ORANGE CITY, Fla. – Tralove Lawrence opened Amour Du Vin in January.
She said her wine bar is the first Black-owned, woman-owned wine room in Orange City.
“I feel like that’s a huge accomplishment and I’m very proud,” Lawrence said.
Lawrence said her curated selection of wines spans the globe, showcasing the diversity of vineyards and the brilliance of winemakers.
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Each day, she carefully prepares to give customers an experience that’s one of a kind.
“I like for people to come and not (want to) leave, and they kind of do,” Lawrence said.
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Brittany Parish is one of those people. She comes multiple times a week.
“I love the atmosphere and her selection she always has something new that I’ve never heard of before and you definitely can’t find it anywhere else,” Parish said.
Lawrence said the catalyst behind this business venture was her dad’s failing health.
“He was diagnosed with cancer and from that moment I knew I needed to do something that I always wanted to do,” Lawrence said. “Cause I realized life is short.”
She also wanted to see more black representation in the industry after noticing the lack thereof.
“I noticed when wine distributors came, and they were shocked to see me here,” Lawrence said. “...Some of them weren’t very nice to me.”
She said those interactions bothered her.
“I felt like she made me feel small in my own place of business,” Lawrence said.
According to the Association of African American Vintners, less than 1% of U.S. wineries are Black-owned.
The association’s vice president, Chrishon Lampley, knows navigating this industry can be tough.
People are going to look at you like, ‘Hmm, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about,’ or they question you, right,” Lampley said. “We are going to consistently have problems within that side, but it’s okay because you know again I can’t say it enough, I’m here to break glass ceilings so there’s no more to be broken.”
Lawrence hopes to do the same.
“I want them to see that anything is possible and if I can do it, they can do it too,” Lawrence said.
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