For Black History Month last year, David from Cooking Chat interviewed and wrote about a sommelier-turned-winemaker who realized his dream of starting his own label. I read David’s post with interest because I admire self-starters. Then I watched his interview with André Hueston Mack and thought to myself: Wow, this guy has it going on.
Meanwhile, a year flew by. Here we are in February, once again “Supporting BIPOC Winemakers and Winery Owners” for Wine Pairing Weekend (#winePW). BIPOC stands for “Black, Indigenous and People of Color.” Remembering David’s post, I checked out my local Total Wine store and sure enough, they carry Maison Noir Wines. Ta da!
Anyone interested in this topic is welcome to join a Wine Pairing Weekend live discussion on Zoom this Saturday, Feb. 11, at 8am PT/11 am ET. The event is free, but you need to register via this link. The discussion will include writers who prepared articles on this topic (see list at bottom of this post) and others, possibly some folks from wineries.
The winemaker
André Hueston Mack, founder of Maison Noir Wines, left a career in finance to pursue his passion for wine. He found work as a sommelier in San Antonio, Texas, where he was awarded the prestigious title of Best Young Sommelier in America. This recognition led to work as a sommelier at The French Laundry, a famous restaurant in Yountville, California. From there, Mack went on to become head sommelier at the equally renowned Per Se in New York City.
Mack launched Mouton Noir – now Maison Noir – in 2007. Maison Noir is a two-fold lifestyle business producing both a T-Shirt line and playfully named “Garage d’Or” Oregon wines. Initially, Mack created his garage wines for some of the New York restaurants where he worked. Now his wines are available nationwide.
Maison Noir apparel is inspired by the punk and hip-hop street culture of the 1990s. These same punk-style graphics appear on Mack’s Garage d’Or wine bottles and tech sheets, like the one below. In fact, from the first click on his site, where a whimsical mouton noir (black sheep) marches across the screen, you know this is one winemaker who embraces his inner renegade. There’s no pretense.
“I didn’t come with a wine lineage,” he explains in the Cooking Chat interview. “That, to me, was powerful.”
Originally, Mack made his Other People’s Pinot (O.P.P.) garage wine by blending together eight bottles of other people’s wine. That morphed into the idea of everyday people drinking Willamette Valley wine. From his McMinnville, Oregon, winemaking base, Mack sources his fruit from vineyards in some of the region’s top appellations: Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Yamhill-Carlton and Dundee Hills.
“The biggest advice that I could give anyone is to not give up and take it one day at a time—always have your eyes on the prize. I know some of that is cliché, but it definitely rings true,” Mack states. “Even if it is your dream job, never forget the fact that this is a business, and business is a contact sport. Meet as many people as you can. Always, always, take the meeting. It’s just funny how the world works. There’s always something you can benefit from.”
Oprah Daily
The wine: 2020 Maison Noir Pinot Noir O.P.P., Willamette Valley
My tasting notes: Ruby red with aromas of cherry, pine and forest floor. Cherry and spice on the palate, definitely ginger. Medium+ acidity and medium finish. Alcohol: 13.5%. Price: $21.99. An everyday table Pinot at an affordable price.
The pairing: For wine this approachable, I had to go with pizza – a mushroom-heavy, flatbread pizza in honor of this wine’s Pacific Northwest roots. Oyster mushrooms are the spouse’s favorite, but any kind works. Here are the steps:
- Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté mushrooms sprinkled with thyme for five minutes.
- Brush a prepared pizza crust with olive oil.
- Spread the crust with shredded mozzarella cheese, followed by the mushrooms.
- Dot the top with goat cheese and a generous helping of oregano, chopped chives and more thyme.
I served the pizza slices with a side of savory, roasted Brussel sprouts tossed in even parts olive oil, maple syrup and Siracha with a sprinkle of smoked paprika on top.
I’m looking forward to reading Mack’s 2019 book, 99 Bottles: A Black Sheep’s Guide to Life-Changing Wines. It’s gotten rave reviews on Amazon. I strongly recommend spending a little time with hime via the Cooking Chat interview – and be sure to stayed tuned for this award-winning somm’s 20/20 wine temperature advice (about 26.30 minutes into the video). It’s a game-changer!
Interested in reading more about BIPOC winemakers and winery owners? Here’s the full list:
- Celebrating BIPOC wine: Maison Noir paired with mushroom pizza by My Full Wine Glass
- Celebrating Black History Month with #WinePW by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Feeding the Worms with Winemaker Susanna Vasquez at Lodi’s Peltier by Wine Predator…Gwendolyn Alley
- From Tehran to McMinnville: Maysara’s 2015 Jamsheed Pinot Noir + Joojeh Kabab with Mast-o Khiar by Culinary Cam
- Jerk Chicken Pasta Recipe with Wine from Maison Noir by Cooking Chat
- Longevity California Chardonnay and Creamy Garlic Chicken with Spinach by Crushed Grape Chronicles
Also, check out my previous posts about BIPOC-produced wine:
Great background on this Somm/winemaker and his wine for the people! I need to see if I can find this locally!
I don’t think it ever registered what O.P.P. stood for. Wow. Thanks for sharing this pairing. Now I definitely need to get my hands on some of his wines.
Sounds like a delicious pairing! And a creative and talented winemaker & entrepreneur to support.