Poured With Purpose: Celebrating AAPI Makers Who Are Rewriting the Story of Wine & Beer

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month — and here at The Wine Concierge, we don't just acknowledge that. We pour it.

Because here's the thing: wine (and beer) has a storytelling problem. For too long, the narrative has been dominated by the same voices, the same faces, the same estates with centuries of European pedigree. And while there's nothing wrong with a beautiful Burgundy, there is something deeply right about expanding who gets to tell the story of what's in your glass.

This month, we're raising a glass — literally — to the AAPI makers who are crafting extraordinary drinks while carrying the weight and the wonder of their heritage into every bottle. These are the producers who didn't wait for an invitation to the table. They built their own.

Why Representation in Wine Matters (More Than You Think)

Let's be honest: walking into a traditional wine shop can feel like showing up to a party where you weren't on the guest list. The language is intimidating. The labels are in French. The sommelier looks at you like you asked a silly question.

That's exactly why we exist — and exactly why the producers we feature matter so much.

When you see yourself reflected in the person who made your wine, something shifts. The intimidation dissolves. The story becomes personal. And the drink? It tastes even better, because you know it was made by someone who had to fight for their seat at the harvest table.

AAPI makers represent one of the most exciting and underrepresented voices in American and global wine and craft beverage culture today. From the rolling hills of Oregon's Willamette Valley to the sun-drenched vineyards of California's Mendocino County to the island breweries of Okinawa — these producers are making drinks that are technically brilliant, culturally rich, and absolutely delicious.

Meet the Makers: AAPI Bottles in Our Cellar Right Now

🍷 2022 CHO Dreamer's Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley AVA, Oregon — $78.00

If a wine could be a love letter to perseverance, this is it.

CHO is an Asian-American, woman-owned winery rooted in Oregon's legendary Willamette Valley — one of the most celebrated Pinot Noir regions in the world. The name alone tells you everything: Dreamer's Reserve. This isn't a wine made by someone who stumbled into winemaking. This is a wine made by someone who dreamed their way into it.

The 2022 vintage is certified sustainable and organic, with the kind of elegant, earthy complexity that Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is famous for. Think silky red fruit, forest floor, a whisper of spice, and a finish that lingers like a really good conversation.

Food Pairing: Salmon with a miso glaze, duck breast with cherry reduction, or a beautiful mushroom risotto. This wine bridges worlds — and so does the food it loves.

This is the bottle for: The dinner party where you want to impress without trying too hard. The gift for the wine lover who thinks they've had every Pinot Noir worth drinking. (They haven't had this one.)

✨ Shop the 2022 CHO Dreamer's Reserve Pinot Noir →

🥂 2021 Six Cloves Chardonnay, Alder Springs Vineyard, Mendocino County, California — $49.00

Six Cloves is the kind of winery that makes you want to call your best friend and say, "You have to try this."

Founded by an Asian-American woman winemaker, Six Cloves sources from the remarkable Alder Springs Vineyard in Mendocino County — a high-elevation site that produces wines of extraordinary tension and freshness. This isn't your butter-bomb California Chardonnay. This is Chardonnay with intention: bright acidity, mineral depth, stone fruit, and a creamy mid-palate that feels like a warm hug from someone who really knows what they're doing.

Award-winning. Woman-owned. Asian-American made. And priced at $49 — which, for the quality in this bottle, is genuinely a gift.

Food Pairing: Dungeness crab, lemon herb roasted chicken, Thai green curry (yes, really — the acidity cuts right through the coconut milk), or a simple cheese board with aged gouda and honeycomb.

This is the bottle for: The Chardonnay skeptic who swore off the grape after one too many oaky disasters. This will change their mind. We promise.

✨ Shop the 2021 Six Cloves Chardonnay →

🌸 NV Original Choya Sparkling Umeshu, Japan — $14.29

Now here's something that might just become your new obsession.

Choya is Japan's most beloved umeshu producer — and if you've never had umeshu, prepare to have your world gently rearranged. Made from 100% premium Nanko Ume fruit (think: the lovechild of a plum and an apricot), cane spirits, and sugar, this sparkling version is effervescent, tart, floral, and utterly refreshing. Notes of citrus and white peach dance alongside the signature ume tartness, all wrapped in a light, celebratory sparkle.

At just 5.5% ABV, it's the perfect low-alcohol option for guests who want something festive without the full commitment of a traditional sparkling wine. It's also a conversation starter — because nobody at your table has had this before, and everyone will want to know what it is.

Umeshu has been a household staple in Japan for centuries. Choya carries that tradition forward with proprietary aging and blending techniques that make their ume the finest available. This isn't just a drink — it's a piece of Japanese cultural heritage in a bottle.

Food Pairing: Sushi, light appetizers, fruit and cheese boards, spicy dishes (the sweetness is a beautiful counterpoint), or simply on its own over ice as an aperitif.

