McBride Sisters Galentine’s Day Virtual Wine Tasting
Celebrating certain holidays in a pandemic sucks. Want to raise the bar of suckiness? Try celebrating Valentine’s Day as a single person in a pandemic. Valentine’s Day is my least-favorite holiday and, matched with the fact that I wasn’t able to properly celebrate Galentine’s Day (a day for the ladies on Feb. 13) with my friends, I was bummed leading into the holiday of love.
That was until I received an email from my beloved Total Wine about a virtual event. The McBride sisters, in conjunction with Total Wine, were hosting a virtual Galentine’s Day wine tasting with their Black Girl Magic wine collection. I was so excited to have plans that day that at least elevated my usual drinking at home agenda.
This virtual tasting featured three of the McBride Sisters Black Girl Magic wines: Sparkling Brut, Red Blend and Rosé. On Friday, Feb. 12, I placed an online order for two of the wines. Sadly, the Sparkling Brut was sold out in Virginia. I was able to pick up my order, which was fulfilled about an hour after I placed it, from my local Total Wine using their curbside pick up.
Bottle images courtesy of McBride Sisters
I had wanted to try Black Girl Magic wines before, but it was hard to order from their website due to supply and demand. Ordering from Total Wine was not only fast and convenient, but I was also able to use a coupon and save 10% on each bottle (and earn points for my purchase).
The day of the virtual tasting, after getting home from brunch with a friend, I set up my bottles and glasses and tuned in for the 30-minute on-demand tasting.
About the McBride Sisters Collection
The virtual tasting started with an introduction from Robin and Andréa McBride. While the two sisters look very similar, their accents greatly differ. Robin grew up in Monterey, California, while Andréa calls Marlborough, New Zealand home. The two share the same father but didn’t find out about each other until they were older.
Robin and Andréa McBride. Image from McBride Sisters
If almost by fate, both of the sisters’ homes are also notable wine-growing regions. Both Robin and Andréa share a love of wine and a desire to break into the wine-making industry, and in 2005, they were able to enjoy the fruits of their labor with the creation of the McBride Sisters Collection.
Click here to read more about the McBride Sisters’ story.
Today, the McBride Sisters Collection is the largest Black-owned wine company in the country and one of the largest woman-owned wineries in the U.S. The McBride Sisters Collection is built upon providing inclusive, accessible, socially aware and sustainable wines with the goal of transforming the industry, leading by example and cultivating community.
Galentine’s Day Virtual Wine Tasting
During the tasting, Robin and Andréa talked a bit about how they started the Black Girl Magic line two years ago. The duo was inspired by the Black women entrepreneurs they met at Essence Festival. The line pays homage to the Black women in their family and “celebrates the beauty, power and resilience of the women we know,” the McBride sisters explained. The sisters shared how they did not anticipate how popular the Black Girl Magic wine collections would be, and said they’re excited to get their products to more customers through vendors like Total Wine.
Since I couldn’t get the New Zealand Sparkling Brut, my tasting began with my favorite genre of wine, rosé. One of the aspects of McBride Sisters Collection wine that Robin and Andréa pride themselves on is the aromatics of their products. I poured a generous tasting of the rosé and was mentally transported to summertime.
This dry rosé has raspberry and orange blossom aromas with a bright, fresh finish. For a dry rosé, it didn’t leave me with a bitter after taste, but just a touch of acidity and citrus. At 13.5% ABV, I had to stop at one glass, otherwise I’d knock out half the bottle and wouldn’t make it through the whole tasting. Black Girl Magic 2019 California Rosé has definitely become my new favorite rosé.
I am very new to the world of red wine, typically going for a less bold pinot noir when I do buy it. I figured the Black Girl Magic 2018 California Red Blend would be a good intro into something new.
This 13.5% ABV red wine features fruit-forward aromas of black cheery and red plum. The initial smell reminded me of the red wines that intimidated me at wine festivals, but the taste was much more approachable, with a subtle finish, and not too oaky. On Sunday night, I paired this red blend with my steak and mashed cauliflower dinner and felt like I was enjoying a luxurious, five-star meal.
I was most looking forward to tasting wines, but I ended up learning so much about the McBride Sisters Collection and Robin and Andréa themselves. Now that I can purchase their wines at Total Wine, I’m eager to sip more. Next, I need to get my hands on the McBride Sisters Collection SHE CAN canned wines. If you know me, you know how much I love a drink in a can.