In 2021, Kindra Dionne launched Fifty Leven Wine in Leesburg, Virginia, a notable town in Loudoun County’s wine country. Since then, her business remains the county’s only local Black-owned wine company, though Loudoun is filled with vineyards, wineries, and other wine producers.
Reflecting on being the county’s first Black-owned wine company, Dionne said, “I have learned so much about cultural acceptance and tolerance when it comes to using the descriptive and cultural word ‘Black’ before my profession.”
“I have spent a lot of time on this journey educating the masses on why Black matters in any industry,” she continued. “I feel like at this big old age of a society, there should not be this many careers, professions, or industries where there’s the first Black anything. Since we last spoke, I am still the first Black wine brand in our county, which is fine. I hope that my story inspires other people to step out there.”
“To be a person who’s desegregating an industry, who is a part of the less than .001% of people who look like me who are in this space, it matters,” she emphasized. “There are some individuals who are open to learning more. And I have found that sitting down and breaking bread with those people – it really does create aha moments. The invitations have been countless from people who actually want to learn why it matters. [Those] who want to open a bottle and have that conversation while we enjoy different wines and varietals in my collection.”
A Wine Enthusiast’s Guide To Enjoying Leesburg, Loudoun County, And The Greater DMV Area
For someone unfamiliar with Virginia’s wine scene, Dionne says not to count it out or compare it to Napa and Sonoma in California. In fact, the entrepreneur highlighted why the greater DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) area is a worthwhile wine destination filled with cultural and community ties for Black travelers.
Dionne highlighted several local Black entrepreneurs, businesses, and events to support. These included multi-millionaire mogul Warren Thompson’s restaurants (Milk & Honey, Big Buns, Matchbox, Makers Union, Hen Quarter, etc.), owner Harry Kumah’s The Painted Tiger Art Studio, and reggae and go-go festivals happening in the Bull Run area.
“There is so much Black excellence in Loudoun County,” said Dionne. “When you look at the wine country surrounding D.C., the airport is 10 minutes from your nearest winery. You’d be surprised at the cultural emergence. The experiences are innumerable, and I love the live music and all the vineyards that serve food, too. After all that drinking, you need a little something in your stomach.”
“Loudoun is completely different in terms of the landscape and all the different things that are in [the county]. We’ve got the Salamander Middleburg, a Black-owned, five-star resort owned by Sheila Johnson. That ain’t in Napa,” Dionne further boasted. “There’s nothing like Virginia if you want a real wine experience with mountains, views, and vistas. The only thing we don’t have is a wine train. But everything else – you fly into our county, you drink in our county, you stay at hotels in our county. And if you want a Black-owned weekend experience, we can do that, too.”
For an upcoming way to explore Virginia’s wine scene, Dionne recommends the annual Two Up Wine Down celebration in Charlottesville. Happening November 7 this year, the festival brings together BIPOC wine enthusiasts, professionals, and producers for a day of abundant pours, community, music, and food.
What’s Next
What’s become increasingly apparent to Dionne is that Black entrepreneurs have so much more room to grow. She highlighted career opportunities including wine bottle label graphic designers, fruit brokers, cork sellers, glassware sellers, and those in wine, beer, and spirits law. As she sees it, opportunities for Black professionals to get involved in the wine industry are present and vast.
On fostering inclusive unity and representation in the industry, she said, “There is room for you here at the table. And if they don’t let you into theirs, you come to mine. I’ll make a table. We’ll sit there together.”
Having a tasting room was once a huge goal for Dionne. However, the entrepreneur confidently shared that she’s found her stride and happiness in staying unattached to a brick-and-mortar. By not opening a winery or tasting room, she’s expanded her vision for Fifty Leven Wine. Dionne now sees it as a lifestyle experience that works in specially curated settings locally, nationally, and even internationally. Bringing her offerings to charitable events, birthday celebrations, and retreats, as well as providing wine for collaborators including the Salamander Middleburg and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, has helped her establish and maintain a sense of place and community without her own standing storefront.
“Fifty Leven is more of an experience than simply wine to be consumed,” Dionne stated. “For me, the [brand’s] evolution is increasing the number of overall experiences that we have. When people have Fifty Leven, which is an experience in itself, it’s paired with something cultural, memorable, and immersive. I like Fifty Leven on the road — being mobile, not stationary. I want to come to the event; I don’t wanna be the event, if that makes sense.”
This article has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
