CLEVELAND — According to the Wine Institute, Americans consumed 964 million gallons of wine in 2022. But how many of those people know how wine is made.
One local man well-versed in the craft is Cleveland native Brian C. Kincaid. The 32-year-old, upon completing his degree from Kent State University in 2023, became Ohio's first Black enologist.
"It is so surreal 'cause, I never would've thought. It's one of them like stereotypical points where I never thought I'd be here, I never thought I'd be the first black anything to be honest," explained Kincaid.
Enology is the study of the science of wine and wine-making.
"It's actually fairly new. It is not something that's been around as long as like other sciences, but it's the science of wine and beer making," said Kincaid. " The art of winemaking has been around for centuries, but they're just now starting to make it, you know, a collegiate thing."
It was a craft Brian discovered by happenstance, telling 3News Reporter Kierra Cotton that his only experience was consuming wine.
It was through a partnership with the late Mansfield Frazier, owner of Chateau Hough on Cleveland's east side, that he began trying his hand at the craft.
"I had a knack for just talking about it. So he recognized that and was like, 'Hey son, I'll send you to college to just do this full time'," said Kincaid.
According to Kincaid, one day turned into an entire summer spent exploring the vineyard and navigating the nuances of the wine-making process.
"To make good wine takes a lot of patience, a lot of skill, a lot of trial and error actually too. It's something you probably won't get right the first time," said Kincaid.
Kincaid is currently the beer and wine manager at the newly opened Meijer Fairfax Market, but with his degree completed he has plans to continue Mansfield Frazier's legacy.
"You know, we're finishing where he stopped and keeping it going and then expand on that," said Kincaid. "On top of that, he wanted this to be a generational thing so my kids and my grandkids could benefit from this."
Having already achieved history, Kincaid is well on his way, setting a fruitful example for his daughter to follow.
"I want her to see something that, um, is out of the ordinary," said Kincaid. "I want my daughter to see that you could be anything in the world."
And for those who may not have seen representation of Black people outside of drug dealers and professional athletes while growing up, Kincaid says he understands, but encourages those people to dream big and take action.
"You never really know what you're capable of until you try it," said Kincaid. " I never would've thought I would pursue something like this. And I got into these classrooms and I'm seeing all this laboratory equipment and like, I don't know what it is at first, but after a couple months, it became almost a norm for me."
Kincaid is currently working on harvesting a new wine line, it's expected to be ready early next month.
"I'm a dry red guy. Ironically, my first wine that I'm working on now is actually a Chardonnay," explained Kincaid. "So it's something a little bit different than I'm used to, but it's something that, um, helps me understand and appreciate white wine just as much.
For more information on Brian C. Kincaid and his wine-making endeavors, you can follow him on social media.
Black Light is a series created by 3News Reporter Kierra Cotton aimed at exposing the hidden talent within Northeast Ohio’s Black community. If you'd like to suggest a feature to Kierra, you can connect with her via email at kcotton@wkyc.com.
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