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Inside New York’s Vibiest Wine Tasting

Cha McCoy pours a Sémillon white wine produced in South Africa. Photo: Christian Rodriguez

For the second time in her life, Cha McCoy is starting from the bottom and working her way up. First, she did it as a graduate from Syracuse University with a degree in civil engineering and now as an up-and-coming sommelier with her own wine-pairing series dubbed the Communion. “I wanted for my community to feel like they have a seat at the table,” McCoy says shortly before her latest event, this time attached to the upcoming Afropunk music festival. “And in the beginning it was just like church, they give you wine, but no food. You leaving hungry!”

On this overcast Sunday evening, that won’t be the case. McCoy has chosen black-owned Café Rue Dix, a French-Senegalese restaurant in Crown Heights, as the site of a multi-course meal featuring five curated wines, from a Champagne-like Crémant produced in Burgundy to a full-bodied orange wine from Slovenia. “I always get folks from Harlem that want to show up because that’s where I’m from,” McCoy says in a heavy New York accent. “I get people that’s in the industry itself, my peers in hospitality. And then there are folks that really just want to get more knowledge. You can tell they’re hungry to hear about what’s the next new thing,” including McCoy herself. Here’s a firsthand look at her latest Communion.

“You’re not expecting a nice wine menu when you walk into a Senegalese place, but why?” McCoy asks. “It’s just the thought process in our industry. Senegalese food has heavy French influence, so why not treat it like a French restaurant? I’m challenging that thought.” Photo: Christian Rodriguez
Kela Walker, a beauty influencer who befriended McCoy a few years ago practices the five S’s of wine tasting: see, swirl, sniff, sip, and savor. “I know I like Riesling,” says Walker. “So, when I’m at a restaurant, I’ll say, I’d like a Riesling from the German region, so they know I’m not dumb.” Photo: Christian Rodriguez
“If it wasn’t for people telling me, ‘I don’t know half the things you know,’ like right now with no certifications, I probably would have waited longer to start the Communion series,” says McCoy. “I thought I had to work under somebody with a big name in order for somebody to respect me, but I was like my people don’t care about certifications.” Photo: Christian Rodriguez
Guests dig into a platter of spicy Senegalese spring rolls stuffed with vermicelli noodles, beef, and shrimp.A plate of fataya, fish-stuffed empanadas, arrive at the table.A guest holds up a bowl of steamed mussels in a white wine sauce for Instagram pictures.Photos: Christian Rodriguez.
Guests dig into a platter of spicy Senegalese spring rolls stuffed with vermicelli noodles, beef, and shrimp.A guest holds up a bowl of steamed mussel... Guests dig into a platter of spicy Senegalese spring rolls stuffed with vermicelli noodles, beef, and shrimp.A guest holds up a bowl of steamed mussels in a white wine sauce for Instagram pictures.A plate of fataya, fish-stuffed empanadas, arrive at the table.Photos: Christian Rodriguez.
Kyla Kelly (center), a corporate chef at Facebook, and private chef Shaquay Peacock (left), both of whom have previously collaborated on Communions with McCoy, are all smiles. “This is my third Communion,” says Peacock. “I keep coming back because they’re different every single time.” Photo: Christian Rodriguez
McCoy swirls a glass of rosé produced in Marche, Italy. She recently completed the Level 3 Wine & Spirit Education Trust exam after months of studying. “Being a female, being a female of color, being young — all those are three strikes for why somebody would not pay money to see you or hear you educate them,” says McCoy. “In my mind, it’s like I don’t want anyone to ever shut me down. I don’t need wine certifications for these events, but if somebody is trying to compare me to somebody else, I’m legit.” Photo: Christian Rodriguez
Inside New York’s Vibiest Wine Tasting