Sip and Stride: As Told By Monique and Angela of The Pour Up Wine Bar (S5/E3)

(upbeat music) - Hey, this is Kaja Elliott, Bronx Borning Ray's ATL Made Bay Area Becoming, and this is the ASTOB by podcast. (upbeat music) - All right, we're back with the new episode of the ASTOB by podcast, and we are not at state of, we are on location, and I'm here in Antiac with the sisters who are the owners and founders of the upcoming The Porup Wine Bar in Antiac, Angela and Monique, welcome to the ASTOB by podcast. - Hey. - Hey. - Thank you for having me. (laughing) - So we're sitting here in the space that is going to be The Porup Wine Bar. We are here at the waterfront area of Antiac in the space, is intimate, it's bright, it is homey, and I'm really excited for what you all are bringing to wine culture in the bay, and to this area. I'm not familiar with this area. Are y'all from here? - No, no. - Okay. - But we've been in Contra Costa County for like, raised here years. - Okay, got it. How did you decide that this was where you wanted to be? - It just fell into our lap. - Okay. (laughing) Pretty much, yes. - We'll get into that. We'll get into that. But I did mention, so let's start here, 'cause I did mention that you are sisters, and I read that you are sisters who found each other later in life, which is so common. I have a same background, I'll tell you mine after you tell me you're, but you're sisters who found each other later in life. So talk to me a little bit about what your individual backgrounds were, and then where you were in life when y'all found each other. - Well, we did not find each other. - Oh! - Yes. - How did you come together? - The article is wrong. - Is the article wrong? - Okay, I did research y'all, and here goes fact-finding. The article was wrong. (laughing) - Yeah, he twisted the words up a little bit. But, I mean, we are half sisters, we have the same father, not the same mom, and I was 12, and she was two when I met her. - Okay. - So we're at 10 years apart. - Got it. - We did grow up together mainly, like when I went to my dad's house, but we weren't close, per se, and our dad always like, how many guys would be close? How many guys talk more? - Well, she was two. - She was two. (laughing) I think the decade age gap is just, we weren't, like we talked, but we weren't like, close close. - Right. - Right, now I talk to her every day. All day. - Hello, see you then. (laughing) - Yeah. I love that this misnomer got cleared up, right? Because I remember seeing that and thinking, oh, what a coincidence, here's another set of black sisters in the wine industry who came together later in life, because we are familiar with that story through the McBride sisters, and I thought, what a queen, you think? Well, it's not. So, back check number one, they have known each other most of their lives and, you know, age gap aside. I think as you get older, those gaps start to fill themselves in and so here you are together now in business. - Yes. (laughing) - Love that. What was it about Annie Act that made you feel like this was the right place and the right time to take on this endeavor? - I'm not sure. I just feel like we were just looking for options. We were just seeing, you know? - Yeah, I was looking online for, a goal was a wine bar, it wasn't this soon. - Yeah. - So I just happened to look online and they listed, like they would want a wine bar in this space. So we went to go look at it. - But it wasn't here. - It wasn't here. - Oh, where was it? - It was down the street. - Yeah, okay. - Yeah, and they wanted $125,000 from us, and we were like, oh, no, we don't have that. Just to start out, like earnest money? - Yeah, like we are a small business. - Yeah. - That was like a full build out. - Got it. - Yeah. - Okay. - Yes, and then when we said no, they said, oh, hey, we have this other space available, it's already done. And here we are. - Okay. Do you, well, I have to assume you're in this space, so you felt like this was the better option for you. Looking back now comparatively, are you glad that you made the decision you did? - Yes. (laughing) - We're on the water. - Which is gonna be a whole mood, once the weather, you know, Bay Area weather is tricky between like December and March, but once April comes, it's like it doesn't rain again until the next December, so. - Right. - Y'all are in a perfect position. If you can make it through Bay Area winter, your golden forest spring and summer, and fall. - It gets hot here, yes. - Mm-hmm. - Yes. - Yes. - Hold different time. Y'all have central air out here, which in Oakland, we do not. If you have air conditioning in Oakland at all, good luck. - We have a unit. - Okay, good. That's more than most. - We're, we'll