Event: Ingrid Best Wine Launch
Date: October 2023
Location: Coco Noir Wine Shop (Oakland) and Copas (San Francisco)
Photos: Courtesy of Photographers at Large
Ingrid Best has emerged as the newest female African American vintner on the scene. She claims SF Bay Area for her roots but her education of wine is global. While working in the liquor distribution industry for major suppliers such as Diageo, Moët Hennessy, Bacardi, and Combs Enterprises for over two decades she gained not only a knowledge of the business but significant relationships with other African American distributors like Jay Z and Sean “Puffy” Combs. She eventually stepped away from the corporate world to follow her passion and founded IBest Wines.
After years of research and travel Ingrid Best has finally released her signature wines to the public, and recently held signature wine release parties in SF and Oakland. She is currently offering two blends of wines, a red blend and a white blend from South Africa grapes. Her love of culture, art and wine is her motivation to making her wine unique and appreciated.
Chef Mimi (Black Food & Wine Experience) and entrepreneur Alicia Kidd (Coco Noir Wine Shop) hosted events in San Francisco and Oakland to help announce Ingrid Best’s wine launch.
Chef Mimi hosted a sit down dinner for a select clientele which enjoyed the pairing of Mexican food with Ingrid’s wine at Copas Restaurant in San Francisco. Several friends, business associates and wine enthusiasts came out in support of Ingrid’s premiere wine launch.
Copas is a Mexican themed restaurant in the Castro district owned by two Hispanic women and offered guests a delicious sampling of their heritage menu.
Over in the East Bay, Coco Noir Wine Shop Bar in Downtown Oakland hosted a fireside sip conversation with Ingrid to share her journey from wine enthusiast to CEO and Wine Negociant. Once again friends, restaurateurs, bar owners and wine aficionados came out to support Ingrid’s wine launch debut, and the venue was bustling with people sampling and purchasing Ingrid’s dynamic duo of blends along with their unique charcuterie plates.
