Dominique Williamson’s DIY Wine Adventure
Photo credit: Dominique Williamson poses in her kitchen with her homemade wines. Find her on social media @veganhippiesol to learn more about her processes. Photo provided by Dominique Williamson
by Katrina L. Spencer
For 1,000 points and to win the game, select the wine below that Dominique Williamson makes at home in Dallas, Texas:
sweet potato wine
tomato wine
banana wine
blueberry cheesecake wine
Trick question. The correct answer is E, all of the above.
Williamson, a 26-year-old entrepreneur and author, is bold, creative and unconventional in her approach to wine making -- and her bravery is paying off. Her innovative experimentation has led to her wines being awarded multiple medals across state lines. While the competitions she has entered are rigorous, with her wines being scored for appearance, aroma, taste, texture, aftertaste and overall quality, this novice has succeeded. It all started as a hobby a short time ago, and her journey is really just getting started.
“I’m here to disrupt the wine industry,” Williamson said.
She recognizes that despite a long tradition of winemaking in Black Southern communities, today, in many wine making spaces, she is not only the youngest person, often, and almost by default, she is the only Black person.
“We belong in these rooms,” Williamson said.
Enslaved Black Americans, she tells me, used fruit scraps discarded by their enslavers to develop wine, and “hooch” or “pruno,” an alcoholic beverage made in prisons, carries its own history. See, for example, death row inmate Jarvis Jay Masters’s poetic recipe for pruno published by Pen America.
Credit, glamor and documentation surrounding creation, however, in many traditions, are often reserved for people in positions of power, so some of the reach of Black people making, appreciating and even popularizing wine over generations remains unknown and/or underreported. Despite this, a renaissance of knowledge and interest has emerged surrounding Black Americans’ winemaking history in this country. Williamson’s is one of the new faces eager to push the boundaries of the industry.
Do-it-yourself winemaker Dominique Williamson’s medal-winning wines are featured on display.
In addition to a broad variety of fruits, Williamson uses herbs, spices and florals like mint, cinnamon and lavender to flavor her wines.
Photo provided by Dominique Williamson
“I really am passionate about teaching others, especially Black people how to make their own wine,” she said.
Williamson doesn’t just make wine. She spreads the winemaking gospel to the public via her social media pages. On Instagram and TikTok, you can find her at @veganhippiesol, a call back to her first forays into social media influencing as a vegan recipe developer. There you can view videos of her pineapple mango, plum, strawberry kiwi and other wines. This fearless creator shows us that the limit is but one’s imagination.
“I just did it,” she said, reflecting on her can-do attitude. Williamson says that she and everyone in her family has “the Midas touch” or the ability to make everything they venture prosper. Being an amateur has never been a source of intimidation for her.
“I can do anything,” she said.
While Williamson has given much of her wine away to family and friends, one of her next steps is to secure a permit through the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) that will allow her to sell her products. This costs just north of $3,000. The shipping permit she’ll also need is $150. The purchases from the 300 people who have already expressed interest in buying her wines will likely cover the cost.
There’s a little science to know and a touch of math, but with some fruit, sugar, yeast, equipment, careful sanitization techniques, space and time, anyone can do this!