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How I Got Here with Dreena Whitfield
Guest: Aamira Garba, Founder of LoveLee Wines
Guest: Aamira Garba, Founder of LoveLee Wines
In this episode, Dreena sits down with Aamira Garba, the New Jersey–born founder of LoveLee Wines. They talk about the moment on a New Jersey Transit train that sparked a major life shift, the courage to enter an industry with so few Black women, and the discipline she pours into every bottle.
Aamira shares how she blended her first wines without a license, built slowly while raising two daughters, and learned the business from the inside out. From her earliest blends to landing on VinePair’s Top 25 Pinot Noirs in the World, this conversation highlights purpose, persistence, and building a legacy with intention.
This is Aamira Garba, and this is how she got here.
Episode Chapters
Episode Chapters
- (00:00) - Introduction to Aamira Garba and LoveLee Wines
- (00:30) - The Journey Begins: Discovering Wine
- (03:06) - Early Challenges and Bootlegging Days
- (03:43) - Balancing Life and Business
- (09:47) - Naming the Brand: A Family Affair
- (11:47) - Building the Brand: Self-Funding and Growth
- (15:49) - Claiming Space in the Wine Industry
- (17:52) - Celebrating Success and Overcoming Stereotypes
- (20:48) - Challenges in the Wine Industry
- (21:19) - Navigating the Three-Tier System
- (22:48) - Building Relationships and Sales Skills
- (24:16) - Finding the Right Vineyard Partner
- (26:22) - The Wine Making Process
- (27:31) - Staying Grounded and Inspired
- (33:03) - Recognition and Self-Acceptance
- (35:20) - Quickfire Questions and Final Thoughts
Listen and follow How I Got Here with Dreena Whitfield for more stories of purpose, resilience, and the moments that shape who we become.
Creators and Guests
Host
Dreena Whitfield
Dreena Whitfield-Brown is the Founder and CEO of WhitPR, an integrated strategic communications agency with 15+ years serving clients in the nonprofit, corporate, and political sectors. Recognized as one of PRWeek's 40 Under 40, a PR News Top Woman in PR, and named to Inc.'s 2025 Female Founders 500 List. She created How I Got Here to have the raw, honest conversations about entrepreneurship that nobody has on the record.
What is How I Got Here with Dreena Whitfield?
How I Got Here with Dreena Whitfield goes beyond the highlight reel with Black women founders, executives, and leaders. Real conversations about the pivots, the setbacks, and the purpose behind the work. From bootstrapping a beauty brand with $500 to leading a professional sports franchise, each episode explores the moments that shaped who they became and the cost of building something meaningful.
Season 4 guests include founders in beauty, natural products, food, wine, interior design, sports leadership, venture capital, civic advocacy, and more.
For women navigating leadership, business ownership, career reinvention, and the cost of ambition. New episodes biweekly on Wednesdays.
Host: Dreena Whitfield
Executive Producer, Writer & Creative Director: Keena Williams / Struxa
howigotherewdreenaw.substack.com
Aamira Garba on LoveLee Wines, Motherhood, and Building Legacy | How I Got Here with Dreena Whitfield
===
[00:00:00] Introduction to Aamira Garba and LoveLee Wines
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[00:00:00] Dreena Whitfield: Today on how I got here, I'm sitting down with Aamira Garba, a mother, entrepreneur, and storyteller at heart, who is pouring purpose into every bottle she creates. She is the founder of LoveLee Wines, a boutique wine brand, rooted in community, joy and legacy named after her daughters. It's a brand with deep meaning, steady growth, and a lot of heart behind it.
[00:00:24] Dreena Whitfield: In this conversation, we talk about reinvention risk. And what it takes to build something that feels like home.
[00:00:30] The Journey Begins: Discovering Wine
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[00:00:30] Aamira Garba: Wine was just so intriguing to me. The fact that this grape, that's all wine is, is a grape, has an entire industry around it. And then it clicked to me, you don't have time to do this, but you're doing it, so maybe this is your purpose.
[00:00:43] Aamira Garba: I didn't any black winemaker at the time. Now I have a whole network. I was like nervous. I was like, it gonna stand out amongst other Pinots people are gonna think I didn't make it. And so I've always blamed my pinots a little bit. I like a little. I'm to hang out with you
[00:00:55] Dreena Whitfield: a
[00:00:55] Aamira Garba: little bit more.
[00:00:56] Dreena Whitfield: Anytime I need all the, the information.
[00:00:59] Dreena Whitfield: I got you. I need to, [00:01:00] I need to be talking about Uhuh. I love, I need all of that because I got you. This is Aamira Garba and this is how she got here. Aamira, thank you so much for joining me today. First of all, I wanna say congratulations to you. Thank you for being a 2025 NJ biz leading woman in business.
[00:01:20] Dreena Whitfield: Now, you know, I gotta say congrats back.
[00:01:22] Aamira Garba: Thank you, fellow honoree. Thank you so much. Honored.
[00:01:26] Dreena Whitfield: Thank you. Thank you. I'm honored. I'm honored. Oh, yay. I'm really excited to talk to you today about Aamira wines. Um, what are we drink? 'cause you poured me a little something before we started. Yes, yes. What are we drinking today?
[00:01:37] Dreena Whitfield: Give me all the details.
[00:01:39] Aamira Garba: Yes. So I only have one white, and it is my luck Chardonnay. It is the surprise factor of the line because I am always so shocked about how many people who say they hate Chardonnay. Mm-hmm. Absolutely love mine. Okay. It is a hundred percent stainless steel, so a departure from the traditional oaked, highly oaked chardonnays, [00:02:00] but people.
[00:02:00] Aamira Garba: Love it. It's so, it's creamy. It has a lot of pear, green apple, so it's actually one of my favorites, but I do call it the the surprise star because people. Love it more than I even thought they would. 'cause there's a love hate thing going on with Chardonnay right now.
[00:02:16] Dreena Whitfield: Yeah. I'm not really a Chardonnay girl.
[00:02:18] Dreena Whitfield: I like a little red blend uhhuh. I got one of those too little body.
[00:02:22] Aamira Garba: I got one of those too. So you're, you're a girl after my heart. I am a big, bold red. Girl. I love big, bold reds, and I also love Pinot Noir, so I have both of those. Okay. And the Elevate Collection. Elevate Collection, yeah. How many collections do you have?
