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#THECOMMUNION | Wine + Spirits

@thecommunion_

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📢Stay Tuned
🏆@wineenthusiast Retailer of the Year Finalist
🍷Founded by Sommelier and Wine Educator @cha_squared

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On Saturday, August 15, I'm joining MoAD (@moadsf) for their Diaspora Dinner: Sips & Soul at the St. Regis San Francisco, and with me, Chef Amethyst Ganaway (@thizzg) bringing the Gullah Geechee from the east coast to the west, along side a conversation guided by Gabrielle Davenport (@warm_brie) from my bookstore partner BEM | Books & More (@bembrooklyn).

Prepare yourself for a two part tasting and multi course wine dinner inspired by @thecommunion_ and my James Beard Award winning book, Wine Pairing for the People: The Communion of Wine, Food, and Culture from Africa and Beyond which traces Africa's own diasporic path through food and wine. This is a special dinner highlighting the Low Country section of the book. I am so excited ! Pull up a chair, raise a glass. 🍷

RSVP today, link in bio 👆🏿.

#DiasporaDinner #MoAD #BlackFoodways #TheCommunion #SFEvents

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I'm still processing this moment.🙏🏿

Standing on that stage in Chicago, I walked in confident, and the weight of the moment took over me at the mic. I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the emotional journey it took to get there. There were so many people I wanted to thank, and so much I wanted to say in 2 minutes.

Swipe through➡️ for my acceptance speech. 🏅❤️

What I hope was clear is this: Wine Pairing for the People was written to expand the conversation around belonging. Receiving a James Beard Award for that work is an honor beyond words.

Thank you to everyone who believed in this vision and helped bring it to life.

📸 @jonathancooper

#juneteenth #BlackAuthor #JamesBeardAward #wineeducator #sommelier

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Let me reintroduce myself, Cha McCoy, MBA, LEED AP
Certified Sommelier, Entrepreneur, Wine Educator, Public Speaker, Author and …

JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER 🏅

Link in Bio for what’s next👆🏾

This is what leaning not unto my understanding looks like #GodsPlan

📸 @jonathancooper

#harlem #nyc #blackwineprofessionals #jamesbeardaward

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It was wine o'clock all Summit long!

We teamed up with @uncorkedandcultured for exciting curated wine experiences at the @blackwomeninfood Summit. From our reception to a workshop, we sipped and learned.

@cha_squared helped us step our wine pairing knowledge up with a session featuring wines and spices from across the world.

Check out featured wines and spices:

@flywines.club
@tenutamosole
@overshinewineco
@lovecorkscrew
@viaraewines
@brundospices
@burlapandbarrel

📸 @chi_chi.ari + @thearthype

#bwifsummit #blackwomeninfood #dinediaspora

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Wine Pairing for the People was never meant to sit comfortably within the wine industry, it was meant to question and expand it.

Today, I’m honored to share that this charge is taking me and @laylaschlack to Chicago in June as Wine Pairing For The People has been nominated for a 2026 James Beard Award🏅

But to be clear, recognition is not the end goal, transformation is.
This book asks us to reconsider:
👉🏿Who gets to define taste?
👉🏿Whose histories are acknowledged in wine conversations?
👉🏿And who still feels like they don’t belong at the table?

If this moment means anything, it’s a reminder that the wine and hospitality industry has an opportunity, and a responsibility, to evolve.
To move beyond exclusivity.
To invest in cultural fluency.
To make space for narratives that have always existed but have rarely been centered.

I wanted to write a book for the people who have been told or felt like wine isn’t for them. ✊🏿 Thank you to everyone who purchased the book, shared it with others, hosted me in your city and came out to an event. You are proof the revolution of wine is now!

Now that the book is out and I have spoken near and far to share this message the question is:
Who is ready to build whats next for wine? 🍷

#JamesBeardNominated
#WinePairingForThePeople
#WineEducation
#BeverageHeritage
#HospitalityIndustry

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Grateful for a powerful evening last Thursday at the Charleston Wine + Food Festival hosting The Communion Wine Dinner in celebration of my new book, Wine Pairing for the People honoring the chapters decicated to Africa. 🍷📚

Thank you to @bintu.chs for welcoming The Communion and bringing such thoughtful culinary storytelling to the table. It was an honor to collaborate on an experience that reflected the spirit of communion through food, wine, and culture.

A special thank you to @theheritagewinery and @ikengawines for the trust to serve as an ambassador for your wines for this experience and share the legacy and future of African wine with our guests. Presenting these bottles alongside Chef Bintu’s journey through Africa menu created a meaningful dialogue between heritage, terroir, at the table.🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿

Continuing to create spaces where wine, culture, and history intersect is at the heart of my work, and evenings like this remind me how powerful that exchange can be.

Thank you @bluebicyclebooks for being my independent bookstore for my Charleston Book Tour events.

📸 Shots Fired by @jonathancooper

#TheCommunion
##WinePairingForThePeople #Charleston #Booktour #CHSWF

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Announcing our next special event ‘The Communion’ @ Comfort Kitchen.

