Wine Industry Trailblazer Iris Duplantier Rideau

Iris Duplantier Rideau

In 1997, Iris Duplantier Rideau made history as the first Black woman to own a winery in the United States. She shares her journey that started in Louisiana and eventually California in this week’s podcast episode.

Iris Rideau as the wine industry knows her made history by becoming the first Black woman to own a winery, Rideau Vineyard, in 1997. After running and being at the winery day after day for 20 years, she retired and is now settling into the next chapter of her life.

This past June, she released the story of her life, “From White to Black: One Life Between Two Worlds,” in which she shares personal accounts of growing up as a Creole child in New Orleans and a trip to California that would eventually change her life.

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Iris Duplantier Rideau Makes History

Her story includes being taught by her maternal grandmother about how to pass as a white person which she did as a child and also as a young adult while in college, starting her own insurance company which had a very successful 30-year tenure in the city of Los Angeles to settling down in Santa Barbara and opening Rideau Vineyard.

This inspiring conversation talks about heartbreaking decisions and accomplishments that make her life and story so inspiring.

Listen to hear the entire conversation and be sure to purchase the book on Amazon as it is a real page-turner.

For future book signings and appearances, visit www.irisrideau.com and follow Iris on Instagram.

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