[00:02:35] Aamira Garba: So just one. Okay. This was my first time doing a full collection, so I've produced nine wines to date. Oh wow. But this is my first time launching a full collection where I think, I feel like I have something for everybody. Produced
[00:02:47] Dreena Whitfield: nine Nine Wines to date. Mm-hmm. I mean, we're gonna talk about that. Yes.
[00:02:51] Dreena Whitfield: But I mean, that's just a major accomplishment, especially being a black woman in this space. Right? It
[00:02:55] Aamira Garba: is. It is. And sometimes I don't do a good job of sitting still and, and [00:03:00] really. Giving myself credit for the things that I've been able to do in such a, I'll say, gated industry.
[00:03:06] Early Challenges and Bootlegging Days
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[00:03:06] Aamira Garba: Um, I started off as a bootlegger, right?
[00:03:09] Aamira Garba: I tell people that all the time. I do not care. Meaning I just produced the wine. Had friends and family try it. I wasn not in stores right away. I wasn't Oh, like how I you used to do back in the day. Yeah. So you get people to try it. I think I can say that without getting in trouble right now. That was years ago, 2016.
[00:03:24] Aamira Garba: You got a legit,
[00:03:24] Dreena Whitfield: legit collection. I got legit in
[00:03:26] Aamira Garba: 2018. That's when I said, okay, I can do this. People like what I produce. So I got licensed. I started selling online only, and I've been online only until last year. So the collection was my way of saying, okay. Go hard or go home America. 'cause I am a career preneur.
[00:03:42] Aamira Garba: I do work full-time.
[00:03:43] Balancing Life and Business
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[00:03:43] Aamira Garba: I built this brand while having a full-time job. But this was my way of saying if I can produce a full collection, get distribution, not just direct to consumer online, this is where I'm supposed to be. And so far, so good.
[00:03:55] Dreena Whitfield: So can I just say real quick? You, you are, you're on your talking points.
[00:03:59] Dreena Whitfield: You know your [00:04:00] story. Like I'm not even gonna wait. Yes, I love that. But wait, I wanna go back to real quick 'cause I'm like very interested in this bootlegging piece. Like, so, like what does that even look like? What, tell me about
[00:04:11] Aamira Garba: that. All that means is I like, I like to play on it, but all that means is. I did not come out the gate with a license.
[00:04:17] Aamira Garba: 'cause you know, this is a heavily regulated industry, so there was no real selling. I didn't have a store, I didn't have a website, so it was really me having parties. I, I bought the wine. I legally bought the wine, produced it in California, blended it myself with coal wine makers in Napa. That's where I really went to learn how to really do this and bottled it up, labeled it like it was a real business.
[00:04:38] Aamira Garba: Right. Got my LLC in 2016, like. I have a, a business, um, undergrad was in business, so you know, I know you're supposed to protect yourself and do it. I wanted this to be a business, but I didn't wanna invest in all the licensing yet. If this wasn't something, I had a knack for it. So you wanna
[00:04:53] Dreena Whitfield: just like test the water, test the water's,
[00:04:55] Aamira Garba: like I love wine.
[00:04:56] Aamira Garba: Do you like the wine that I make? Can I do this? No one looks like me. No [00:05:00] one sounded like me. No one came for where I came from making wine. And so that was my way of testing the waters before really jumping out there. And I do try to tell people. Especially people who ask for advice or mentees. Like you don't always have to go hard in the beginning.
[00:05:14] Aamira Garba: Like, really get your feet wet, learn what you need to learn, test the water. So I'm glad I did 'cause I learned a lot in those first two years. Mm-hmm. But I'm still learning, of course. So that's what I mean when I say I, I bootlegged. Like there was no. Liquor license.
[00:05:29] Dreena Whitfield: Oh. Because I was like, so what was you doing in like, the kids?
[00:05:32] Dreena Whitfield: No, I wasn't like in the, in the backyard. Right? What, what, what was happening over there? No. Um, so you were riding the train, uh, into New York City. You, you were reading The Alchemist and something clicked. Right. Do you remember that moment that made you think, I need to start something?
[00:05:48] Aamira Garba: Absolutely. Mm-hmm.
[00:05:50] Aamira Garba: Definitely on a train. So I, the Jersey girl commuted from playing field. You might know that area, you know that line, the raring line. And so it was three trains to [00:06:00] get to Midtown for me two hours each way. So four hours of my day was devoted to someone else's brand. And one day I just was like, this can't, this is not what I was put on this.
[00:06:11] Aamira Garba: Earth for, like I know that without a shadow of a doubt, I'm meant for great things, but why am I not doing great things? I have fell into the monotony of being an executive wife, mom, like all the things that I thought I was supposed to do. I was living a checkbox life. Yeah. Until I was just bored out of my mind and not feeling fulfilled.
[00:06:29] Aamira Garba: Don't get me wrong, my kids to know me. I'm obsessed. But they're not my end all. Like I'm here to do something for me. And that feeling, I couldn't shake that. I was meant to do something just for me and not anyone else. So I was on this like self-discovery journey and someone recommended the Alchemist.
[00:06:48] Aamira Garba: Read it hit me like a lightning bolt. The first time I read it, what I got was don't overthink anymore. 'cause I'm an overthinker, I'm an analyzer. If I can't see beginning, middle, and end, yeah, I'm not gonna do it. Up until now, [00:07:00] I've been very risk averse. I like to play it safe again, that checkbox right? But my spirit wasn't letting me really do that and be fulfilled in that way anymore.
[00:07:07] Aamira Garba: And so when I read it, it said, don't overthink. Do what you love. And now I told you I had all these hats, right? I was, I was drinking. I like to drink. No, I was drinking. I like to have a good drink and a good time. Who was the cocktail real quick? Oh, so I'm a tequila girl when I'm not drinking wine. So now I've elevated Reposados or ne hoes only, but back then they called me Miss Petree, and I'm gonna say that it's okay.
[00:07:35] Aamira Garba: Patron was my friend. But no, but all seriousness, I realized that. Wine was just so intriguing to me. The fact that this grape, that's all wine is, is a grape, has an entire industry around it. So I was popping a bag, wine tastings, I was learning. I was reading on my own. And then it clicked to me, you don't have time to do this, but you're doing it.
[00:07:54] Aamira Garba: So maybe this is your purpose. And again, I didn't know any black women wine maker. I didn't know any black wine winemakers at the [00:08:00] time. Now I have a whole network, but I was like, why not me? And literally on the train was like, why not me? And it matched what. Again, that little girl wanted, the grownup was safe.
