It’s time to get real about diversity and inclusion. In partnership with The Roots Fund and UC Davis, we’re ready to change this industry for the better – starting with a $500,000 commitment to Black, Latinx, and Indigenous representation in wine.
Naked’s community is already responsible for such great change in the wine world
Our 750,000 Angels around the globe are the ones responsible for huge, important changes in this industry – you always have been.
Together, you’ve helped Naked Wines build the largest winemaker-first community in the world – and nothing makes us prouder than working with you to lift up the most passionate, important and unique voices in wine.
We need you more than ever to break this industry’s barriers
The undeniable fact is that the majority of those voices tend to skew white and fairly male.
There’s no skirting around the truth – the wine industry is a very white industry.
And while it’s generally a very good industry, those who don’t look like the majority face constant barriers and stumbling blocks to progress their careers.
“I feel obligated to talk openly about the subject of transformation and how slowly the wheels of change are turning,” winemaker Carmen Stevens said.
“My role is also to speak openly about how rarely these brand owners are asked to take part in industry decisions, decisions that are made on our behalf.”
Here in the US, for example, less than 2% of winery owners or winemakers are people of color.
It’s one thing for us to read those statistics, and it’s another to impact them...
And as a company looking to revolutionize the way wine is made for the better, we have special responsibility there.
To start, we’re making a $500,000 commitment to support BIPOC representation in wine
This is not an empty corporate promise. This comes from our heart.
It’s our responsibility to continue carving paths that give winemakers the platform to succeed – whether they are the famous producers of today or the tastemakers of tomorrow – in a way that encourages diversity and inclusion with every step.
It’s a big challenge, and this is step one, because there’s much more to do
Here’s how we’re getting started:
1. We’re committing to a partnership with The Roots Fund to launch a winemaking scholarship program at University of California Davis, the country’s top wine school.
(Many of the winemakers you know and love are alumni – including Alex Farber, Matt Iaconis and David Akiyoshi!)
2. Alongside this we will continue to fund two winemaking college scholarships at the University of Stellenbosch with the help of winemaker Carmen Stevens in South Africa every year.
3. We’re also creating a winemaker mentoring program, to give budding BIPOC winemakers launch their own wines with the mentorship of our winemakers, designers, portfolio experts and marketing teams.
– We want to ensure these winemakers will go on to be successful independent winemakers in the future.
Signing the check is the easy part. What happens after that is what matters most
So, our best winemaking and business brains have all passionately come forward to offer their mentoring support…
… and The Roots Fund is an incredible partner to make the most impactful difference we can.
“Change starts from within. Whether you are a vintner, industry leader, sales representative or educator, we have a social responsibility to not only promote inclusivity for all Americans but also become an ally to the Indigenous community and people of color.”
– Carlton McCoy, INTERVIEW: CARLTON MCCOY JR, MASTER SOMMELIER + CEO OF DEMEINE ESTATES
With you by our side, we’re hopeful that this community can become prolific in its ability to see, recognize and challenge every aspect of the wine business that needs to change.
This is our commitment to you
If you’ve seen Naked’s financial results in the news, it’s clear that we’re growing and seeing great success in the amazingly powerful community we’ve built together.
… with that growth comes a responsibility to use the power of our community for good.
We’re letting you know about these commitments first, because:
We want you to hold us accountable to these promises, and we want to say thank you.
You and 750,000 wine drinkers around the world have made this possible.
Let’s make the wine industry more colorful
We’ll keep you posted about all of the progress, and the people involved whose lives are going to be changed by this.
If you know Black, Latinx or Indigenous students with winemaker aspirations, The Roots Fund wants to hear from you – share their application page here.
Good for you!
This is fantastic! Bravo. You are bringing us closer to one another through the love of wine and the love of our earth’s resources….people and grapes!
This is awesome. It would be great if you would note in some way on the site which winemakers are BIPOC and/or AAPI so we can factor that in to decision making as we shop!
Corey, it’s an effort your support makes possible. Thank you!
Excellent notion. I hope they do that.
I have been excited to be a part of Naked Wines since I first heard about the project. I am now so very PROUD as well as excited. Hurrah!
Likewise Laura!
So happy to read this! Please do support
Fantastic! I am glad to see Naked helping to create opportunities for future winemakers. Do keep us posted; I’d love to follow their stories and support their efforts.
