Bertony Faustin is Oregon’s first black winemaker, the founder of Abbey Creek Vineyard, and a … [+] subject of Red, White & Black, a documentary about minority winemakers.
Chad Brown
For Bertony Faustin, Oregons first known black winemaker, making wine is far more than a profession its a platform for amplifying voices that have been routinely marginalized in an overwhelmingly white and privileged industry.
Since founding Abbey Creek Vineyard in North Plains in 2007 after his father, a Haitian immigrant, passed I wanted to live up to his legacy, by not letting anything or anyone control my lifes mission, says Faustin hes delivered on that promise by removing the snobbery and technical jargon associated with wine and by introducing unexpected touches to make it more accessible to everyone.
The Crick PDX is a tasting room that encourages guests to listen to hip hop and chill with wine in a … [+] relaxed, inviting environment.
Jessica Mirch
And at his new tasting room in Portland, The Crick PDX, Faustin continues to build on his legacy. Unlike other stuffy and pretentious tasting rooms, The Crick PDX features a raw, industrial design (think concrete floors, exposed ceiling ducts, and metal stools) and catches the attention of passerbys with a hip hop soundtrack curated by Faustin himself.
Hip hop is my savior and life, explains Faustin of how music shaped him. Its where I found my escape and solace, so it was important to create a place thats surrounded by it. Beyond the curated tunes, nods to Faustins love of music can be found throughout the space, from the Hip Hop, Wine & Chill headphone logo hand-painted on the main wall to even to the menus.
Nods to Faustins love of music are found throughout The Crick PDX, from the Hip Hop, Wine & Chill … [+] headphone logo hand-painted on the main wall to even to the menus.
Diego G Diaz
Because instead of a traditional tasting, Faustin offers The Crick Playlist. Each wine is referred to as a track, and has a unique hashtag to promote across social media. (The 2020 Rose De Pinot, for example, is listed as Track 4 with an #OooWeee hashtag.) The food menu draws inspiration from music as well, with small snacks (like fried plantains and skillet cornbread) listed under EP, and heartier bites such as the Yardbird Fried Chicken Sammich found under Deep Cuts.
While it would have been easy to just push his own product at The Crick PDX, Faustin is adamant about collaborating with other brands: As an entrepreneur, its my duty to uplift other people especially because I never had that when I started. At the end of the day, relationships matter more than transactions. On the shelves youll also discover Joe Browns Carmel Corn, a historic local brand that was acquired by fellow black entrepreneur David Ferguson a few years ago, and Brazilian De Cabron hot sauces. The owner is a friend from São Paulo, and we share a similar immigrant story, says Faustin.
“Hip hop, wine, and chill” at The Crick PDX by Bertony Faustin, which is currently open Wednesday … [+] through Saturday, from 2-7PM.
Levy Moroshan
No matter when or why you decide to visit, though, youll always feel welcome and part of Faustins family. Everyone can come to The Crick, he says. This is a place to commune and break bread. And despite the highly political times were in, Faustin loves what hes doing now more than ever: Its a great time to be a black business owner, but its never enough to just be doing my thing. Its easier to complain about racisim and and gentrification, so I always ask what are you doing about it? Making and sharing wine, this is how I protest.read more
Inside The Crick PDX: A New Tasting Room By Bertony Faustin, Oregon’s First Black Winemaker