[00:08:11] Aamira Garba: The little girl always wanted to be a boss. I just didn't, I got scared. The little girl always wanted to be a boss. So it's like if I want my own business, I always wanna be a boss. Make it fun. Do what I love. I'm loving this thing called wine. It's like my happy place. Why not me? And that's how it started.
[00:08:28] Dreena Whitfield: Okay. Um, so you didn't come from a wine family or have a vineyard waiting for you. You just had passion, a vision, you love the wine, you love a little cocktail. Um, what gave you the faith to step into a space where so few black women exist? Mm-hmm.
[00:08:44] Aamira Garba: Again, it was the little girl I had to honor her at some point.
[00:08:47] Aamira Garba: If life did not look like what I dreamed about. And so the only way I was gonna get to that is if I change something. And so what gave me the courage though, too, was like. I didn't make a business plan. [00:09:00] I said, if I don't jump in, I will talk myself out of this. So you started
[00:09:03] Dreena Whitfield: without a business plan started.
[00:09:04] Dreena Whitfield: Without a business plan, same.
[00:09:05] Aamira Garba: Mm-hmm. Started, because I know me, I'll talk myself out of it. I don't have the answers. I can't make one plus one equal two. Nothing makes sense. So not for me. This was not the time. Again, I wasn't happy and at some point I had to say I was going into my thirties. I was just like this, there has to be more for me.
[00:09:20] Aamira Garba: So the courage really came from do I want my daughters to feel like this? In 20 years, 30 years, absolutely not. I want them chasing every dream and being fulfilled in everything they wanna do. I want nothing but success for them, so I have to teach them. So that's literally where the, the driving force came from.
[00:09:38] Aamira Garba: My daughters like them. I, I wanna be such an example for them of. Living your purpose, so. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
[00:09:46] Dreena Whitfield: And
[00:09:46] Aamira Garba: the
[00:09:46] Dreena Whitfield: brand
[00:09:46] Aamira Garba: is named after
[00:09:47] Naming the Brand: A Family Affair
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[00:09:47] Dreena Whitfield: them,
[00:09:47] Aamira Garba: right? It is. Aamira. Wine is named after your daughter, right? It, it's so heavenly and Lyric Lee. Both Themal names are Lee are my babies. And one day I was talking to Heaven, she had to be about five or six when I started.
[00:09:57] Aamira Garba: She just turned 16 and she was like, um. [00:10:00] I was like, well, you wanna help mommy name this brand because I want you to be a part of it. Right? I'm again, have in my mind, I gotta start being an example. And she said, well mommy, it should be sweet goodness of roses. And I was like, okay, that's real cute. I don't know where that, that sounds like a 6-year-old.
[00:10:16] Aamira Garba: But I said, you know what, mommy just wants it to be a Aamira wine, honey. And I immediately saw the spelling. Immediately, and then she immediately wrote me a contract in pencil saying I owe her money. Oh, I love to this day. She's still waiting for her money. She wants to be a lawyer. She wants that check.
[00:10:29] Aamira Garba: Yeah. She actually wants to study law. So yeah, that, that, that contract is somewhere in pencil. I said it's not, I said, it's not valid girl. And I, I fund your life. Like, don't come from me. But yes, that's how the name came about.
[00:10:41] Dreena Whitfield: So let's talk about the early days Uhhuh, like up at 5:00 AM parenting, creating, Ooh, what, what did discipline look like for you in that season?
[00:10:49] Aamira Garba: So. I sometimes I can't even remember. Sometimes I really feel like God must be moving me 'cause I don't know where the energy comes from. But one thing I do tell people, that is my [00:11:00] hard rule. I have to do something for my brand every day, even if it's just cleaning out my inbox. Um, responding to a text or an email filling out that grant I said I was gonna do, I have to do something every day for me to feel like I'm moving forward.
[00:11:14] Aamira Garba: And there are days where it gets hard, right? I just wanna sleep and rest finally, or the kids need this, the job needs this. If I. I don't do something for my brand every day. I don't feel like I'm being successful. And again, there's no, um, weight to what that really looks like. Yeah, it can be something small, but that's the real, that's the only discipline I think I really have that keeps me motivated.
[00:11:37] Aamira Garba: And most of the days it's a lot more than that. But there are days when I get burnt out and it's like, okay, what did you do for Aamira today?
[00:11:43] Dreena Whitfield: Yeah. Yeah. I
[00:11:44] Aamira Garba: love
[00:11:44] Dreena Whitfield: that. Mm-hmm. So you built Aamira.
[00:11:47] Building the Brand: Self-Funding and Growth
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[00:11:47] Dreena Whitfield: Out of your own, like with your own money, right? Yeah. Oh yes. Self-funded. Self-funded. Talk to me a little bit about like just this journey and what has that taught you about faith, uh, managing finances and like how to just keep going in such an expensive industry.
[00:12:03] Dreena Whitfield: Oh, one of the
[00:12:03] Aamira Garba: most, right? Some days I'm still like, girl, you still here? Just don't quit. Just don't quit. It is hard. So being a career preneur, the is. Probably not everyone's choice. Yeah. But that helps me build my dream. I work all day to have money to invest in myself. And because I have kids, I think I'm not as risky as some people who may jump out the water, take all their savings and go full throttle.
[00:12:30] Aamira Garba: I don't knock it. That's just not my life. I have to be strategic. I have two people depending on me as a single mom now. So it, I didn't have that luxury. Mm-hmm. So that's why, again. I've been building this brand for nine years. Some people may have done it in four or three, and I can't compare myself. My journey has been mine.
[00:12:48] Aamira Garba: I've gotten some great successes, and I've been able to avoid some major failures because I'm taking my time and so financially, that was important for me too, to never have to look at my kids and say, you [00:13:00] can't eat. That's super important for me. I can't, that's not something I ever wanna say to them. So it was important to build slowly over time.
[00:13:07] Aamira Garba: And so I use my own finances. Up until recently I did a, um, campaign with Honeycomb Credit, where I allow people to pretty much crowdsource, but they get interest back, which made me feel better. Okay. Because I still do have pride, and maybe it's in full pride where it's like, I don't wanna take, I don't want people to feel like they, you know, um.
