Even though the Coronavirus pandemic has taken its toll on all of us, the wine business has been thriving.
In fact, Black wineries have been rising all across the country.
One winery to take note of is Jenny Dawn Cellars, based in Wichita, Kansas.
Jennifer McDonald is the owner, and she became the first Black woman to start an urban winery in the state of Kansas.
Even though the business launched in 2019, just before the pandemic hit, it has been performing relatively well.
It has three primary business components: online sales, distribution, and a tasting room. By carefully balancing the three components, McDonald’s has been able to keep the winery not just afloat but growing.
Since the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, tasting rooms have been particularly effective in marketing the business.
Jenny Dawn Cellars is among the few places people can go to and unwind, and McDonald ensures all her guests have a spectacular experience.
The winery doesn’t just sell wines. It also offers food that stands out from other ventures; the food McDonald offers is meant to pair well with her wines.
So, the menu changes every season to reflect how people are selecting their wines.
Currently, Jenny Dawn Cellars offers plenty of charcuterie and small bites along with desserts, sandwiches, and salads.
What’s To Come For Jenny Dawn Cellars
McDonald has been running at 110% for a number of years now, which is not sustainable. Even though she understands that she needs to work a bit less to remain productive, the way the pandemic has been shifting has made that harder.
That said, she still plans to streamline and have other people take up some of her duties.
When it comes to customers, McDonald has spared no effort in making them the main focus of Jenny Dawn Cellars. She spends a lot of time working behind the scenes to ensure they have the best possible experience.
Her wines are also quite decent. She has the Black Sunflower Collection, which contains three wines: a rose, a white, and a red wine.
The wines are all semi-sweet, fun, and casual; great for enjoying with friends.
McDonald decided to call the collection Black Sunflower because she wants the world to know that she is a Black winemaker in Kansas, the sunflower state.
She is currently working towards expanding the winery at its current location. Demand has skyrocketed to the point where she can barely keep up with it.
And still, that’s a good problem to have, don’t you think?
We look forward to seeing Jenny Dawn Cellars keep up its incredible growth. Cheers to expanding the collection!
