A fresh, inclusive approach to wine tasting, celebrating ‘gorgeous wines from under-represented producers’, gets underway in Glasgow’s Govanhill neighbourhood next week, with the launch of the Buena Vida Wine Club.
Radio Buena Vida is a community internet radio station broadcasting from the window of Café Buena Vida, a venue with a strong focus on music, quality food and wine.
Its new wine club aims to introduce guests to quality wines from producers, grapes and regions outwith the mainstream, sharing winemakers’ stories and informal tips on tasting and the wider wine world.
For its debut event on Monday 9th November, the Buena Vida Wine Club has invited Anoushica Matthews, founder of Sweet Spice Wines, a platform championing greater diversity and representation in the wine industry.
With over 12 years’ experience in the UK wine trade, Matthews now also works with MJ Wine Cellars, the UK’s first and only Black-owned wine importer.
MJ Wine Cellars was founded by Mags Janjo, who also makes his own low-intervention wines in Austria under Weingut MAMA.
Alongside his own wines, he represents Black winemakers and Black-owned wineries in South Africa and the US, including Ntsiki Biyela of Aslina Wines, House of Brown, M’Hudi and Mama Afrika.
Buena Vida Wine Club guests will have the chance to taste an exciting selection of these wines next Monday, in a tasting led by Matthews, whose passion for wine grew while working at London’s Michelin-starred River Café.
As a woman of mixed heritage, often finding herself the only person of colour in wine spaces, she saw how little was being done to represent people of colour in the industry or engage with wine drinkers from diverse backgrounds. She launched Sweet Spice Wines in 2019 to help change that, creating welcoming spaces for people to enjoy and learn about wine, helping to bring wines from under-represented producers to a wider audience.
Matthews said: “I have huge respect for what the Buena Vida team has built, a real community, and we are so excited to be their first guest at this special wine club!”
Organiser and café co-founder Suz O’Neill said: “The aim is to demystify some of what can make wine feel intimidating, elite or just confusing, creating a relaxed space where people can discover new wines, ask questions and enjoy themselves, whatever their previous wine knowledge.”
Also appearing at the debut event will be Maveen, a Glasgow-based DJ, Radio Buena Vida resident, founder of music label and collective KIN-TU – and WSET-qualified wine professional.
As someone equally passionate about music and wine, Maveen will be sharing his knowledge, offering insights into the wines and pairing them with a specially curated selection of music throughout the evening.
“As someone working across both music and wine, I’ve always loved finding ways to bring those two worlds together,” said Maveen.
“When I first came across Sweet Spice Wines, I was struck not only by the quality of the wines and the stories behind them, but also by how meaningful it was to see Black and under-represented voices represented more visibly within the wine industry.
“For me, this wine club is about making wine feel more approachable and creating a welcoming space where people can discover new flavours, producers and stories without things feeling inaccessible or overly formal. Bringing music into the mix feels like a natural extension of the evening.”
The Buena Vida Wine Club is something Radio Buena Vida co-founders O’Neill and David Fleming have wanted to develop since opening their café in 2022. Both share a love of wine and are equally passionate about demystifying the culture around it.
Suz brings over 10 years of professional experience in wine, spanning Scottish hospitality and international wine sales.
She added: “I’m so excited to finally be launching the Buena Vida Wine Club and delighted to be joined by Anoushica and Maveen for this first event.
“The fact that it sold out in under two hours shows there’s a real thirst for a more inclusive and alternative approach to wine, and I can’t wait to taste through the gorgeous wines we’ll be pouring with everyone on the night!”