see how that works out in summer. (laughing) - We will, we will. So then, talk to me a bit about how this all started. What are your current career backgrounds, and how did you find yourself in wine? - You want me to go? Or you want to go? - My current background in work. - Mm-hmm. - Like just what industry are you in? - I work for the VA. - Okay. - So, I'm talking to people all day, about, you know, their benefits, you know, what can they get, and. - I don't know, it was just Monique. She came to me about it. You know, we like, let's just do it. - Mm-hmm. - And what about you? - I work for senior housing. - Okay. - I'm an occupancy specialist. And I just love wine. And during the pandemic, we, we're both entrepreneurs. Like, I think she had a boutique. And then, my husband is just, he did the luster. So, I always thought it would be cool just to have my own wine. So during the pandemic, we started our own wine label. - Okay. - And so that, I mean, here we are today. I didn't know we would have a whole wine bar. - Like two years in, wine bar. - Yeah. - Yeah, it's moving pretty fast. - I was about to say, so the road to this was just two years. - Well three. Like three pandemic, you know, you know, sitting at home, not working, you know, just thinking about a lot. - So that's an interesting point you both make. First of all, I love that both of your jobs, your careers are rooted in service, right? The VA and, you know, housing, these are things that really show up to serve the needs of community. So, shout out to both of y'all for that kind of work. But they also are jobs that are connected to federal initiatives and state initiatives. So to your point, 2020 hits, pandemic hits, this is such a common thread in people I talk to for the podcast is like, I'm gonna make it a standing question. Where were you when the pandemic hit? Because it was such a turning point for a lot of people. Like the turning point you didn't ask for, but you got that really worked in your favor. - You're right. - Right, it was such a turning point for a lot of people. So 2020 comes, you all are home and the idea for the wine bar comes because you enjoy wine. How did that translate to getting your own label? And what is the name of the label? - The poor up. - I didn't wanna assume. I thought that would be it, but we'll talk later about where people can get it. But, you know, you just enjoyed wine as a consumer. How did that then translate to coming up with your own label? - I think it's just because we had time. I mean, I think I talked about it all the time and my husband was like pushing me like, you should just do it. And I'm like, I don't know how to do that. So I asked my sister like, hey, do you wanna do this? And she said yes. And we were researching our butts off. - It has very expensive industry. So, we-- - And confusing. - So we did everything ourselves from the label to the tastings, website, everything. - Okay, ground up building. You said it was confusing. What was confusing about it? - Oh, just going through the alcohol department. - I didn't know there was an alcohol department. - Oh, yeah, ABC. - What goes on in the alcohol department? - Just beginning and starting our research and asking questions. So we make sure that we fill out everything correctly. And then every time you call, you get a different answer. - Yes, what we can do, what we can't do. - Oh, so this is like the bureau that controls. the ability to produce and license and God, okay, yeah, I'm sure that was a hurdle. It was a huge hurdle and we could have stopped there, like forget it, but we kept pushing on, we didn't have nothing else to do. The benefit of 2020, right? This is I'm here anyway, so might as well. Might as well. With one country, you know, just an hour or so away, you know, talk about the significance of bringing this kind of experience here to Antioch. Why? Well, I'll ask that second question later, but I want you to answer that first. Wine country is, you know, stones throw away, and Antioch is not wine country, but there's an importance in a relevance to having this here, so I would love to hear from you all what that was. Antioch does not have a wine bar. I feel like bringing this to Antioch gives people something to do. They don't have to go far. Let's save that gas. Right, and they're so excited about it too, right now. So, I mean, that is an advantage that we are the very first wine bar in Antioch, the first black-owned wine bar in Antioch, and we're bringing black wine to Antioch. Okay, and I think I'm excited about it. Will all the labels serve to you, or be black? The majority, that's the goal, yes. I mean, we'll have others, but yes, that's the majority. Okay, you'll go ahead to go someplace else