"There are thousands of different grape varieties out there to only be confined to only a handful. I’d say keep an open mind and don’t be afraid to explore outside your comfort zone. "

"There is something magical and grounding when you grow things...Everyone has space to grow something."

"The perks of running the wine program also include distributors inviting me to tastings. I have the opportunity to learn about and taste some premiere wines from around the world."

"Wine is a reflection of the time and place where the grapes were grown, the circumstances of the winemaker, and a bunch of other factors that get frozen in time when that bottle is corked."

"We need to focus on educating the consumer about organic production methods so they can push their retailers, who push their distributors, who then push the wineries and vineyards to grow grapes without Round-Up or harsh pesticide chemicals."

"I don’t think I ever would have connected how much wine truly comes from the vineyard until I saw grapes come in with part of the vineyard on them; including ants, dust, grape leaves, etc."

"Before I take that first sip of a wine that I am tasting for the first time, a little feeling of excitement always comes across me that I don’t think will ever go away."

"I would visit wine regions throughout the United States and never came across someone that looked like me – a Black Woman in the wine industry."

"At the end of the day, wine is beautiful and at its core pretty simple, but it's the people and the places and the earth that enable us to have this beautiful, beautiful juice from the land."

"For the sake of the wine industry and humanity itself, it's time for all business owners to step up if they haven't already and do whatever they can to find sustainable solutions."