This is the bottle for: The adventurous sipper. The guest who doesn't really drink wine. The host who wants to offer something unexpected and memorable.

✨ Shop the NV Choya Sparkling Umeshu →

🍺 Echigo Koshihikari Rice Lager, Niigata, Japan — from $5.99

Meet the beer that started a revolution.

In 1994, Echigo Brewery made history as Japan's first craft brewery — pioneering the craft beer movement in a country that had been dominated by mass-market lagers for decades. Located in Niigata Prefecture, famous for its pristine mountain water and the prized Koshihikari rice variety (yes, the same rice used in premium sake), Echigo crafts a lager that is clean, crisp, and unmistakably Japanese.

This isn't a beer that shouts. It whispers — with a smooth rice character, subtle sweetness, and a refreshing dry finish that makes it dangerously easy to drink. It's also gluten-sensitive friendly, which means more people at your table get to enjoy it.

Food Pairing: Sushi, sashimi, ramen, tempura, grilled fish, yakitori — basically, if it's on a Japanese restaurant menu, this beer belongs next to it. It also pairs beautifully with lighter fare like salads, seafood, and fresh spring rolls.

This is the beer for: The craft beer lover who wants to explore beyond IPAs and stouts. The sake enthusiast curious about rice-based beverages. The dinner party host who wants to offer something beyond the usual suspects.

✨ Shop the Echigo Koshihikari Rice Lager →

🌊 Orion "The Original Draft" Japanese Lager, Okinawa, Japan — from $21.00

Close your eyes. Imagine you're in Okinawa. The sun is warm, the breeze is salty, and someone just handed you the coldest, most refreshing beer you've ever had.

That's Orion.

Brewed by Orion Breweries since 1957, this is Okinawa's most iconic beer — and for good reason. Light-bodied and easy-drinking, it delivers a subtle balance of malt, floral hops, and just a hint of coastal brininess that reflects its island origins. On the nose: gentle aromas of lilies, honey, and grassy herbs. On the palate: smooth malt and rice, sweet corn, chamomile, and a soft biscuit quality that leads to a clean, slightly bitter finish.

The can's design even incorporates Okinawa's natural elements — red sun, blue skies, navy seas. It's a beer that knows exactly where it comes from, and it's proud of it. Available in 6-packs and 12-packs, this is the beer you stock for summer gatherings, backyard barbecues, and any occasion where you want people to feel like they've been transported somewhere beautiful.

Food Pairing: Grilled meats, seafood, spicy dishes, light snacks, or honestly — just a warm afternoon and good company.

This is the beer for: The summer entertainer. The Okinawa dreamer. The person who wants their drink to tell a story about a place they've never been but suddenly desperately want to visit.

✨ Shop Orion "The Original Draft" Japanese Lager →

How to Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month With Your Drink Choices

You don't have to be a wine expert to drink with intention. Here's how our community celebrates:

1. Buy the bottle, share the story. When you open a CHO Pinot Noir or a Choya Umeshu at your next gathering, tell your guests who made it and where it came from. That's how representation spreads — one conversation at a time.

2. Gift with meaning. Know someone who loves wine and loves supporting diverse makers? A curated selection from our AAPI collection is a gift that says I see what you value, and I found something that matches it.

3. Stock up and save. Enjoy free shipping on 6 bottles or more — so go ahead and build your AAPI Heritage Month collection. Mix and match wines and beers across our full selection.

4. Follow the makers. Seek out the stories, social accounts, and newsletters of these producers. Their journeys are as rich as their drinks.

The Bigger Picture: Why We Curate the Way We Do

At The Wine Concierge, we've always believed that who makes your wine is just as important as what's in the bottle. Our curation isn't random — it's intentional. Every producer in our shop has been chosen because they make exceptional products and because their story deserves to be told.

AAPI makers are a small but mighty force in American and global beverage culture. They face the same barriers that women winemakers and Black winemakers face — access to capital, distribution, and the kind of industry relationships that take generations to build. And yet, they persist. They innovate. They make wines and beers that win awards and change minds.

We're proud to carry their bottles. We're proud to tell their stories. And we're proud to be the shop where you can find them without having to dig through a sea of options that don't reflect your values.

Ready to Pour With Purpose?

This May, let your drink choices be a celebration. Grab a bottle (or six — free shipping, remember?) and taste what it means when passion, heritage, and craft come together in a glass.

→ 2022 CHO Dreamer's Reserve Pinot Noir — $78.00
→ 2021 Six Cloves Chardonnay — $49.00
→ NV Choya Sparkling Umeshu — $14.29
→ Echigo Koshihikari Rice Lager — from $5.99
→ Orion "The Original Draft" Japanese Lager — from $21.00

And if you want a personalized recommendation — because that's literally what we're here for — reach out to your Wine Concierge. We'll find the perfect bottle for your table, your occasion, and your values.

Cheers to the dreamers. Cheers to the makers. Cheers to you.

— The Wine Concierge Team 🍷