Capital is the biggest hurdle for Black wine entrepreneurs

Professor Monique Bell has been researching Black professionals in the wine industry and said they report encountering racism and confusing wine regulations, but the biggest challenge by far is access to capital to start and expand businesses. “Many people talked about the fact that they were starting a wine business so other Black people can follow,” said Bell, who teaches marketing at California State University, Fresno. “They said they were not doing it just for themselves, but as a legacy and for the broader community.”