[00:13:25] Aamira Garba: Own my brand. 'cause I put so much, it's my baby. That's the hard part when you get outside investors. I know, but I know I have to get to that point. I am not opposed to it. But I ready. I still to do things where I am ready, I'm ready now I'm ready now the plan is getting together, but I had to do it in a way that felt good for me.
[00:13:43] Aamira Garba: Otherwise I would be doing things that were not true and in alignment with how I operate. And I just encourage people to do what works for you. But it is hard. Um, and I know I'm meant for bigger and I'm going to need, um, to [00:14:00] operate like a business who requires bigger. Yeah. So that's part I'm, I'm getting there.
[00:14:03] Aamira Garba: When you wanna compete. Yes, but I don't regret my path because, you know, I do have other people to consider and that's what worked for me and kept me sane. But yeah, they're older now and, um, I'm ready. I believe in this brand. It's with everything in me. So
[00:14:19] Dreena Whitfield: I feel you. Like, I feel like as entrepreneurs, every part of your journey matters.
[00:14:24] Dreena Whitfield: Um, so like you said, some people get there faster than others, but I think the ones where the journey is a little bit slower, it takes more time. Uh, the rewards are sweeter, right? I
[00:14:35] Aamira Garba: think so too. Yeah. And that's what I, I, I hope, um, I've had so many rewards. Yeah. I may not say that I've had so many, and again, I've never had to have that conversation with my kids that hopefully I never do.
[00:14:46] Aamira Garba: I hope that, but. When I do sit and reflect, I'm so proud of myself because I am doing it simultaneously as I'm doing other things and allowing my kids to have a full life. And, you know, I'm also an accomplished [00:15:00] marketer, right? I do. I'm a Gemini. I, my therapist told me, my daughter's
[00:15:03] Dreena Whitfield: a Gemini, June 3rd girl.
[00:15:05] Dreena Whitfield: Oh, she's June 6th.
[00:15:07] Aamira Garba: Oh, we going to talk, talk, my my, because I need to get ready for this because I already, like, I'll teach you how to do it with her. I'll teach you. But my therapist said to me, she said, you like wearing many hats. She, she says, she sees me doing this all the time, and that's it. I, I'm a busy bee.
[00:15:21] Aamira Garba: I like doing multiple things, but I think this path is my path and I love my story. I really do. Even in those days, I'm like, I could've been here. I should've do this, I should've do this. I have to love my story 'cause I really do believe it's mine and it's gonna be even more wonderful one day, maybe 10 years from now.
[00:15:42] Aamira Garba: Sometimes I wish I could just jump there and see if it all comes true, but I'm just gonna have the faith that it does. That it does.
[00:15:49] Claiming Space in the Wine Industry
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[00:15:49] Dreena Whitfield: You, uh, built. A brand in an industry that's not necessarily welcoming for black women, but also for black women to [00:16:00] win. Uh, when did you realize you weren't just creating wine, you were claiming space?
[00:16:05] Dreena Whitfield: Ooh,
[00:16:06] Aamira Garba: I feel like I feel that way every day. It not an event goes by or a wine tasting where someone is still not astounded by the fact that I am black. And owned this brand.
[00:16:16] Dreena Whitfield: Oh, what have you heard? What, what is the responses? It's, it's
[00:16:19] Aamira Garba: just, is this yours, really? Mm-hmm. You own this, you're the winemaker.
[00:16:23] Aamira Garba: And I get it. I totally get it. But it's crazy how that's still so far fetched. Um, there're microaggressions, of course that happens sometimes with people who look like me sometimes, who don't, who people will assume. I make only sweet wine. That I am not an accomplished wine maker. That I am not. Trained and educated and certified, and that they're really shocked when I actually know things about Juan.
[00:16:50] Aamira Garba: I don't claim to know everything, but I think those are the times when I'm like, okay, I'm supposed to be here because I'm here to shake it up because this can't continue to be the conversation. Yeah, [00:17:00] forever. Um, I don't think it's been discouraging though. I don't think it's ever discouraged me. It's only made me wanna keep growing more.
[00:17:10] Aamira Garba: 'cause I like when people are like black old woman on you. Right? Because I still know the numbers are growing, but they're still, what 1% of our wineries is the statistic are owned by black and brown. I think. Black people own 1%. That's, that's, that's crazy. Drop in the bucket. Yeah. And so I'm always proud that people see themselves in me.
[00:17:31] Aamira Garba: They see opportunities that they never thought possible. It's as cliche as it sound. I am always just like, grateful, really, really grateful that people feel proud of me. Honestly. I always get that people are always so proud and like, keep going and they support and I, I don't take that for granted at all.
[00:17:52] Celebrating Success and Overcoming Stereotypes
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[00:17:52] Dreena Whitfield: Um, the first pinot noir of yours landed on the, I wanna get the right name on Vine pair's top 25 list in the world. [00:18:00] That's the first wine you ever made, right?
[00:18:02] Aamira Garba: No, that was the first still pinot that I ever made. Still pinot? Yes. What does that means? So that means, but what does that mean? Yes. So when someone says a still wine, it just means it's not.
[00:18:09] Aamira Garba: Sparkling. It's not bubbles. Ah. So before that, I had made a champagne style, um, rose using Pinot Noir. Ah, so this is my first time because I started with blends, and that was strategic for me because I'm already like, okay, I'm black. I don't own a vineyard. They're gonna think I don't know anything, so let me do blends, which means.
[00:18:27] Aamira Garba: It's custom. Yeah, right. Like no one else has this blend. I was very intentional about that because I wanted to be taken seriously as a winemaker. Right. I didn't wanna come in just slapping labels on, and so when I made the pinot. I was like nervous. I was like, how is it gonna stand out amongst other pinot people are gonna think I didn't make it.
[00:18:45] Aamira Garba: And so I've always blended my pinots a little bit. They all have a little bit of petite rah in them to give them some. Mm. I like a little umph.
[00:18:52] Dreena Whitfield: I love to hang out with you a little bit more. I'm, anytime I need all the, the information I, I need, I need to be talking little. I love [00:19:00]
[00:19:00] Aamira Garba: you. Get all of that because I got you.
[00:19:01] Aamira Garba: I, I love equipping people with the knowledge so they can talk their ish in Rose. Yes, I want that when I'm not there. Making me look good because I'm just
[00:19:07] Dreena Whitfield: like, gimme some, gimme a red blend, or gimme a little rose. I got you.