What great news! So proud to be a part of Naked Wines. Love this idea. Will be looking for updates.
So happy with a move in this direction!
So proud to support NakedWines, the talented winemakers of all backgrounds and especially the winemakers of color who often have a tougher road to climb in the industry, and I feel very fortunate to get to enjoy the best wines around in the process. Very proud to be an Angel.
Scholarships are a great way for winemaking to become more diversified.
My comment concerning non-discrimination has been canceled. You never told me that I had to agree with your new direction. So typically liberal.
YOUR REDS ARE TRULY OUT OF THE WORLD!!!
Great! I joined a couple years ago with the intention of ordering from your black owned wineries and when i started browsing I noticed you really needed more diversity…SO excited! Thanks!
Another reason to be a member of NakedWines. Hooray!! Please make it easier for us to tell which wine is from BIPOC.
GREAT. Proud to be part of this
This is super exciting and greatly needed! The wine world will benefit beyond our wildest dreams!
I definitely agree with Min Yi – let us know which wines are BIPOC.
Agree with others about wanting to intentionally purchase wine from BIPOC winemakers. I’d love to see more available for purchase!
I fully support having some indication of wines made by BIPOC, women, and other underrepresented groups. I have hoped for more direct and intentional support of marginalized groups. And I don’t know what the content was of the deleted post referred to above, but if respectfully written, I also support divergent views and open deliberation. After all, we are talking about diversity and inclusion, right? Thank you, naked wines!
Thank you for noticing Stacy. My comment was about preselecting anyone for any job based on the color of their skin. This same belief was shared by Frederick Douglass and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I’m all for diversity, but if it is going to be meaningful it will have to be by individual effort and not organizational mandate.
Excellent and well needed! I am delighted; Please indicate which wine makers are BIPOC so we can choose with that in mind. I like the approach of funding education and mentoring as part of this effort. That takes the long view.
Corey said it best, “This is awesome. It would be great if you would note in some way on the site which winemakers are BIPOC and/or AAPI so we can factor that in to decision making as we shop!” I would LOVE to know which are which in selecting as well.
I was already excited to find Carmen Stevens included. Thank you, Naked.
Her Shiraz is one of my favorites. Unfortunately for her, I’m not a big spender.
She has my loyalty, though.
As a woman of color this means everything. Thank you for your meaningful commitment!
I, too, would like to know which wines are BIPOC. I support a leg up to minorities and women. Thank you for doing this!
I am excited about this program and eager to support these winemakers.
Thanks for broadening the scope for people of color. Thanks also for a commitment to support a great option for their career.
Happy to be involved with a truly organized company
This is great! Inclusion without transformation is just a word–glad to see Naked putting its money where its mouth is. What would be even better is if Naked offered tools for customers who want to do our part to support BIPOC winemakers. Could it be a searchable characteristic? Or could we have an option in our profile that we want to have underrepresented winemakers highlighted?
This is excellent! I have already been thrilled with the female winemakers here at naked (ooh! I have to be careful how I say things!) I will be delighted to see a diverse group of talent providing an ever expanding horizon from which the light of fine wine can arise. Diversity is nothing to fear. It is the original win-win dating back to the genetic origins of life. Diversity should be celebrated – with wine, of course!
Thank you! Thank you! for paying attention and encouraging diversity in a united, common ground effort. The simplest things make the greatest change. Looking forward to the positive updates.
This is excellent news. One more important reason to be a member of the best and most customer-focused wine club in the world. From the start, Naked Wine delivered great wines from outstanding wine makers sourcing luscious fruit from some of the best grape growers in the world. It will no doubt deliver on the commitment to be among the most colorful wine organizations as well. It is nice to be a member of such an organization.
As a Black woman who loves wine, this makes my exceptionally proud to be a part to the NAKED family. Thank you for the acknowledgement of this need and the commitment to support minoritized groups. Please have a filter for their wines.
Excellent and exciting news! I look forward to supporting and tasting the results of this initiative. And please make the effort towards parity. Women vintners have been under represented worldwide due to patriarchy. Let’s encourage more women to be inventive, persistent, adventurous, vintners, and examples to their peers and future generations.
Hello, it would be great to hear how the BIPOC initiative is going. Are there any stories of new recruits or new wines from this community?