridge Ave. in Philadelphia, where they will educate wine consumers and introduce the public to Black-owned wine brands.
“I think wine is one of those things that brings people together. It’s something people can share with one another and have great conversations. Great conversations are important. That’s how the world progresses,” says owner and Philadelphia-based sommelier Ebonie Dukes.
The tasting room, which will have seating for about 20 people, is located behind Caribbean fusion restaurant Roxy Hall & Bistro, which opened earlier this year. BlacOak is the curator of Roxy Hall & Bistro’s tasting menu. When the tasting room officially opens, customers will be able to order from the Roxy Hall & Bistro menu.
Dukes said her partnership with Roxy Hall & Bistro was made easy through their familial relationship and shared mission of “closing cultural gaps through experiences and community,” as stated on the restaurant’s website.
BlacOak Tasting Room will host at least four tasting events per week as well as 60-minute classes. Classes will discuss the nuances of wine from different regions, the significance of using other glasses for different wines, and how to properly sniff, sip, and swirl. The space will also be available for private events and be decorated in a restoration hardware look that evokes a sense of warmth while featuring Instagram-worthy pieces from local artists.
Dukes hopes to expose people to the art of wine drinking by showing them how to properly enjoy and appreciate every drop as an activity instead of overindulging or slurping it like a cocktail. In addition to normalizing wine in the Black community, Dukes aims to make people feel confident in spaces where people are knowledgeable of wine.
“The biggest thing for me is being able to educate people who look like me and make them feel comfortable walking into and being in rooms that may have been intimidating before,” Dukes told What Now Philadelphia. “Being a Black sommelier, I didn’t grow up with that in my neighborhood. It wasn’t something readily available. So, exposure is really important because you don’t know what you don’t know.”
BlackOak Wine Club and their incoming tasting room is owned by Dukes and her partners Lamar Covert, Ameer Blackmon, and Kevin G. Dukes Jr. BlackOak Wine Club was started over a year ago in response to the elitist culture and lack of racial diversity in the wine industry and enjoyment space. People of color can confidently navigate and make themselves a part of those spaces with the proper knowledge. That’s why BlackOak Wine Club offers web-based education, industry updates, and listings of Black-owned wine brands to club members. They also host the Wine and Cheese girls podcast, as well as events and vacation getaways.
BlacOak Tasting Room will initially only be open to club members until their license to sell alcohol and produce their own brand of wine is finalized.
