Urban Grape co-founder TJ Douglas talks about breaking barriers in the wine industry

Only 1% of wine businesses in the U.S. are Black-owned, according to the Association of African American Vintners. Boston is home to one of them.

The South End's Urban Grape was the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Small Business of the Year in 2021, and it regularly makes short lists of best in class across the country. TJ Douglas started Urban Grape in the South End with his wife, Hadley, in 2012.

As a Black worker in the hospitality industry, he saw the wine world as elitist. Together, the couple set out to do something different. Their "Drink Progressively" approach to demystifying and diversifying wine allowed them to open a second location earlier this year in Washington D.C. We speak with TJ Douglas about the business and what's next.

For more from TJ and Hadley Douglas, watch a 2022 WBUR CitySpace conversation below about their business journey and the couple looks to increase diversity in the wine industry.