[00:19:11] Aamira Garba: Is it a Bordeaux blend? Right? Is it a burgundy? Right? Is it, you know, um. What's your favorite varietal?
[00:19:18] Aamira Garba: Is it a cab or is it my
[00:19:20] Dreena Whitfield: favorite? What?
[00:19:21] Aamira Garba: Varietal is the grape, so, so Cabernet, Marlo, Chardonnay. What's your favorite varietal? That's what we're, that's what people are at. What's your
[00:19:27] Dreena Whitfield: favorite? Varietal? Mine. Varietal? Yeah.
[00:19:29] Aamira Garba: Varietal. Yep. Mine is Pinot Noir. That's my baby. Love it. Love it. Love, love. So that moment was actually pretty big for me.
[00:19:35] Aamira Garba: The moment you were talking about on Vine pair, because that's the first time I landed on a list in the industry, right? Not like before that I had started, I started getting recognition through Black Businesses Matter. So people always posting, try these black owned brands, blah, blah, blah. That was always big for me, like people see.
[00:19:51] Aamira Garba: That started in 2020. But to have Vine Pierce say they've tasted a bajillion pinots and I'm the only black woman on that list, that's crazy. [00:20:00] You can't tell me nothing. Right? You can't tell me nothing. How did you celebrate that moment? Oh my gosh. Knowing me, my friends took me out for more wine. It probably tequila.
[00:20:10] Aamira Garba: We celebrate everything. Everything is we going out. We gonna eat, we gonna drink. Yes, most likely. That's. That's how I do it. My, I have a good group of friends who love to celebrate me even when I forget to celebrate. 'cause I, I, to know me as to know I celebrate everyone. Like everything's reason to celebrate.
[00:20:26] Aamira Garba: But then I'll feel like, oh, well you don't have to celebrate me and my friends are like, absolutely not. So
[00:20:31] Dreena Whitfield: let's talk about the quiet in between moments, right? What's something, uh, behind the scenes that has shaped you just as much as the public ones? Ooh. What do you mean? Like so what's something that's happened like that, like folks won't know about you?
[00:20:48] Challenges in the Wine Industry
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[00:20:48] Dreena Whitfield: Like what's happened during the building phase that has like contributed to like who you are today, where the brand is right now? I think
[00:20:58] Aamira Garba: it's always gonna [00:21:00] be the cheerleaders, to be honest with you. I have wanted to quit more times than I can count and like legit, especially being. Trying to enter a three tier right now is a lot harder than I thought it would be.
[00:21:12] Aamira Garba: I have had some rude awakenings that this part is hard and that's why a lot of people are not still here. Like what though?
[00:21:19] Navigating the Three-Tier System
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[00:21:19] Aamira Garba: So trying to get your, your. Wine or spirit into a restaurant or a store, you have to go through the three tier system. So I can't just say, ULA put me, well, I can, 'cause I, I specifically bought a New Jersey license, which wasn't easy either, but let's just say I wasn't in New Jersey, or I would have to go through a distributor first that.
[00:21:40] Aamira Garba: Was put in place during prohibition to kind of reduce the monopoly and the strong arming. And to me, all it does now is enhance it because if you don't go through a distributor, you can't have your stuff in stores on restaurants, and people don't really wanna talk to you, even though I'm like, Hey, I can sell directly to you in my state.
[00:21:56] Aamira Garba: It is still training. People are trained to only talk to [00:22:00] distributors, and distributors have the power to say yay or nay, or you know, and then they eat at your bottom line. You get a lot smaller cut. But wine is one of those things that people still wanna go into the store or restaurant, pick up the bottle, order a glass online.
[00:22:14] Aamira Garba: Shipping of wine and spirits is expensive. In this Amazon Prime world, nobody wants to pay $25 to ship a $25 wine. I get it. It doesn't go to me. But that's why it's super important. People are always like, you know, you have better margins. You go direct. This is still an industry. People want to be out. They wanna pick it up.
[00:22:32] Aamira Garba: They wanna run into total wine or this store and just look at it and purchase it. But I thought, my naive self-thought, good wine cells itself, I have awards, I do this. Me and a bajillion other people on the shelves, and you have to compete in their face. You have to be a salesperson.
[00:22:48] Building Relationships and Sales Skills
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[00:22:48] Aamira Garba: I tell everyone I'm a marketer, but I'm not sales.
[00:22:51] Aamira Garba: And I, I just learned that I really didn't realize how different it was. I can tell the story, I can do the branding all day, but someone being, so how does that translate into an [00:23:00] actual sales? So you have to actually be in their faith. They're not gonna always respond to email. Yeah. I'm emailing and my friend was like.
[00:23:05] Aamira Garba: Did you walk into the store? I'm like, I gotta walk into every store. Like it's different than other industries. Yeah. It's all about relationship building, which I do pride myself on, but you have to have a relationship with every single person. So I'm actually looking to hire someone now who specializes in that.
[00:23:20] Aamira Garba: When someone may say no, but you gotta keep pushing. That's not my thing. You tell me no once. Yeah, but I know that's my. My, um, shortcoming, right? But I still doesn't mean I don't believe in this brand. That's just a skill I never developed. So I am learning that I have to, can't keep doing it all. I've been a one woman show for a long time, and then I've hired consultants and things to help, but Are you still a one woman show right now?
[00:23:41] Aamira Garba: Now?
[00:23:42] Dreena Whitfield: Oh wow. The only
[00:23:43] Aamira Garba: person that's steady on my payroll is my accountant. 'cause I'm scared and I don't wanna, I don't play When it comes to accounting and compliance, right? Yeah. Like you just hear the horror story. Yeah. So that's the only person. But yeah, and I hired consultants from time to time and I know I can't grow like that either.
[00:23:56] Aamira Garba: But this experience of trying to get into [00:24:00] stores and retail and restaurants taught me, oh, you really do have to build a team. You gotta stop. And that's the only way to grow. So scaling is my goal and that's the way I. I can do it. So know anybody
[00:24:13] Dreena Whitfield: holler at
[00:24:13] Aamira Garba: me. I got a few people I could share with. Yeah.
[00:24:16] Finding the Right Vineyard Partner
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[00:24:16] Dreena Whitfield: Um, I do have a question though about identifying the right, like partner to produce the wine at the very early stages. Like how did you even find the vineyard? Like did you go to the west coast like a lot? Like how did you decide like, this is gonna be my partner to help me produce this wine?
