Art of the Pour

Blending grapes, culture and representation into a luxury label, CEO Ingrid Best is reshaping the global wine scene one bottle at a time

- JANEÉ BOLDEN

SHIFTING PERCEPTIONS

Ingrid Best positions IBest Wines as art, but says that “building a brand that is both premium and culturally relevant requires breaking down some long-standing barriers” in the industry.

INGRID BEST HAS SPENT THE PAST TWO decades shaping the global wine and spirits industry, but her latest venture, IBest Wines, is personal. A bold leap of faith took her from the corporate boardrooms of Diageo, Moët Hennessy and Bacardi to the vineyards of Stellenbosch, South Africa, where she set out to create a brand that reflects her passion for wine, art and culture.

Now, barely a year after launching, IBest Wines is not only an award-winning label but has recently secured first-class distribution with American Airlines through Flagship® First - International placement.

“Starting IBest Wines was the biggest leap of faith I’ve ever taken,” Best told Newsweek.

“After 20 years working at major wine and spirits companies, I had a deep understanding of the industry but also saw the gaps in representation. There weren't enough Black and brown voices in ownership, particularly in wine.” Born in New York and raised in the Bay Area, Best grew up in a culturally rich neighborhood in San Francisco before moving to Oakland. “Napa became my backyard,” Best recalled. “I did my first 'crush camp' harvest at a winery in Napa in 2012. My love for wine consumed me from that point on.”

Best started her career as an ambassador launching an ultra-premium rum for Diageo. She later shifted to a hybrid commercial and marketing role at the company at a time when it owned both a wine and spirits portfolio.