Happy Black History month! It’s especially important to my family to celebrate black history, not just in February, but year-round. My husband is African-American. Additionally, I am raising biracial children. Although minorities make up nearly half of Napa County’s population, only 2% are African-Americans.
In this month’s blog, I am proud to highlight black-owned businesses in Napa County.
Buster’s Southern BBQ in Calistoga. I start with Busters not only because it is delicious, but because to my knowledge, it is the longest-running black-owned business in our community. Charles Buster Davis, the owner of Buster’s Southern BBQ, is called by his nickname Buster. He has been in the food industry for over 50 years. Buster gives most of the credit for his barbecue and baking flavors to his family, originating in Shreveport, Louisiana.
It’s hard to visit Calistoga and not stop at his roadside location. On a recent visit my family ordered the two meat combo meal. My husband is particular about his BBQ and loved the pork ribs. We also enjoyed the tri-trip. Busters has been serving locals & tourists on his outside patio since 1965. It may be chilly and cold out, but Buster’s spicy BBQ sauce will warm you up!
If you are looking for a Zinfandel to pair with your BBQ take-out, may I recommend Brown Estate Winery? Brown is Napa’s first black-owned estate winery, established in 1996. They are best known for their well-regarded Zinfandel. However, in addition to Zinfandel, Winemaker Coral Brown produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Petite Sirah. Unfortunately, the Downtown Napa Tasting Room is closed due to Covid. However, you can order their wines online for curbside pickup. They are also conducting virtual tastings.
Martin Luther King Jr. famously gave his “I Have a Dream” speech in the Summer of 1963. In the Napa Valley “Cab is king” and for the Moss family dreams do come true! J. Moss Wines is a small winery specializing in high-end, handcrafted, single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery was started by James Moss. Moss moved from Texas to California in 1998 to pursue his passion for fine wine. He released his first vintage in 2001 and since then his wines have become “cult wines.” The winery is located in the Crusher Wine District and is open by appointment for outside tastings Friday through Sunday.
The Napa Valley is famous for food & wine, but also for destination weddings! Thankfully, Nicol Turner, Founder, and Owner of Little Blue Box Weddings is here to help! Nicol and her family moved to Napa in 2010. Eleven years later, Little Blue Box has planned hundreds of weddings, birthday parties, anniversary soirées, for tourists and locals. Nicol is proud of the business that she has built. As she should be! She has developed a stellar reputation in the Valley and has more than 50 glowing reviews on Yelp, Google, and The Knot.
As much as we love a great party with food & wine, we can’t forget to mention the professional services here in the Napa Valley. If you need new insurance Marissa Johnson can help you! She opened Marissa Johnson State Farm Insurance agency in July of 2019. She has spent the last year and a half falling in love with Napa’s deep sense of community. I couldn’t agree more Marissa! Many of Marissa’s customers come in to see her and pay their bills in person. They appreciate her straightforward, customer-focused approach to insurance. While the repeat wildfires that affect the Napa Valley break Marissa’s heart year after year, she told me she feels lucky to be in our community to help us through the claims process.
About Claudette Shatto
Claudette is Napa savvy! Coupled with her upbeat personality she is the perfect new addition to “The Vine” on-air team.
She has lived in the Napa Valley for 20 years. She is married with two elementary-aged children.
When not on-air, Claudette is a Professor at Napa Valley College. She is also a contributing blogger for Napa Valley Kids. Her recent passion project is teaching leadership to first graders.
You can listen to her on-air Mondays & Fridays from 3 pm to 7pm on The Vine.