PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Did you know Virginia is actually home to the United States’ first black-owned winery?
This Valentines Day, you can support the wineries and small business owners that have followed in their footsteps. For many business owners, getting started can be the hardest part. For entrepreneur Kindra Dionne, she decided the juice was worth the squeeze… literally.
Her business, Fifty Leven Wine, is one of only a handful of Virginia’s black-owned wineries. Dionne says the lack of representation is part of why she felt drawn to the industry.
“I would love to see the industry look very much like our country, but that’s not bashing the industry that’s just how it’s been historically,” explained Dionne.
Her store is based online and does not have a physical location at this time.
As a business owner, she felt it was important for young entrepreneurs to see someone who looks like them succeed… but also see that person fail and keep going. Dionne works with younger kids in businesses classes and is always trying to inspire them to chase their own dreams.
It’s not always rainbows and candy, Dionne makes sure her students know just how hard owning a business can be. Through pandemic slowdowns, holiday boosts like Valentine’s Day can mean big things to any small business. She says if you’re hoping for big meaning behind the gift you give, try thinking small.
“It’s not just about the candy. It’s about supporting a Black-owned business, supporting a woman-owned business, supporting a small business, supporting a local business, and drinking some really good wine. And it’s got an incredible message on the back of the bottle. So to seek out something such as this? It says a lot.”
Fifty Leven is just one of a wide variety of small businesses you can support this black history month and year-round. Here are a few Dionne recommends:
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