[00:24:34] Aamira Garba: Got you. So the first thing I said was I wanna produce California wine.
[00:24:38] Aamira Garba: Again, being strategic, I'm already black, I'm already a woman. If I put New Jersey on a label, no offense to New Jersey. We have some great wines, but people are already gonna assume it's not the best, right? Too many things against me. So I said I have to go to California. Um, and so literally Googled like where I could produce my own without owning a vineyard.
[00:24:59] Aamira Garba: Mm-hmm. And so [00:25:00] that's where I learned about Crush pads. So a crush pad is essentially a lot of people who produce grapes and they don't wanna be brand owners 'cause it's hard. And there are brand owners who, I never wanna work a harvest really, maybe one time. Just for the experience, but I'm not in the field.
[00:25:14] Aamira Garba: So there are so many avenues that you can be in in this industry and everyone knows their lanes and some people thrive in different things. So I found the crush path where their job is, they maintain the relationships with the vineyards throughout California. Right. They know that, um, Aamira, my first, um, my Ciroc, I think came from a, a venue called White Hawk.
[00:25:33] Aamira Garba: So they have these relationships. They're like, well, this is what we have for you and you can blend from this Syrah, Zinfandel, Merlot cab. And so that's why I said, well, can you teach me? And so I worked with a company called the Wine Foundry. They gave me my start to this day, they're such friends. And I went out there and really learned and sat, had glasses lined on the table, blended, learned the process, everything.
[00:25:57] Aamira Garba: And so what they do is then they have the [00:26:00] license too to sell online. So I was able to buy into like the club. Mm-hmm. Produce my wine. Still mine 'cause it's my blend, but use their license to really start and then they help you bottle and label. Yeah. So then that's a whole nother leg. So this particular company Thrive, they.
[00:26:18] Aamira Garba: Are really good because they have all those arms, some people don't.
[00:26:22] The Wine Making Process
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[00:26:22] Aamira Garba: So where I move my operations now, because Napa is truly expensive. I'm in San Andrea's working out of a winery where I have an, what you call an ap, an alternating proprietorship. So it's like I rent the winery and I work with a co wine maker who helps me source, and then he has an actual bottling.
[00:26:39] Aamira Garba: On site. A lot of people don't have that. That was important for me because you gotta, it gets real technical. You gotta get it on a schedule to get bottling done and all of that stuff. And so shout out to Gary, he's my cowin maker and he helps me make some fantastic, fantastic wines. But then you have to get corks.
[00:26:57] Aamira Garba: That's one company, the gold [00:27:00] foil.
[00:27:00] Dreena Whitfield: So every piece, oh, every piece that we see on a final WI wine bottle like pork. The foil
[00:27:05] Aamira Garba: top, the label, the glass, the juice, all different parts of the process. All expensive, huh? Sometimes I'm like, what? What was I thinking? I don't come from money, girl. I'm about to say, but I love it so much.
[00:27:20] Aamira Garba: So it you find. That's how I know God. He wants me here for now until he tells me to walk away. Everything says stay right now because I don't have the money most days,
[00:27:30] Dreena Whitfield: but it all works out.
[00:27:31] Staying Grounded and Inspired
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[00:27:31] Dreena Whitfield: So what keeps you grounded on those days to like, keep going? Whew.
[00:27:35] Aamira Garba: Prayer. I, I, I kid you not, I've had to really talk to God, like I wanna quit and that I, oh
[00:27:41] Dreena Whitfield: my God.
[00:27:42] Dreena Whitfield: Like,
[00:27:42] Aamira Garba: I promise you someone will come or call or an opportunity or I'll see an order. Yeah. For like six cases. And I'm like, I was just about to quit God. Like seriously. And he always shows me something that says, not yet. Or maybe never. Hopefully never. But not now. Not now, not now. Because it [00:28:00] are, there are days I'm like, it'll just be easy to go to work and collect a check.
[00:28:03] Aamira Garba: But I love this. I love the support. I get people all the time, like again. Who are just proud of me and I'm like, for doing something I love. Okay. Okay. It's for drinking wine. You are right. I'm gonna keep going because I'm inspiring somebody, be proud of me. But I've been called inspirational and I'm like, I don't take that for granted because I'm literally just doing something for me.
[00:28:24] Aamira Garba: That's how it started. Now, I love that I can inspire other people and encourage other people and help people with their brands as well. Like I pride myself on that. But I really just started by choosing me. I had to choose me that day on the train or else I was gonna be miserable. And I'm not a miserable girlie.
[00:28:40] Aamira Garba: That's not my style. Oh, joy Rainbows over here. I'm gonna call you when I need a little pickup. Yes, anytime. Any I'm good for that. I'm good for that. You gotta know who you can call to. 'cause I have to do that. Yeah. Our best friend, she knows when she don't hear, she can feel it. Yep. And she'll call me. You need to call your life like that.
[00:28:58] Aamira Garba: She then that tear be right there. She's like, girl, you [00:29:00] need to hear this. Did you? I'm like. Did I did because you can give so much and I'm an extrovert classic. Like any type of definition you look up. So we tend to deplete more because we absorb energy around us and we give it out so much, and sometimes I don't always do a good job of keeping it for myself.
[00:29:17] Aamira Garba: So I'm getting better at that.
[00:29:19] Dreena Whitfield: You are raising capital, you're preparing to scale. Yes. Um, expanding your team. Yes. But before everything starts to bubble up, it's scary. I know. Scary. What's one part of the process that you wanna protect? Like something you never wanna lose as like the grounding point for the business.
[00:29:37] Dreena Whitfield: The wine making.
[00:29:39] Aamira Garba: Okay. The wine making. I always want you to. Know that I thought about you in this bottle. Right? So it's not to say I haven't white labeled. Like if I get a juice that I really, really love and I'm like, it doesn't need any more blending, that's fine. But for the most part, I sit, I blend. This, I wanna be taken seriously as a wine [00:30:00] maker.
[00:30:00] Aamira Garba: 'cause to me, this is not for anybody else. If I don't come from a family that owns vineyards and can produce mass, if I don't come from the wine background, what makes my wine special? That's how I think about it. Me, I make it special. I think about the blends of what I want people to drink. So people are always like, do you make this?
