The Roots Fund and Wines for the Culture Working to Increase Diversity in Wine Industry Through New Scholarship Fund

Ikimi Dubose-Woodson, the CEO and co-founder of The Roots Fund, is working to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the wine industry. Despite there being over 110,000 wineries in the U.S., only 130 are Black-owned, according to data. Dubose-Woodson and Aaron Monu, co-founder of Wines for the Culture and a Roots Fund Scholar, discussed the issue and the creation of a scholarship fund in Atlanta on the latest episode of “Closer Look” with Rose Scott. The scholarship’s goal is to educate, expose, and provide mentorship to people of color hoping to break into the wine industry. While ads for alcoholic beverages like Hennessy and Cîroc are visible in Black communities, wineries and wine shops are rare.