For this episode, we welcome Jerry Bell Jr, director of the documentary Red, White & Black, which explores the lives of minority winemakers in Oregon and the barriers they continue to face. Jerry shares the origins of the project, beginning with Haitian American winemaker Bertony Faustin of Abbey Creek, and explains how the film expanded to highlight Black, women, and LGBTQ+ voices in an industry that has long been overwhelmingly white.
Our conversation uncovers Oregon’s exclusion laws, the challenges of land ownership, and the subtle and not-so-subtle discrimination that persists in tasting rooms. Jerry also reflects on the importance of consumer education, inclusive wine tourism, and redefining what it means to be a winemaker. Honest and hopeful, this episode is a call to acknowledge history, embrace diversity, and build a wine culture where everyone belongs.
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