[00:30:20] Aamira Garba: You make this? And I'm like, not yet. If I'm not passionate about it. I won't make it because then I can't continuously tell the story happily. Mm-hmm. About this rose that I love, this shard, this pinot, this blend that are like, I want you to love them. That's what keeps me going is selling you and people who are like, I hate shard, and they're like, I just did a tasting literally on Saturday.
[00:30:42] Aamira Garba: Two people were like, I'm never like Chardonnay, I love yours. That's what keeps me going. That's what keeps me going because I, I sit and I evaluate and I really get into the weed of like, that's the juice. No, that's not the juice. Or that's blend that, oh, that's not blend. That, that's fine as it is, but I don't want that part.
[00:30:58] Aamira Garba: To change. I really, [00:31:00] I hope not.
[00:31:00] Dreena Whitfield: It's the essence.
[00:31:01] Aamira Garba: The essence of the business.
[00:31:04] Dreena Whitfield: And when your daughters are grown uhhuh and people are pouring glasses of Aamira wine, what do you want them to say about you? Not the founder, but just the woman who built it. Like what do you want people to say about you?
[00:31:17] Aamira Garba: So one of my inspirations in this.
[00:31:23] Aamira Garba: I'm gonna say industry, we know she's not in wine, but I have grown to like respect her as Fawn Weaver, right? Despite whatever is going on right now, I, I think I started before her, but I've seen her build this brand and people. Respect her. People listen to her and she's passionate. She could talk about Uncle NE's whiskey till the cows come home, and I feel like I embody that too, and I bring her up just because of the way that I can speak about her.
[00:31:54] Aamira Garba: I hope people. Can speak about me in the sense that I'm still connected to the [00:32:00] brand. Mm-hmm. I don't wanna lose being the face of the brand. Not for anything vanity, but it's my, it's like my baby. And the story is also the essence of it, right? It continues to resonate with so many women of choosing themselves, not living a checkbox life, living on purpose.
[00:32:15] Aamira Garba: Right. And I don't wanna lose that. So I hope that people, when they drink this, they think of me, they think of my story, they respect it, they relate to it, and it inspires them. That's what I really hope. I really hope that for sure. Like I really, oh, you just gave me a vision of like people drinking my wine like 10 years from now.
[00:32:34] Aamira Garba: Listen, claim it. You gotta, I love it. You gotta like visualize it. I know it's gonna happen, but I don't think, I don't sit in that enough. 'cause I'm in a day, I'm trying to focus on being present, but thank you for giving me that. Like I get to sit in that vision too of like 10 years, 20 years they're drinking it.
[00:32:48] Aamira Garba: 'cause that's where I wanna get to. I don't think I sit with it enough. Mm-hmm. And I wanna get better at that because that's the first time I've ever said what I want people to say. And that felt good. Aw, that felt really good. Thank you for asking [00:33:00] me that. I write that down.
[00:33:03] Recognition and Self-Acceptance
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[00:33:03] Dreena Whitfield: Um, so how did it feel being recognized by NJ Bz as a leading women in business?
[00:33:08] Aamira Garba: So the funniest story is you get nominated, right? And that's something I probably wouldn't have even nominated myself for, thinking I'm not big enough yet, or not yet, and I have to look like this. It has to be perfect. Before I can even qualify, and a friend nominated me and yes. And was like, when they said I got it, I was like, I really am doing it.
[00:33:33] Aamira Garba: Like no matter how long I've been doing this, no matter how many recognitions or awards, every time I'm like, I'm still here. And. It doesn't look like everyone else's journey, but it's my, it was just confirmation again, to keep moving, probably on a date. I was like, yeah, ha, I can't get a call back from this store, this store.
[00:33:53] Aamira Garba: And I'm like, but I'm also a leading woman in business. Hey, and you can't tell me nothing because I do. And I have to [00:34:00] remind myself I graduated a degree in business. I'm a executive accomplice. Like it's not bragging. But I don't want other people to keep telling my story 'cause I won't say those things.
[00:34:10] Aamira Garba: Yeah. I won't nominate. I won't because I'm like, that's not, I have to stay humble. But no, I don't like I'm doing it, girl. Yes. No I don't. And I get to be proud of it. And I can't always depend on other people to tell it or to be proud of me. I have to really start being proud of myself. And sometimes I take that for granted 'cause I just like, I'm just working.
[00:34:33] Aamira Garba: I'm just doing it. I'm doing it for my kids and I wanna be happy. But I'm also accomplishing some major things. So that was confirmation and then hearing my story again and like that was nice. Right? It was nice. Like how they did that. Yeah. I was like, that is me. I do do that. Yes. But I don't sit in it again.
[00:34:51] Aamira Garba: I'm gonna keep saying thank you for, this is an interview. I've done podcasts. Your questions are really good 'cause they're really making me sit and think about this [00:35:00] journey like in a different way than my subpoena is over there. Shimmy she girl.
[00:35:09] Aamira Garba: Nothing has made me sit with it as much as you have today and really give myself credit. A pat on the back. A girl. You're doing it. So thank you.
[00:35:17] Dreena Whitfield: Aw. Well thank you for joining us. Yes, absolutely. This was fun.
[00:35:20] Quickfire Questions and Final Thoughts
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[00:35:20] Dreena Whitfield: We're gonna do some quickfire questions. Ooh, I like those. Can I sip
[00:35:24] Aamira Garba: now? Go ahead. So I sound be good for you?
[00:35:25] Dreena Whitfield: No, girl. Good. Um, okay. Real quick, I want you to just tell me the first thing that comes to mind. Ooh. Okay. It's one of those. No pressure, like, Don, don't sit in it. Just, alright. Gimme your answer. Red, white, or sparkling. What are you pouring for yourself? Red first tip that made you fall in love with wine?
[00:35:44] Aamira Garba: Probably white zandel in college with ramen noodles. Oh, yep. With the notebook. And I still pair roses with, with ramen. Okay. That's my thing.
[00:35:53] Dreena Whitfield: What's a scent, sound or song that always brings you home?
[00:35:57] Aamira Garba: Ooh, brings me home. [00:36:00] My kids laughter. Oh, my kids laugh. I, I thrive off their laughter and if they're not laughing enough, I get sad.
[00:36:06] Aamira Garba: I love their laughs. Yeah. How old are they? 13 and 16. 13 and 16. I just threw an epic Sweet 16. Ah, so that's why, you know, I gotta get the money back to pour back into my baby. But she deserved it. Aw. It was so much fun. Yeah, that I thought about that. 'cause they're away with my parents right now for a week.
