‘It’s bigger than wine’ for USA TODAY’s Women of the Year honoree from Oregon
Tiquette Bramlett is one of USA TODAY’s Women of the Year, a recognition of women who have made a significant impact in their communities and across the country. The program launched in 2022 as a continuation of Women of the Century, which commemorated the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. Meet this year’s honorees at womenoftheyear.usatoday.com.
Tiquette Bramlett remembers the buildup after being hired in 2021 as the president of Compris Vineyard (formerly Vidon Vineyard) in Newberg. Her team started doing some research, then others in the industry did more.
She had just become the first Black woman appointed to oversee a U.S. winery.
For Bramlett, it was a bittersweet, kick-down-the-door moment. She was dismayed as much as she was proud.
"I really didn't know how to feel about it initially," she said. "It was exciting for so many, and I wore it as a badge of honor, thinking about my grandfather (the first Black contractor in California) and having that place with him.
"But then it was like, 'OK, well, great that I'm the first, but let's make sure that I’m not the last.'"
Bramlett believed she was as equipped as anyone to take action. She comes from an interracial family, was raised in the California Bay Area and has long been comfortable with uncomfortable conversations.
Her path to the vineyard and tasting room was unusual.
She was a trained vocalist with an opera singing career ahead of her before being diagnosed with thyroid cancer at 24. While undergoing treatment, she read "The Wine Bible," a gift from her mom.
"For me, it was like reading a novel," Bramlett said. "It was telling the story of vine-to-wine, getting to learn the grapes and the regions. I thought, 'Oh, I want to dive deeper into this.' The minute doctors gave me clearance, I went and took some (sommelier) courses to figure out what direction I wanted to go."
In the process, she fell in love with Willamette Valley wines and carved her own niche.
While others spoke of obscure notes, she tasted Cheez-It crackers and Hershey's chocolate and followed the advice of a teacher: Try not to impress others but trust your gut. It made her more approachable to the consumer.
Her first job was in 2015 as a tasting room associate at Anne Amie Vineyards in Carlton. She later worked as a brand ambassador for Abbey Creek Vineyard in North Plains before making history with Vidon, since renamed Compris Vineyard.
Bramlett, 39, leveraged her opportunities to open doors for others. During the heart of the pandemic she founded the nonprofit Our Legacy Harvested, which champions diversity in the wine industry and provides paid internships to the BIPOC community.
The first group of interns from across the country worked during the 2022 harvest at two Oregon wineries, Adelsheim Vineyard in Newberg and WillaKenzie Estate in Yamhill. They took field trips to other wineries, empowered to build their own connections.
All four interns have since moved to Oregon and taken jobs in the industry, a source of great pride for Bramlett.
With the potential to expand and a new batch of interns coming this spring, she realized the mission required more of her time. She left Compris to focus on Our Legacy Harvested.
"At the end of the day," Bramlett said, "it's bigger than wine."
Bramlett is Oregon's honoree for USA TODAY's Women of the Year project.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Why is the mission of Our Legacy Harvested important to you?
I was tired of being the only person that looked like me in the room when I know that there are countless others that are interested in the same things. I wanted to figure out why we weren't in those spaces and what I could do to ensure that everybody felt safe with me.
Who paved the way for you?
Rodolphe Louchart (one of her first mentors in the wine industry) was one, for sure. He gave me so many tools, which I am so appreciative for. My grandfather and my grandmother really taught us so much, being an interracial couple and coming to the states at a time when in part of the country their marriage still wasn't recognized and watching how they navigated that adversity.
Bertony Faustin, who's the first Black winemaker in Oregon. He was one of the first people that I met when I came up here and has stayed a part of my life and truly is a coach and will be forever. He has taught me so much in just that everything is bigger than wine, and given me different life tools that I have been able to carry into business.
What is your proudest moment?
Having my first class of interns for OLH here and being able to witness the lightbulb come on for them. I remember when I had that moment and (knew) what I wanted to do. Seeing the excitement in their eyes and saying, "I can do this, too," and then hearing them say, "Oh my God, I can’t wait to bring somebody else into this and share it with them.”
What is your definition of courage?
For me, it is really similar to taking that leap of faith, of knowing what you are capable of and believing that. But also knowing in yourself, where you see that edge and you feel the adrenaline, you can feel that cliff, but you're like, "You know what, I've got wings, I know that I know how to fly, I've got all of the checklists done, I can take this leap, I trust myself."
Is there a guiding principle or mantra you tell yourself?
Facts vs. feelings is always a big thing for me, and then repurposing. That was a big word for me the last two years, because I was told that there are no mistakes. It's a lesson. And how do you repurpose that moment that happened?
Who do you look up to?
Some of the people I've mentioned, and another one is Julia Coney. She's a Black wine writer, and she is really hands-on with people of color in the wine industry, truly a guiding force for a lot of us.
How do you overcome adversity?
Just by taking a step back and utilizing the facts of the situation and trying your best to remove your feelings from the moment. Acknowledge them but process the emotion before you dive into what that moment really was about and what the lesson is supposed to be.
What advice would you give your younger self?
You don't know what you don't know. So, ask all the questions, even if someone says that it's a dumb question. You didn't know it before, and you've learned something new. Just stay open and be unafraid to stumble. I was really hesitant to stumble and fail before. My grandfather would always say things like, "You're not made of glass, so why are you afraid to fall?"
I think being diagnosed with cancer at 24 also shifted the focus a little bit. Let's just be a bull in a China shop then and do all of the things and live life as loudly and boldly as I can.
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This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon wine industry leader Tiquette Bramlett honored by USA TODAY
