BY EMILY MELVIN
South Philly Review
Class was back in session at the Bok Building. But this time, the old South Philly high school ditched the teens and welcomed a crowd of wine enthusiasts.
The Hue Society, a 9-year-old global organization focused on improving Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) representation in the wine industry, hosted its annual Wine & Culture Fest on July 25.
Given this year’s location, organizers leaned into a “Summer School” theme centered the entire event around “the Re-Education of the Palate,” in addition to the main mission of increasing BIPOC representation in an industry and culture that has historically underrepresented them.
The society’s founder, Tahiirah Habibi, is based in Atlanta, Georgia, but she is a North Philly native. Her career in wine began in the city as a young adult, while working in restaurants and taking classes at the Wine School of Philadelphia.
Now, she is an influential figure in the wine world and uses her organization to make wine more accessible, inclusive and community-driven while supporting other BIPOC professionals.
Habibi brought along several winemakers, sommeliers, hospitality experts and chefs to lead masterclasses and panels as well as small business owners and sommeliers to share and sell their goods. She also tapped singer-songwriter and Netflix’s “Miss Governor” actress Jade Novah to sit down with her for an intimate conversation about creating a purposeful life.
People beyond Philly attended the event. Some attendees, like a woman from San Antonio, Texas, only recently found out about the event on social media. Other attendees are longtime Hue Society members, and they make the trip every year for the festival. One woman from Washington, D.C. has been a member for years, and she brought along her sister and daughter this year to share her love of the festival with them.
The day-long affair, held in Bok’s gymnasium, began at 11 a.m. and wrapped final festivities at 11 p.m. The first half of the day included three immersive masterclasses with guided tastings.
Benjamin Fine from Jackson Family Wines in California kicked off the classes with a lecture on how to decide what makes a “good” wine.
“For some people, luxury is a bottle you have to get on a waiting list for, it’s really expensive and everyone’s talking about it,” he said. “But for other people, luxury is [feeling like], ‘I am so comfortable right now, this is the right setting and I have the right wine for the right food.’ ”
He discussed the history and viticulture of two whites and two reds that the class compared without seeing the label. His goal is to ensure wine drinkers value their own taste and preferences without the sway of big brands, countries or price tags.
Blanche Orbe from Sandeman Port gave a presentation on port wines, discussing how they are made, how they differ from other wines and how to embrace the art of blending. Everyone sampled three different ports and were given the opportunity to blend them with ice and club soda to make a spritz.
Titus Teague from Angel’s Envy Bourbon and Andrea Meriwether, a spirits and hospitality entrepreneur, led the final masterclass on hosting with thoughtful pairings. The duo led the class through pairing different bourbons, wines and small bites, and they outlined how small considerations can make a satisfying impact when curating an experience. One of the small bites was a traditional Nigerian masa rice cake prepared by one of the event chefs.
“I love the classroom [setup], because no matter how much I’ve drank wine and how many times I’ve gone to this festival, you always learn something new,” the attendee from Washington, D.C. said.
After a brief recess, the second half of the event kicked off with a special chef panel to discuss Philly’s vibrant culinary scene and how BIPOC chefs continue to evolve it. It was hosted by Tashira Halyard, founder of online platform ‘Politics & Fashion.’ Panelists included Chaz Brow, a D.C. chef and former ‘Top Chef’ competitor; Felicia Wilson, founder and CEO of Philly’s Amina Hospitality Collection; and Nana Wilmot, a Ghanaian chef based in Cherry Hill who competed on the most recent season of ‘Top Chef.’
The school day wrapped with a special culinary experience featuring diverse dishes prepared by Brow, Wilmot and other celebrated chefs and, of course, wine poured all night. ••
An attendee receives a sample from Virginia-based Hedon State Wines.
Branded wine glasses were used for all pours at the Wine & Culture Fest. Above is a glass with a white port wine spritz and a ruby port wine from Sandeman Port.