[00:36:23] Aamira Garba: Um, they take them somewhere every summer. And we were on the phone and they laughed so hard and I was like, oh, you messed up. I just, I do, I do. It's only a week. I love their laughter. I feel you. That's a good one. Yes.
[00:36:37] Dreena Whitfield: Off camera, you were teaching me how to tell if a wine suite or not. Like give me, give me and our listeners in viewers a few tips on how we can like differentiate between our wines.
[00:36:49] Dreena Whitfield: Yes. Just so we can all feel informed.
[00:36:52] Aamira Garba: Absolutely. So. When you pick up a bottle and you look at the alcohol content, 'cause that's what I do first. 'cause don't give me the joke is don't bring nothing to my [00:37:00] house below 12%. You will have to take it back. Okay. 12%? Yes. Okay. Because anything below 12 is automatically a sweet wine.
[00:37:07] Aamira Garba: So like, uh, mes like meca, moscatos are typically what, eight to 10% alcohol I think on their bottles. Um, once you hit 12, you've probably fermented the wine enough to be dry, so you fermented out all the sugar and that's all wine is taking the grapes that have sugar in them and converting that to alcohol.
[00:37:25] Aamira Garba: And so the more sugar in a grape. The more you can convert it into alcohol. So your big bold reds. I love a 14 five. Okay. I love a 13 nine. My chardonnay, despite being so smooth, is actually above 14. So that's why I think people really like it. Oh, because it gets them right. It gets you right. All you need is a glass of mine, but no knock to the sweet wines.
[00:37:50] Aamira Garba: What I really like to teach people is. Find what you like and love it and be confident about it, but just try. Mm-hmm. Because so many people think they only like sweet wines because they haven't had good dry wine. Yeah. And it's like, but did you [00:38:00] try? Yeah. But did you try? Aamira. So we gonna get you right?
[00:38:03] Aamira Garba: Mm. Because you're gonna try my red blend. Okay. And then I wanna know what you think. I will tell you she's special. Okay. She's special. That is my girl. What does she blend it with? So she is primarily petite Syrah blended with Pinot Noir. So she's kind of the inverse of my Pinot. My Pinot is primarily Pinot.
[00:38:18] Aamira Garba: I like to say she's the fun. Niece, right? She, she's high spirited. She's sweet, right? But then you blend her with some petite sage. She become an auntie. She go, she becomes grown. Okay. And it's a, it gives you a little ke, there's some earth in there, some spice. So that's why I like blending peanut. Oh my, you really know your stuff.
[00:38:35] Aamira Garba: Like talking about some earth, like what is, what is you, I really studied this. I really have a, you say I'm think about dirt. So like what people think that, so it's like a, oh, how do you describe it to me? It's like a. Like what the ground would taste like, but in a good way. I can't, I know that sound crazy.
[00:38:51] Aamira Garba: Yeah, that's not good. Uh, earth is like, um. Uh, earthy, like grounded. It has a little body
[00:38:57] Dreena Whitfield: to it.
[00:38:58] Aamira Garba: It's body, but it's also a [00:39:00] grit to it, not texture wise. Okay. But like an oomph. I really wish I could explain it. I could walk you through wines and show you where it shows up so you could know. But, 'cause think about it, we gonna do a tasting?
[00:39:10] Aamira Garba: Yes, we are. We should. And I, I would give you everything you need to know. Okay. But think about like a Pinot Noir is a light fruity Greek. Okay. Even though it's not sweet, so fruity is not the same as sweet. Okay, sweet is how you make the wine. Yeah. At some wine, she's very fruity. Strawberry, raspberry, when you get earth, some of that, um, gets muted and you get like a, um.
[00:39:31] Aamira Garba: I dunno what oomph, I'm gonna keep saying that. I dunno. But yes, I like earthy wines. Okay. I like funky wines. Like one, there is a, um, descriptor called barnyard. Wait, what? Yeah, I like those too. Like barn like. Yeah. They're really good when you enjoy that funky, funky. A funky wine is different. What is a funky wine?
[00:39:53] Aamira Garba: Is it like stinky? Yeah, but it's so good. Oh, okay. We'll do a [00:40:00] today, and I, I, I don't have yet wine. I don't have a funky wine. Think about, you know what I always get funk from, I don't know if this is true, but get like, okay, like a Cabernet Franc. To me it's always a little funky. So if you ever go somewhere and a cabernet.
[00:40:14] Aamira Garba: Oh my God. We had Cabernet. Fun is a great, just need. Yes.
[00:40:17] Dreena Whitfield: I just need all of this. Yes. Like I need to be able to say, yeah, I don't want the Cabernet funk. I got you. I don't want funky, I don't want Barnard. You, you do
[00:40:23] Aamira Garba: till you try it. You gonna fall in love. Oh no. Okay. Don't knock it until you try. See, that's, that's what I try to teach people.
[00:40:29] Aamira Garba: You'll be surprised. Just try it all.
[00:40:31] Dreena Whitfield: Okay, I'll try it. Mm-hmm. But I'm not gonna say like, gimme the funky wine. That's not what I'm gonna say. You'll
[00:40:35] Aamira Garba: be surprised. I like a funky wine. Okay.
[00:40:37] Dreena Whitfield: I
[00:40:37] Aamira Garba: believe you.
[00:40:38] Dreena Whitfield: Um, before we head out, I want you to tell me and our listeners where everyone can follow you, support you, where they can pick up a bottle
[00:40:45] Aamira Garba: so you can find me and my wines@Aamirawine.com.
[00:40:50] Aamira Garba: That's LOVE. LE e.com. You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok at Aamira Wine. I also really want people to join [00:41:00] my wine club. Oh, you can find out information on that on the website as well. Wine clubs are great because you get your shipments automatically and I have a lot of cool perks and discounts.
[00:41:09] Aamira Garba: So please, please join my wine club and also join my email list. I do not spam, but I have some really cool deals coming up. So again, everything is@Aamirawine.com. You can find me my story information. Feel free to always DM me. I love giving out wine facts. So at Aamira wine Aamira wine.com and sign up for the wine club.
[00:41:29] Aamira Garba: Aamira, thank you so much. Thank you. I appreciate your, I'm so honored. I'm so honored. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Of course. Cheers. Cheer I
[00:41:48] Aamira Garba: shine bright.