for your shendon. Yep, we have it. And blackly was in here. And so, you know, just aside from the obvious, what would you say would be the reasons with wine country, you know, here locally that people, in addition to, right, will want to add the porra up to their repertoire of where they go to enjoy wine. Can you repeat that question? Yeah, yeah. So, I mean, with wine country being right here, people have options, right? And wine country is wine country, but that's not the only place to go to enjoy wine, right, and to be in an atmosphere. So, why, what are you hoping people have as their reason for why they want to come have an experience at the porra? We are a whole vibe. We're just different, you know, we are different. Also, no one around here in this area has black wine, yes. I don't understand why. And I guess one of the reasons that we are doing this is because us being our own distributor and having a label and trying to get ourselves out there, it's been so difficult like, for instance, like they would ask for samples, they'll communicate that, and then they will never follow up with you ever again. They'll just ignore you. They do the Costco? Take your samples and keep stepping? Yes. And it's like, okay, on to the next, but it's just really hard and it's very expensive because it's expensive for us to produce the wine, and we're sending it to you for free, for shipping, and all that, and then you just don't respond to us. So, since we are like service-based, like, you know, she works with VA and I work with seniors, I've always been one to help. And then, so I want us to be the help for other small-owned, black-owned, minority-owned, whatever you want to call it, labels, wine labels here, and like not turn them away. Yes, help them get out there, you know. There's a lot of wine out there that people haven't, you know, tried. And they have no idea that they're available. Okay. I can imagine, because, you know, last season, I got to talk to Furnstrow, shout out to Furnst, shout out to Furnst, Blackvine. And we talk, one of the things we talked about is that experience a lot of people have when they just show up to a big-box retailer, you know, the Bevmo Total Wine. And if you're not, you know, a person who's very knowledgeable about wines, you're there, the wine is there, there's just bottles on bottles on bottles. You don't really know. Most times the staff at a very high level can give you some information, but they oftentimes cannot really get all down into the weeds with you about what's on the shelf. And further, not maybe about what's black-owned on the shelf or the relevance or the comparator between one or the other. So, I love that. It's like, okay, y'all not going to let me get on your shelf. I'll make my own shelf. Yeah. Exactly. Love that. Love that. Are the wine people at large, the industry, right? Are they playing nice with you or do you feel like you're having to fight for your spot? Everyone's so nice. Okay. I'm glad to hear that. Blackvine's has been a huge help firm. Yes. Love her. In helping us. We love her. We get this space. So, yeah, no, we're not having any issues. Are we? No. We're not having any issues. No, everyone's so helpful, you know, we get ideas from everyone and we have like what monthly meetings about, you know, distributing, and licensed and things like that. So, I love it. Everyone's so nice. The industry is wrapping their arms around y'all. Yeah. They should. As they should because, you know, you have a, you're in a unique position, I think, to, and you let me know if you agree, to have like a market share because you are the only wine bar in Antioch. You are the only black-owned wine bar in Antioch. You are the only black-women-owned wine bar in Antioch. So, you got a market cornered here, which is amazing. Good for you. Good for you. Thanks. Everyone is so supportive. Yeah, and we have a goal like within a year or so to move and expand. Oh, every goal we've made for ourselves, we've done it. We've reached it. Yeah. Go oriented ladies. Yes. I love it. What does expansion look like for you in your mind? Well, you see the space. It's very intimate. And I feel like we are going to be packed. Yes, definitely. And we're going to need more space. Well, let me listen. I know this is an audio podcast and y'all can't see. So let me, let me translate for you some of what I'm seeing because don't let the word intimate. It is by no means a shoebox. It is a very well-appointed. There's more than enough room for people to be in here enjoying. And then right outside of this, you have the waterfront area. So I don't know what the, what are those things they call? Not the, not the legalities. Not the, whatever the little local, the