Meet Cassandra Schaeng, owner of SIP Wine & Beer and host of Emmy-nominated Fresh Glass, who takes viewers through the stories and sites of BIPOC business owners in the beer and wine industry. Fresh Glass is a TV series released in Fall 2022 on PBS (KPBS-San Diego). I binge-watched the whole series and documented the stops (and some selections) from Southern to Northern California so you can experience a Fresh Glass too.
Fresh Glass is created by Cassandra Schaeng and Theresa Hoiles. Schaeng takes viewers on a tour from the San Diego area to just outside of Sacramento to introduce the location, stories, and selections of beer and winemakers who are championing legacies through their love of their craft. These stories are rich with cultural homage, generational wealth-building, and community intertwined in their development and success.
Lompoc, CA – Camins 2 Dreams
In the first episode, Cassandra takes us to Camins 2 Dreams, where we meet Tara Gomez and Mireia Taribó. You’ll learn about the story of Kitá, a former wine brand from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, where Tara Gomez earned recognition as the first Native American Winemaker in the country. During that brand’s journey, Gomez and Taribó’s mutual love and passion for wine led them to create their current wine label, Camins 2 Dreams, meaning “Path to Dreams.”
Their grapes are sourced locally from Santa Barbara County Hills, and the wine is produced by the love, passion, and hands-on hard work of the couple who run their winery. You can visit their physical location for wine and special events, but they also offer a virtual tasting experience where you can taste 5 of their selections that are mailed to you. Follow them at @camins2dreams on Instagram.
Encinitas, CA – Vaga Restaurant
When Kita was available, Vaga Restaurant‘s head Chef Claudette Zepeda paired the former wine brand with her dishes in the restaurant. Chef Zepeda is a nationally acclaimed James Beard semifinalist and may be remembered as a contestant on food television favorites like Iron Chef and Top Chef. In a conversation with Schaeng, Chef Zepeda shares the story about the restaurant’s name and her reasons for the intentional selection of a BIPOC wine brand. If you’re in the San Diego area, check out Vaga Restaurant to try the culinary experience behind Chef Zepeda’s story.
Chula Vista, CA – Chula Vista Brewery
Not only is Chula Vista Brewery the first brewery in Chula Vista, but it is also the first Black, brown, woman, and veteran-owned brewery in the city. Their story in the second episode of Fresh Glass highlights Timothy Parker’s background as a veteran and their groundbreaking efforts as business owners of color. You’ll meet the team and get a view of a second location in Eastlake, CA, where you’ll meet his wife, Dali Parker. When you get there, try a pilsner or the Guerita (a Blonde Ale) as mentioned in the show.
Escondido, CA – Altipiano Vineyard & Winery
Altipiano Vineyard and Winery is the only Black-owned, woman-owned winery and vineyard in San Diego County, meaning the land is owned by co-owner Denise Clarke and her husband, Peter. Denise tells how the vineyard came to be and intends to leave the business to her daughter as a meaningful step toward building generational wealth. The Clarkes walk Schaeng through production steps and provide insights on how their wine is produced from the grounds to the glass. Schaeng also talks to local experts in San Diego about the importance of generational wealth-building and entrepreneurship, particularly in the agriculture and winemaking industry. You can only try this brand through their wine club, online shop, or on-site at Altipiano. Try the Sangiovese as seen in the show.
Inglewood, CA – Sip & Sonder
You might need a coffee after all the wine and beer so far. Amanda-Jane Thomas and Shanita Nicholas own a coffee shop in Inglewood, CA, but you can also find this brand in Target. Schaeng sits with Thomas and Nicholas to learn how they were inspired by the name Sip & Sonder, how they went from Ivy League grads to running a nonprofit, and then opening their first coffee shop in the community.
Inglewood, CA – Crowns & Hops
Beny Ashburn and Teo Hunter bring Schaeng along for yet another new beginning in the series for a Black-owned, woman-owned brewery business as they purchase a new location for Crowns & Hops. Hunter is taking up the legacy of his great-great-great grandmother, who was a brewer in Louisiana. Ashburn comes from a musical legacy, being the daughter of Benny Ashburn of the Commodores (and has the bonus love of Lionel Richie as her godfather). With the owners having a rich historical and cultural connection, their brand naturally celebrates Black culture with beer selections named after cultural institutions like the HBCU Hazy IPA while also directly calling in for more Black people to love beer under their BPLB selection, which stands for #BlackPeopleLoveBeer. Try those vibrantly described beers available from their website if you can’t reach their physical location.
Inglewood, CA – 1010 Wine & Events
Leanne and Leslie Jones are sisters with the first Black-owned, woman-owned wine bar in Inglewood, which features California’s largest collection of Black-owned brands. The Jones sisters talk with Schaeng about their story and legacy and how they uphold their late mother’s legacy. After the chat, Brandon Montgomery from Black Beer Travelers joined Schaeng at 1010 Wine & Events to taste beers and shared what was behind his inspiration for enjoying craft beers and learn more about his mission. If you’re a non-beer drinker, Crown & Hops Inglewood Juice was deemed the best entry point into the craft beer experience, next to Crown & Hops HBCU Hazy IPA. Try them both at 1010 Wine Events if you’re in the area, or buy some merch celebrating Black winemakers from their online store.
Livermore, CA – Longevity Wines
Phil Long and his late wife opened Longevity Wines after falling in love with wine in Southern California and making their own blends in their garage. At the time of filming, Phil was serving as the President of the Association of African American Vintners (AAAV). He talked with Schaeng about how he realized the importance of having the organization in the industry to support black and aspiring winemakers to thrive. In a nod to his story and the Longevity name, try the Thinking of Deborah to taste at home or book a tasting at their location. You may also find their label at local stores.
Livermore, CA – Free Range Flower Winery
Living out the purpose of AAAV in action, Phil Long of Longevity Winery is now hosting a space for a small winemaker to also start her business. Enter Aaliyah Nitoto of Free Range Flower Winery. Aaliyah Nioto is a biologist and herbalist who persisted in the industry to find her way into making her unique floral and herbal wine brand. Nioto and Schaeng taste selections from her winery while learning about Nioto’s story and how she came to be in Livermore, California, from being a Mills College student. Try the Lavender Sparkling with Lemon (as tasted in the show) or the Rose Hibiscus selection.
Lodi, CA – Seis Soles & Anaya Vineyards
Chris Rivera is the winemaker of Seis Soles, and Gerardo Espinosa is the owner and winemaker of Anaya Vineyards (land and label). Schaeng talks to Rivera and Espinosa about their legacies in the winemaking and vineyard industry working from the largest grape-growing location in Lodi, California. Rivera is interested in expanding the Mexican culinary experience to include wine, so much so that he’s taken his wine from Lodi to Los Angeles to immerse the brand in the market. Try the SolTierra or Red Blend from Seis Soles as tasted in the show.
Rivera credits much of his story to the support of his mentor, Belizean winemaker Joseph Smith of Lodi, CA. Check out his wines here.
Solvang, CA – Rideau Vineyard
The last episode introduces an early trailblazer in the wine industry. Iris Rideau created Rideau Vineyard in Solvang, California in the 1990s. She talks with Schaeng about her family history as a Creole woman from New Orleans and her career as an insurance entrepreneur in Los Angeles. Watching Rideau tell her history is a must-see (or a must-read if you want to support her book). If you’re in for a good night of reading and dining, order the Roussanne with your favorite seafood or lobster dish, or sip Chateau Duplantier to honor the legacy and story of this phenomenal winemaker.
Jason McClain of McClain Cellars in Laguna Beach, California, is also featured in this episode. Check out his selections here.
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