Meet Shae Frichette, Co-owner and Winemaker at Frichette Winery

As we wrap up WAUGUST and National Black Business Month, it is our honor to introduce you to Shae Frichette, co-owner and winemaker at Frichette Winery. Alliance DEI Board Member, Suman Kumar, recently sat down with Shae to discuss taking chances, “WOW” experiences, and being a catalyst for change within the Washington Wine Industry.

1. You are the Co-Owner/ Winemaker at Frichette. Can you share what inspired you to create Frichette, and what you hope you will achieve with it?

“I'm Co-Owner/Co-winemaker at Frichette. My husband and I flipped a coin to determine where we'd relocate and since the coin landed on heads for Washington State, we also decided to venture into a whole new career of agriculture and wine. We have yet to look back. Making and sharing wine gives us goosebumps almost daily. We want to experience joy while also creating positive change in our environment and the next generation of winemakers and wine drinkers.”

2. Before the age of the internet, access to wine and wine knowledge for the average American was limited. It was even more limited for Black communities, who were generally not prioritized and often overlooked. How do you make wine education and access to wine a value in your business?

“We are a welcoming and inclusive environment for all. For the Black community and any minority community, we want to acknowledge that the industry may not have looked or have been inclusive before, but we are here to change that. To start, we greet all guests within seconds. We hold our team to this standard. And we ask questions so we understand where the guest is and we meet any wine enthusiasts where they are.” 

3. What do you hope to accomplish when you have a patron interact with your business?  A feeling, A sense of place, belonging? 

“We want every patron to feel a sense of belonging and we always want to WOW them by creating a surprisingly beautiful experience that perhaps they didn't expect.”

4. What led you to wine, and is there a particular experience, wine, or event piqued your interest? 

“I had friends that loved Pinot Grigio and we'd sit on the patio of a Greek restaurant outside of LA and connect. I loved the feeling of joy, the sun on my face, and the laughter over this beautiful chilled wine. That was one of the moments I realized how wine can bring friends together. The wine was delicious too. I became more interested in wine after that.”

5. There is visible diversity in the field labor and at times in the customer-facing side of the WA wine industry. What are some ways the Washington Wine industry offers or can offer a path for diverse groups to move into the more technically oriented or ownership side of the industry? 

“I just attended the International Winemakers Summit in CA where this organization brought 10 Black students in Agriculture based programs (graduate programs and undergrad) to the program. Two of the students expressed that they didn't even realize that their studies could include viticulture/wine and that their attending totally changed their perspective and what they wanted to do. One student saw that there were no black vineyard owners in his state and he decided at that summit he wanted to be one if not the first. Marcia Jones, the founder of this event, went to HBCU and worked with the department heads and administrators. The WA Wine Industry, although in support of WSU, perhaps could also connect with HBCU's to connect Plant Science majors, Viticulture/Enology majors with WA wineries and programs.”