ordinance. That's the where I'm looking for. I don't know what the local ordinance is here as far as being able to buy alcohol and step outside of a location with it. But you have this waterfront area. That's right here where maybe people can just step outside. There's option for like seating outside, some bistro seating. So it's absolutely a space where you can come. This is not going to be jam packed like the bar. But you know, this is a space where you can come and enjoy wine. There's like a little standing bar area where you can be if maybe you just want to stand and you know drink and have conversation. So intimate is not bad. I like intimate. But growth is nice too whenever you get to your expansion way. Maybe we'll just expand to a second location. Uh-oh. Do you think you know, you think you'll stay in any awkward you eyeballing potential other areas? I don't know. So a mayor of a city approached us that does not have a wine bar in their seat. Oh yeah. And it's like, hey, I got some money for you guys want to come over here? Yeah. It was crazy. They rang me alarm. Well, I mean, that's the saying if you build it, they will come. Yeah. Yeah. And you built it. Hey, there you go. Go for you. We talked about this a little bit, but you know, this space could very easily have been a lot of things. It could have just been like a regular bar or it could have been like a small bistro or, you know, an eatery. So why wine? Why did you decide that you wanted to use this as a space to connect with people specifically around wine? We love wine. We love it. Have you been to like any vent where there's wine involved? Like, isn't it? It's a lot. And it's a whole vibe. It's fun. And we want to bring that here. I don't think that there is, I mean, wine bars are very, I don't know, they're like, chill, I guess. Yeah. We're not, we're not really chill. It's going to turn up one while they're hit. They're held to a certain standard or you have to act a certain way, but I feel like we're like fun. You know, we'll bring events, fun events, karaoke night, movie night, I don't know, paint and tips. - Mm, classes, you know, so. - Okay, well before, because I'm gonna ask you about that, about what's in store, what people can expect, but let me just back up to something you said, because wine does have this connotation or has had this connotation of just being pretentious, right? You have to know about it. You have to hold your glasses certain way. You have to swirl your glasses certain way. Don't you pull out ice. You know, all the things, right? There's just been a lot of protocols around wine. And you know, for some years, you know, correct me if I'm wrong, but I would say at least to my visibility, black people moving around comfortably in the wine space is fairly new, maybe 20, 25 years, right? But you are really seeing heavy prevalence of it in the last 10, right, with ownership and businesses and labels and all of those things. So creating a space where it's not pretentious and it's welcoming and it's meeting people where they are. What are some of the things that you all feel are gonna be part of this space? So you started to talk about that, that create that environment for folks. Oh, you said karaoke nights? Get ya. Me, me, me, me, me, get ready, y'all. (laughs) The music is gonna be a little different. But yeah, karaoke nights, she's gonna do some classes. Oh, what kind of classes? Like cheese pairing, chocolate and chocolate and wine pairings, maybe some food? Maybe. That sounds good. Yeah, paint and sits, but like not your normal paint and sit like not on a canvas, like we're gonna do some different stuff. Well, we paint now. We'll see, we'll find out. We'll find out. Yeah, should I tell her one of my ideas? Are we about to get an exclusive? (laughs) Do you know like a date night? Mm-hmm. You get some foam mannequin heads. Oh, it make faces. And you paint your significant other. I think that's gonna be so fun. Oh, that's a good one. (laughs) Drink your wine, paint your mannequin heads. Mm-hmm. You know, that's funny. I thought about like having a blind date here for the singles. (laughs) I got started. (laughs) Okay. Yeah, that could be a lot of fun. Yeah. That could be a lot. And like a safe environment, people feel nervous sometimes the blind date, so that's a, that, look, that is a great idea. Like kind of curating space around that. Yeah, we're gonna have some innovative crazy stuff going on. But the vibe will be fun. Yeah, see. Always. Yeah, always. It'll be a fun place to come for the community to get together. Okay. Now they can relax, enjoy wine, and we're gonna serve small bites. Ooh, small bites. Okay, so do you all, will you all be partnering with caterers? Will you be partnering