Syracuse, N.Y. — Cha McCoy has a simple request.
This holiday season, don’t bring a “basic wine” to your family gatherings.
McCoy is the owner and sommelier of The Communion Wine + Spirits, located on the ground floor of the State Tower Building in downtown Syracuse.
“Being able to highlight under-represented wine regions and wine producers has been a big focus in my studies,” said McCoy, who celebrated The Communion’s first anniversary in October. “This is a great time to bring something unique to the table.”
McCoy is more than a certified sommelier. She’s a public speaker, industry marketing consultant and wine educator, who loves introducing customers to under-represented wine styles and grape-growing regions.
VinePair named McCoy the 2023 Wine Professional of the Year. She’s been named to Wine Enthusiast magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers,” and Wine & Spirits magazine’s “Rising Black Voices in Wine.”
“The corporate brands have had enough of your money,” McCoy said with a laugh. “Let’s focus on smaller labels. Let’s help support other families, mine included, by shopping small.”
If you’re trying to decide what to bring to holiday gatherings, McCoy recommends three lesser-known wines rooted in Native American, South African and South American cultures.
Camins 2 Dreams, a Gamay made on the tribal lands of the Kalawashaq', is available at The Communion in Syracuse.Katrina Tulloch
1. Camins 2 Dreams Gamay
Winemaker Tara Gomez first started Kalawashaq’ Wine Cellars (named for the village where her Chumash ancestors once lived), then teamed up with her wife Mireia Taribó, to create a new winery Camins 2 Dreams.
McCoy’s first recommendation for Turkey Day is the Gamay from Camins 2 Dreams, featuring flavors of prune and fresh cranberries. It pairs well with roasted white meats and root vegetables.
“This is made by a Native American winemaker, ready for anything you’re gonna have on Family Day, a.k.a. Thanksgiving,” McCoy said. “They’re outstanding. This is a legacy in a bottle. They make their wines from lands they’ve cared for, for generations.”
Price: $50
Aslina Chardonnay is a wine made by Ntsiki Biyela, one of the first Black female winemakers in South Africa.Katrina Tulloch
2. Aslina Chardonnay
Next, McCoy recommends Aslina Chardonnay from Ntsiki Biyela, one of the first Black female winemakers in South Africa. Biyela established Aslina Wines in 2016, inspired by the strength and determination of her grandmother Aslina.
“Apartheid just happened yesterday,” said McCoy. “Imagine her [Biyela] growing up during these times and breaking a lot of barriers before creating her own line.”
The Aslina Chardonnay highlights tropical fruit and honey on the nose, a mild buttery flavor on the palate, with lingering undertones of vanilla and honeybush tea. It pairs well with chicken, fish and creamy cheeses.
Price: $25
Castel Pujol's Folklore Blanco pairs well with Thai cuisine and seafood. It’s available at The Communion in Syracuse.Katrina Tulloch
3. Castel Pujol Folklore Blanco
It may be November but Castel Pujol’s Folklore Blanco smells like spring. This white wine from Uruguay combines notes of flowers, peach, grass and even yellow bell pepper.
Pick this one up with if you like crisp acidity and citrus flavors. It pairs well with Pad Thai, fish tacos and ceviche. It’s a refreshing blend of 70% Trebbiano and 30% Malvasia grapes.
“These are not indigenous to Uruguay but they are lesser known wine grapes that folks just don’t go looking for unless they know,” McCoy said. “If you know, you know.”
Price: $25
The Communion Wine + Spirits is located at 109 S. Warren St. in Syracuse.
Ahead of Thanksgiving, The Communion has different holiday hours, opening from 12-8 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. They reopen on Saturday, Nov. 25 from noon to 5 p.m.
Katrina Tulloch is the editor of This Is CNY. She also shoots videos and writes stories for Syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Contact her: Email • Instagram • X • Facebook • 518-810-5022
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