Black-Owned Wine Brand Braymar Wines Caters To The Average Consumer

Have you ever felt lost in the wine store, not knowing what to pick? Braymar Wines is here to help.

Founder Marlo Richardson, the owner of Stage 21 Bar and Lounge—her third restaurant venture—says that the wine isn’t meant to cater to “wine snobs.” Instead, the Black-owned wine brand is designed to be approachable to the average consumer.

Braymar Wines carries a chardonnay, which has a light and fruity aroma with citrus, green apple and pineapple flavors, while the red blend has the taste of ripe berries, vanilla and coffee with hints of fruit and oak. The red blend is a combination of seven different grapes native to the California coast.

Here, Richardson shares with Forbes the story behind how Braymar Wines was created, the importance of three of her wines, what makes Braymar Wines different from its competitors and more.

Lisa Kocay: What is the story behind how Braymar was created?

Marlo Richardson: “I’ve always wanted to have my own wine. I love wine. I love the idea of wine. I love how it brings people together. I love that there’s an entire science behind it and how people taste [it]. I believe that certain wines are paired with certain things. It’s a completely different world when it comes to food and beverage. The reason I started it, in addition to that, was this is the third restaurant experience that I’ve had. Owning a bar and serving liquor, alcohol and wine, you’re constantly buying other people’s products. I figured this would be a perfect time to start my own.”

Kocay: What have you learned since you started Braymar Wines in the summer of 2022?

Richardson: “I’ve learned a lot about pairing. I’ve learned a lot about how consumers feel about wine in terms of not just pairing, but taste. Something else that really helped me with creating Braymar is having a sports bar and entertainment lounge versus a high-end restaurant or even a low-end restaurant. You get different clientele when it comes to wine.

“I don’t typically deal with a wine snob at a bar or an entertainment lounge, but you deal with people that maybe don’t want hard liquor—they want a glass of wine. What I learned is how to cater to that middle-of-the-road wine drinker that is not a snob. They’re not looking for the petite syrah things that you have really to be particular about. They’re looking for something that just has a good flavor profile that tastes nice. So that’s really what I built with Braymar, and I’ve gotten so many compliments on it. It makes me feel good because I’m not a wine snob, but I know enough about wine to know that…I would say at least 50% of the people don’t really know what they’re drinking other than it’s red, white, rosé, champagne or even sparkling wine. Some people don’t even know the difference between those two, but what they do know is they know what tastes good.”

Kocay: Can you discuss three of your wines and their importance?

Richardson: “The chardonnay is 100% chardonnay, and I think that’s important because it’s a pure chardonnay, but it’s not too buttery. So for me, the importance would be the flavor profile and that it’s not overpowering and it’s very light. So it’s very nice in the summer when it’s really cold. When the wine is really cold, it pairs perfectly with your fish and your chicken. It’s not too buttery and doesn’t have any real strong bite. It’s very smooth.

“The red blend is probably the most complicated wine that I have, and the reason I say that is because it is such a mixture. It’s 70% cabernet, but it also has a petite syrah. It has a grenache and it’s really flavorful, but again, it’s not too strong. It’s not overpowering, no aftertaste and no strong bite. It’s just a nice quality red blend. The importance of that is it pairs well with anything. I’ve actually had it in place of my mimosa in the morning. That’s just how mild it is. You can have it midday. I think that’s important as well for someone that does like the flavor of red wine to know that you can really drink it any time of the day.

“Then we have the sparkling rosé. That one has not been put out on the shelf yet, but it is a great-tasting sparkling rosé. I think that’s important because a lot of times people like their sparkling wine or their champagne, but they want to create a drink with it. So they’ll make it a mimosa, whether they’re using pineapple, orange or any other type of flavor just to create a beverage. Well, rosé is nice, light but it’s sweet, [so] you can’t add something else to it, but you really don’t need to. It’s not overpowered by the bubbles and it’s not too acidic….. It’s just a nice clean, crisp rosé with a little bubble.”

Kocay: Can you also talk about pairing options for two of your wines?

Richardson: “For the red blend, I like that with a steak, whether a tenderloin or a T-bone—something very juicy. I also pair it with hamburgers, believe it or not, coming from the sports and entertainment lounge. The red meat that we have here is a hamburger and it pairs perfectly with that. You’re getting your mix of your red meat but then also the cheese, so almost like a plate being put together in one complete meal. Burgers, I think, are underestimated as a pairing option for red wines. In terms of the rosé, I like the rosé with light fish or shrimp. So similar to like the chardonnay, I would still go with seafood or a pasta option for the rosé.”

Kocay: What makes Braymar different from other wines?

Richardson: “I think what makes Braymar different is the story behind it. Besides being a great tasting wine, I think me being a Black female and the story behind it. Braymar is actually named by my two kids. My youngest one is Braylee and then my older one is Marley.

“When you get home, sometimes you want to kick your feet up and have a glass of wine. It’s like I need to relax moment. That’s really what Braymar is all about. It’s not overpriced. It’s not overrated. It is for your average or a not-so-average connoisseur. It takes the edge off to sit back and relax. I think that that sets it apart from other ones. I’m not in the wine business to try to get rich. I’m not in the wine business because I’m a wine snob. I’m not in the wine business because it’s a cool thing to do. It just blends with every part of my life. When I get home and my kids are here and I’m done doing mom duties for the day, I just want to sit back, have a glass and relax.”

Kocay: What does Braymar pride itself on most?

Richardson: “I would have to say we pride ourselves most on being able to appeal to the average consumer. When I say average, I mean someone like me, again, not a wine snob, not a collector, not someone that’s looking to judge it, rate it, but someone that’s just looking for something that’s good quality, not going kill my wallet and it’s consistent.”

Kocay: Is there anything else that you think I should know?

Richardson: “The logo is one of the things that a lot of people seem to really like—the appearance of it. If you notice the logo, it looks like it’s written in crayon and it has a stick figure. Something to symbolize my kids. So it’s kind of funny but cute at the same time. I think it stands out on the shelf.”