Jason McClain, the youngest of five siblings, was born into a family with a rich legacy. His father, Joseph McClain, dedicated 49 years to the US Army and government, while his mother, Sylvia McClain, devoted her career to special education. Thanks to his parents’ careers, Jason embarked on an extraordinary global adventure with his brothers and sisters, visiting over 27 countries and attending 13 different schools before even finishing high school.

From experiencing life in West Berlin before the fall of the wall to climbing Italy’s iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa, Jason’s childhood was a whirlwind of unique experiences. Remarkably, this global upbringing shielded him from many of the racial challenges that African-American children often face in the US.  The wine industry is a place where being African-American is not the norm.  Jason wanted to change that and bring quality wine to people of all colors and creeds.

However, when Jason’s family settled on the East Coast as he reached adulthood, he began to see the stark reality of racial disparities. The world around him shifted, revealing the different treatment people received based solely on the color of their skin.  Wine became the great equalizer.