Andre Mack wants to bring hip hop culture to winemaking
Hip-hop and wine are the perfect pairing for Andre Hueston Mack.
Mack is one of only a few black sommeliers and winemakers, and he’s seeking to revolutionize the wine industry with his background in music, skate culture and modern design.
“I’m a kid who grew up listening to hip hop, punk rock and skateboarded and fell in love with wine,” he told USA TODAY.
Mack, 46, grew up during the height of grunge and hip-hop in the 1980s and early 1990s. He quit what he said his mom called, “a real career” in finance to kick off a career in the restaurant industry.
He was passionate about connecting with people and sharing the experience of food and wine, which led him to the famous French Laundry in the Napa Valley wine region of California.
He founded Mouton Noir, now Maison Noir, in 2007, starting it from scratch with no money and no investors.
