“Wine, for me, is a way to travel the world.”

Sommelier Tahiirah Habibi created The Hue Society to bring more inclusivity to people of color in the white-dominated wine industry.

“When you travel, you start realizing how big the world is.”

As much as the experience of being a sommelier is about tasting, studying and learning, Habibi says some of the most important skills aren’t often taught. “Culture and language are really important,” she says, when it comes to building partnerships, teaching and even learning about wine. So, travel can fill in those gaps.

“It’s my natural state to be inclusive,” Habibi says, so when she discovered a disconnect in that people of color didn’t necessarily see themselves in the wine world. “Nobody was talking to us in our language. I want everybody to feel seen and loved and heard.” That’s why she created The Hue Society.

She recently traveled – her young daughter in tow – to Cape Town, South Africa to open up the first international chapter of The Hue Society. In a country where less than 3% of winemakers are Black, even though they make up the lion’s share of the country’s population, her work as an advocate is even more necessary.

Whether traveling with her daughter, to vineyards, business meetings, or community gatherings, travel has become a huge part of Habibi’s identity.

“A toast to authenticity, to community, and to being in love, with ourselves.”

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Talent: Tahiirah Habibi @sippingsocialite

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Produced by the Marriott Content Studio.

Filmed on location at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami.

JW Marriott Marquis Miami is a member of JW Marriott and is part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of over 30 hotel brands and 10,000 global destinations.

Travel to more inspiring destinations: https://traveler.marriott.com/

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MARRIOTT CONTENT STUDIO
VP of Content Marketing: Annie Granatstein
Head of Marriott Content Studio: Kate Pfetsch
Executive Producer: Alan Massey
Story Producer: Amy Rio
Social Producer: Rachael Sulik

PRODUCTION COMPANY: CULTURE HOUSE
Executive Producer: Nicole Galovski
Producer: Zada Clarke, Travis Callahan, Natalie Eakin, Janice James
Director: Ekwa Msangi, Bernardo Ruiz
Director of Photography: Angel Barroeta, Victor Tadashi
Post Producer: Natalie Eakin
Editor: David Feinberg, Chris Theibert, Tim Schwab
Talent: Tahiirah Habibi

SPECIAL THANKS TO:
JW Marriott Marquis Miami
The Hue Society
Vérité Winery
The people of Miami, Florida & Sonoma, California