with local chefs? Will you be doing pop-ups where maybe different chefs come through and do food programs? What's in mind for what you have on the food front? Well, you know, we like to do everything ourselves. Keep it in mind. But it's an idea. Yeah, I mean, I would, I would like that, you know, just keep everything, you know, black owned or minority owned with the community, you know, get everybody out there support one another. Yeah, we want to support businesses here in the Indian as well. So we would be collaborating with them. But we'll be serving like flatbread pizza, charcootery. And then maybe some kind of seafood option on the menus since we are on the water, you have to have a little shrimp or something. Got it. Right. Crab leg, something. Oh, she said crab leg. Nice. But it's not, no. To mix it up a little bit, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And being out here, I don't, I'm not familiar with the area. You know, this is only my second time in Antioch. So I'm, what? Yes, look. And look is huge. I'll be in Antioch more often since there'll be a reason now for me to come out here. So I'll get to know Antioch a little bit better. But do people like do food vendors come into this area in like in summertime? Is that part of what you see here at the waterfront? They're not at the waterfront, but they do have like taco trucks, taco truck night on Thursdays out here. OK. Is that down here? It's more towards like Walmart, super, Walmart, yeah. Yeah, there's events out here. I mean, there's nothing really down here. Like I think they're about to have a wine walk. Oh, nice. Right here. So that'll be nice for everybody to come over here too. Walk right on down. For sure. Nice. Are you all planning on doing merchandise or things that really can-- I see you have on your hat. So there's already some merch floating around. But will that be available for folks who want to support in that way too? Maybe. We only have these four. We only have two made. Yeah, once we were first. Yeah. We haven't thought about adding merchandise, but yes. Yeah. Coobs and possibility. Coobs. Look, who knows what expansion holds for young? When we talked on email or actually it wasn't on email, you all were on live just recently. And you said you will be pouring at Black Joy Parade. So I mentioned that we're recording Super Bowl Sunday. So it's mid-February here. And Oakland is approaching rapidly one of the best-- one of my favorite weeks in Oakland, which is Black Joy Week, which culminates on the last Sunday of the month in the Black Joy Parade. And at the end of the parade, there's an entire marketplace village of all kind of vendors and food and services. And you all will be there pouring wine in these-- is it the Black Vines Village in this year? Yes. Yes. Yes. So an area dedicated to all Black Own labels to pour wine. But given that this will be-- will this be your first year there? Second. Second. Oh, you were in the rain out last year. Yes. Oh, you had to swim for it. Yeah, like just parade was-- The blooding over there. [LAUGHTER] Like the Titanic. So this will be your second year. Hopefully, we do not have a rain out again this year. I hope it's a beautiful day. Yes. Yes. But assume that it will be, right? What will it mean to you to be there, to be part of the Oakland community that day pouring wine, just given the theme of the day as Black Joy? What does a Black Joy mean to you as it relates to the community and the pour up? Being yourself. Yeah, I was just going to say the community. Just everyone coming together, supporting one another. Yes. So many businesses are out there, wine brands, and just people a good time. Black Joy to me means being yourself. [LAUGHTER] I mean, is Joy? Yeah. Yeah, the music out there. When you're yourself, you're just the happiest ever. And when you come to the Black Vines Village on Sunday, at that Sunday, you're going to have the best time ever. Well, you're doing lots of partnering because not only will you be at the parade, but the day before the parade, when there's the actual Black Vines annual event at the Bridge Art, you will be one of the labels pouring there as well. We're not pouring this year. Oh, you're not. We opted to go as wine bar owners and scout people. Mixing mingo get out from behind that table. Yeah. I love that. It feels weird. It's going to feel weird, though, because we like pouring. But it was fun last year. We had so much fun. Last year, Black Vines was alive. It was so fun. It always is alive. Always. Like every single time, they don't miss. One of the most well-produced events I've been to for the scope that it was on, Bridge Art, if you're not familiar, it's a huge space. And they had that thing packed