Everyone has a story to tell about their rise to success, but not quite like the McBride Sisters.
Andréa and Robin didn’t find out they were sisters until they were young adults. What makes it even more touching is that they were raised on different continents by their mothers. Andréa was raised in New Zealand while Robin was raised in Monterrey, California.
It wasn’t until 1999 that, as his dying wish, their father revealed to Andréa that she had an older half-sister and he wanted them to connect somehow. He didn’t have much information to give other than a name and location, but that didn’t stop her. At the time, Andréa was 16 and Robin was 25.
Andréa sent out several letters to anyone with the name Robin McBride in hopes of finding her sister. Four years later, in 1999, the sisters were united and the rest is history.
Once the connection was made, the sisters quickly realized that despite being raised thousands of miles apart, they each shared a love for wine vineyards. Ironically, it was something that each woman had been raised around.
Only a few years after their big reunion, McBride Sisters the brand became a thing. 15 years later they are still going and are now said to be the largest Black-owned winemakers.
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The sisters work with vineyards in both California and New Zealand to source their grapes, but they come up with all of the final products.
Today, the brand carries three lines, each with multiple wine selections. There are four wines in the McBride Sisters Collection, their original line. They are Red Blend, Sparkling Brut Rosé, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Next came their ‘Black Girl Magic’ line. This rollout was created to highlight the resilience of Black women around the world. At the time, there was a brand on the market specifically targeting white women. As a nod to this, the McBride Sisters wanted to create something for Black women consumers who are often overlooked and underrepresented in the wine industry. The Black Girl Magic line is limited mostly to California retailers but is available via the brand’s website.
The latest line, which was released on International Women’s Day this year, pays homage to all women.
The ‘She Can’ collection is a representation and thanks to the sisters’ mothers, with cans featuring their mother’s initials within the branding. This line also helps to pave the way for women hoping to break into the wine industry. McBride Sisters partnered with Women of the Vine and Spirits, to create a fund that will give scholarships and donate money to women in the industry.
To learn more about the McBride Sisters brand, you can visit their website: www.mcbridesisters.com. You can also find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.