UNFILTERED with Justin Michelle Ward Trabue
Please join us for an intimate storytelling evening with Justin Michelle Ward Trabue of Ward Four Wines.
In our bejeweled canopy of artisan winemakers, Justin Ward’s star not only shines bright, it shimmers with a distinct luminosity. Named after a winery, Ward was, quite literally, born from and into a rich culture of wine. And there’s an undeniably Dionysian force to this woman that exudes power, positive energy, intelligence and style—qualities she needed to create space for someone the industry had never seen before.
Honoring her Ward Four roots in DC and being deeply aware of the troubling cultural dynamics that surround her, Ward is also modeling an alternative response based on acceptance, creativity, community and individuality. While she crafts her wines to suit the palates of the people she loves, she wants her wines to be a catalyst for community. While a lot of winemakers say this, Ward’s intention comes from a different place and with different purpose.
Justin sources only from family-owned vineyards that use minimal intervention growing practices and then extends that soft touch with native fermentations into her cellar. And Ward is not only making a statement through her wines, she is quietly laying the groundwork for others to follow by setting up a scholarship program and non-profit to assist young BIPOC winemakers. Beneath the power of her personality and the bravery of her choices, however, there is also something very profound in its simplicity: Justin Ward just wants us to connect through shared experiences and, through that, experience joy in life. Making wine allows Ward to realize this vision through craft.
If you can identify with that, then you will identify with her wines.
In the spirit of community and connection, we’re hosting an ongoing series of guest winemakers, featuring small producers, minimal intervention practices, lesser-known varietals, and in-depth conversations. Stop by, meet the winemaker, and taste some wines you’ve never tried before – or wines you’ve loved and want to try again!