out. And it ran efficiently. So I'm looking forward to being there and seeing you all not behind the table, but mixing and mingling and tasting and sampling and dancing with everybody else. Yes. All the things. It'll be fun. I know. I think that's our life now. I know. Wine is life. Wine is life. Look, a slogan. Well, this has been great. I really enjoyed talking to both of you. The two beautiful Black women here in Antioch, making room and creating-- their own space. You know, there's a meme, not a meme, but just like a statement I've seen on Instagram long ago, but I saved it because it resonated with me and it sounds like resonates with y'all as well is build a business you can brand by being yourself. And so you're you're a statement. Yes, yes, because you know, you mentioned Black Joy is being able to be free and be in who you are and you all are bringing clearly who you are to this space, who you are to Antioch's waterfront. And we cannot wait for you to open so we can all be here getting to know who you are a little bit better. Is there any details that you can share about when folks should expect to be able to scroll up at the point at the pour up? My goal is March 25th. She made a face. I'm trying to get her there because she's like April, I'm like no, we got it. It can be women's month. Yes, Mars. It can be we might have a little food set back so we might only be serving wine at first because we have to wait for the very slow health department. But yeah, this month. Spring. Yes, it's been like the weather is a little bit warm out today so yeah, I'm excited. March, cross your fingers? We're cross our fingers. We will cross our fingers. Are you planning on doing a grand opening? Yes. Okay. Y'all heard it. So be following, turn your notifications on. Make them reservations. Make them all this is I'm so glad you said that. So this is going to be a reservation based system. It's I think it's definitely going to have to be. Yes. Walkins are welcome but yeah, definitely a reservation. I love a good reservation. Let me know where to be in win. I love that. Well, we're so happy for you. We are anxiously awaiting the opening of the pour up. I will be certainly sure to come back once you're open to enjoy wine. I'm still learning wine. I am a cocktails girl, but I'm still learning wine. I'm still on the hunt for a red that I like. I have never had a red. I like. I wish you would have told it. I brought you wine, but it's sparkling margarita. Oh, that's good. Yeah. Cocktail. That's good. And thank you. Okay. I love that. Yeah. I've been hanging around sparkling rosés and whites. I've tried some reds and some red blends and I just was I couldn't get right. Is it to dry? Is it I always say I feel like it's going to put hair on my chest. Like I was just feeling like, oh, it's feels so hot going down. It's too dry. It may be too dry. I think you would love our cat. Yeah. Well, maybe not love since you just now getting into it, but I think you would like it. Okay. It's a good um, I say it's a good like beginner. Beginner. Cab. Okay. Yeah, it's very fruit forward. It's not dry. Like it doesn't make your mouth feel like cotton. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I love it. I drink it all the time. I'm committed. Back to like the cocktail thing we will be having wine cocktails here. So if you're not a wine drinker or if you're not primarily a wine drinker and you love a good mix drink, they have you covered as well. Wine cocktails with fresh ingredients. I'm excited. Nice. I'm excited. This is this is great to hear. I'm committing y'all to come back up here and try red. This is my commitment to try a red. It's a fine red that I love and I feel confident that I'll be in the right place to do it. Tell people where they can find information about the porup wine bar. Um, on Instagram, at the porup wine bar or they can go to at the porup wine. So at the porup wine is our wine brand and then at the porup wine bar is the wine bar. And our website is down right now because it's going through transitions, being revamped. It's the porup wine.com. Okay. I guess. I think they can find more information about us on the porup wine just because it's been there longer. Oh yeah, that's true. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And just get to know us, you know, we do little card games and things like that on their questionnaires and stuff. Yes. Well, stop by. Get to know them. I'll make sure that I share all of that information with the episode. If you want to get to know me a little bit better in the meantime, you can find me on Instagram at hey, K in the bay. Other than that, this is the sweet episode of the astole by podcast. See y'all on the next one. Peace. [Music]