SIP Wine and Beer’s tasting room supports minority-owned brands

It's been about six years since Cassandra Schaeg opened SIP Wine and Beer in Escondido as a place for people to get together, connect and enjoy conversation over some adult beverages.

Her tasting room champions wines and beer made by women and people of color, from New York to Oregon, and some locally sourced.

The 42-year-old entrepreneur said one of the initial reasons she moved forward on the venture was because she didn't see “a whole lot of people who look like me” – a Black woman - in the wine and beer tasting business.

She trailed the early grapevine-focused path mostly alone with just a few allies and supporters.

“The wine and beer industry is largely a white, male industry that shuts out people of color,” Schaeg said. “It's also expensive to get into, leading to a lack of diversity.”

But she said the wine and beer worlds are beginning to open up, and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous [and] People of Color) brands are growing tremendously.

“People are being very intentional about where they're putting their money these days,” Schaeg said.

Even through the COVID-19 pandemic -- when Schaeg admits she was “terrified” as the venue was closed and opened again – Schaeg and SIP Wine and Beer's three employees have continued to serve a loyal clientele on Fridays and Saturdays. The venue continues to bring in new customers looking to enjoy camaraderie while supporting minority brands and enjoying freshly made charcuterie boards.

Hosting ‘Fresh Glass' Docuseries

Now Schaeg is adding a new activity to her busy career. She has just begun partnering with local public television station KPBS to host a six-episode docuseries called “Fresh Glass.”

“Owning a business is definitely difficult, and being a woman and Black is a barrier,” Schaeg said. “So as a whole to evolve from a concept to a storefront to now a television show is crazy! It's like ‘Huh!'”

The “Fresh Glass” reach is expected to far surpass even the busiest weekends at SIP Wine and Beer.

Schaeg and Theresa Hollies, a multimedia writer and producer, co-created Fresh Glass Productions LLC, with the plan to highlight wineries, breweries and restaurants that are owned by women and persons of color. She said interested organizations and companies who want to support Fresh Glass can visit the website www.freshglassproductions.com

Connecting with Winemakers and Brewmasters

“These shows will be about adventures that I take connecting with winemakers and brewmasters and will eventually have a national reach of 50 million viewers,” Schaeg said. “It all aligns with helping other entrepreneurs, highlighting women and BIPOC innovators. If you have a passion for wine, beer, food and adventure, here it is.”

She said her goal as a business owner – and for the docuseries – is to “lift the fog” and show that there “are people like me out there, that we are not anomalies.”

East Coast born, but raised in San Diego and Temecula, Schaeg said her career background is steeped in the social service realm. She also worked in corporate America, where she said she learned to speak her mind.

Through her travels over the years, Schaeg realized that in the wine-tasting world, “I didn't see a lot of people like me – and that sparked an interest.”

She moved to Escondido in 2014, formed SIP in 2015 and opened the venue's doors in 2016. She calls Escondido “a charming city,” but that it was in need of change and new businesses with new business owners.

“I wanted to do something different and change the general perception of the wine and beer business,” she said. “I wanted someone who does look like me exploring wine, topics, grabbing bottles of wine and hanging out.”

Schaeg graduated with a bachelor's degree in social science from Cal State Chico and has a master's degree in public administration from National University.

She said being a voice for others has been a recurring theme in her life and that women and persons of color are important as models for future entrepreneurs.

“I have said, 'If you don't see yourself in this space, be the person in the space.' We need to see women as inspirations.”„