Pale copper color; strawberry, tangerine on the nose; strawberry, raspberry, cherry on the palate.
Dry to off-dry; light and bright and fruity. The “bubbly” is mild frizzante out of the can, not a nose-tickling effervescent bubble bomb. I poured the wine into a glass for the photograph, so it likely will have a more fizzy feeling if you drink out of the can, but this is a carbonated drink, not traditional method sparkling. Smooth, simple, very easy drinker. To best experience this effort, don’t over-think this rosé of pinot noir effort. Pop the tab and enjoy the fun. 12.5% ABV
The McBride Sisters target Millennials and Gen X markets, which reflects in the style and container of this effort. When I first encountered the sisters—Robin and Andréa—the wine company was named Truvée and they partnered in the effort with Diageo & Estate Wines. When Australia’s Treasury Wine Estates purchased Diageo, the sisters ended the relationship and now control their McBride Sisters Wine Company. The “McBride Sisters” name is a wise brand move: beyond the wine, the story here is about the McBride sisters, and what a story it is.
The half-sisters were born and raised 7,000 miles apart. Robin grew up in California, raised by her mother. Andréa in New Zealand with a foster family. Neither knew of the other’s existence. Things changed when Andréa was 12 years old and received a call from her father in New Zealand. “He said he had just gotten out of the penitentiary. He said he had terminal stomach cancer. And oh, by the way, you have a sister.” Andréa’s father said he thought Andréa’s sister lived in California. Andréa’s life had been somewhat chaotic. After divorcing Andréa’s father, her mom died of breast cancer when Andréa was seven. She was raised by a foster family in her native New Zealand.
Fortunately, the foster family had the resources to send Andréa to California to both meet her long-lost sister and to go to the University of Southern California, where she was a 6-foot, 1-inch USC volleyball and track star who studied international business and was fascinated by wine.
Robin worked in electronics marketing and also was fascinated by wine. Andréa speaks with a charming, slight New Zealand accent. Older sister Robin sounds like a California girl professional. In discussing their childhoods they found their mutual interest in wine.
Together the sisters started an import company bringing boutique New Zealand wines to the states. Within three years they were supplying wines to more than 100 restaurants in California.
That impressive beginning allowed the sisters to start EcoLove in 2010, a wine company sourcing grapes from New Zealand vineyards to make food-friendly wines. In early 2015 they forged their brief partnership with Diageo. The next year they were on their own and no longer had a relationship with Truvée, Diageo, or Treasury Wine. Their company is the first wine company run by African-American sisters, and now it is the largest Black-owned wine company in the U.S., forget about the sibling angle. They are an amazing millennial, sibling, and Black entrepreneur story.
McBride Sisters Collection Black Girl Magic Bubbly Rosé is a simple, slightly fizzy, fun wine. Don’t take this too seriously. It should be served well chilled and enjoyed around a pool or on a boat or on a picnic, also on patio, porch, or deck on a warm summer day. You can get to serious wines later—and the McBridge sisters make some of those, too—but this is an accessory to a “what the heck, let’s do it” summertime hangout, not a gourmet meal. $14 ( for two 3.75 ml cans, which equals one 750 ml bottle); also sells for $92 for a 12-pack.