Stephen Satterfield of the ISAW
On Sunday, I attended the International Society of Africans in Wine (ISAW) brunch at Maxim Prime in Atlanta. If you aren't familiar with Stephen Satterfield, or the ISAW, they are an organization that is focused on supporting wineries in South Africa that are practicing environmentally sound farming, are black owned, or have strong black involvement, and that has the ultimate goal of raising money and buying land and starting an educational center in South Africa.
Though 14 years beyond apartheid, there is only one black owned wine estate in South Africa's Stellenbosch-- M'Hudi. There are a few black owned wineries that buy fruit from other estates, and a few black winemakers, but they makes up less than 2% of the South African wine industry (and 80% of the population).
The ISAW is finding these wineries and trying to bring them into the US market. A few that I have tried with Stephen Satterfield have been wonderful. As a wine lover, part of the joy is in finding new wines, new regions, and in making a connection back to their places of origin- If you can do that while supporting a noble cause, all the better.
The ISAW is unique, run by great people, and whether or not you are in Atlanta, they are worth checking out.
Also- thanks to Maxim Prime (and the twin Michelles) for supporting this event.