This dinner and🍷wine-pairing evening is part of a traveling series offering an inviting, accessible approach to gathering and enjoying wine.

✨ Hosted by entrepreneur and sommelier, Cha McCoy @cha_squared; and award-winning writer, Layla Schlack @laylaschlack celebrating their new book, ‘Wine Pairing for the People: The Communion of Wine, Food, and Culture from Africa and Beyond.’

✨Expect soulful plates, thoughtful pours, and a lively conversation about pairing wine with flavors from Africa and across the diaspora. Come eat, sip, get your book signed, and be part of a night that’s all about community at the table.

💛 Thanks to this event’s wine sponsor @jwinery and books were purchased from @justbook_ish

get tickets now at opentable. tap ‘experiences’ to find ‘The Communion’ link in bio

#bostin #comfortkitchen #winepairing #thecommunion #sommelier #booktour

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📚🍷 YOU READY ?!!!
My new book Wine Pairing for the People officially releases in 3 weeks on November 4th, and I’m hitting the road to celebrate!

Join me for the Fall Book Tour:
✨ Nov 6–8 • San Diego, CA
✨ Nov 11–12 • Washington, D.C.
✨ Nov 15 • Charlottesville, VA
✨ Nov 20–22 • Boston, MA
✨ Nov 29 • Charlotte, NC
✨ Dec 4 • Harlem, NY

Stay tuned for event details, ticket links, and special guests. You don’t want to miss it!
Let’s raise a glass together to culture, community, and connection through wine. 🍷💫

#WinePairingForThePeople #BookTour #ChaMcCoy #WineCulture #FoodAndWine #AuthorLife #BookRelease #WineLovers #BlackExcellence #TheChaLife

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🌆 On Top of the ‘Cuse! 🏙️

There’s no spot in Syracuse like the rooftop of the State Tower Building. At 21 stories, it’s the tallest building in the city—and the views are absolutely unmatched. From downtown streets buzzing below to sunsets painting the hills in gold, this rooftop is pure magic.

While it’s reserved for tenants and special events, it’s been home to some legendary nights. Big shout to The Communion, who threw one of the hottest parties up here before they closed—truly unforgettable vibes high above the ‘Cuse. 🔥

Next time you’re downtown, look up and know the best views in Syracuse are happening at the top of the State Tower.

#Syracuse #StateTowerBuilding #CuseViews #RooftopViews #RooftopVibes #SkylineViews #UpstateNY #DowntownSyracuse #HiddenGems #ILoveNY #TheCommunion #PartyInTheSky #dronevideo

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☀️ This Friday marks the first day of summer... and Syracuse, you know what that means — rooftop season is officially ON. 🏙️🍹

While we’ll miss the rooftop vibes at @thecommunion_ (thanks for the good times 💔), spots like @emerald.cocktailkitchen in Tipp Hill are ready to carry the torch with epic views, cocktails, and sunshine for days. 🌸🔥

So tag your rooftop crew, drop your favorite hangout in the CUSE, and let’s raise a glass to summer in the city. Here’s to sunsets, good company, and making every rooftop moment count. 🌇

#FirstDayOfSummer #SyracuseRooftops #CUSELife #RooftopSeason #SyracuseNY #UpstateNY #EmeraldCocktailKitchen #TippHill #OnlyInUpstate #DroneViews #ILoveNY #CentralNewYork #SummerVibes #ExploreCNY #CuseCulture #SyracuseHistory #InstaDaily #RooftopEnergy #SyracuseSummer #upstatevibes

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Congratulations to Cha McCoy (@cha_squared) on the cover reveal and pub date for ‘Wine Pairing for the People,’ here new book coming out on November 4th. Available for pre-order at @bembrooklyn and other independent bookstores now!

I had the pleasure of photographing the recipes and lifestyle images last summer with the help of @theycallmehip, @lucianalamboy, and @williager7.

Can’t wait to see the finished product!

#blackfoodfolks #believeinfilm

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And just like that...
No one looks forward to moving 📦. Imagine packing for your home and business at the same time.😩 April has brought all the feelings. The signs were there. I knew I had to close The Communion Wine & Spirit, my first brick and mortar location @thecommunion_ . The thought alone was overwhelming and gave me severe migraines for months. I am proud this month I am finally doing it 💪🏿. Many entrepreneurs pridefully share the opening of their business, but the feeling of pain, fear, embarrassment, and even grief of closing a business are debilitating and not talked about enough in our community.

Though I am not certain on my next adventure, I am prayerfully waiting expectantly on God's plan to be revealed to me. I just wanted to share that I am able to pack up with joy in my heart ❤️ knowing that He is not done with me yet, and this was just the beginning!

I learned so much from this experience, from opening to closing the store. I am bursting at the seams to share my lessons in due time. I am still processing and receiving downloads from God on why the store needed to close now. I am just following orders. Stay tuned.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 declares: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; … and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. 💃🏿💃🏿💃🏿

#TheChaLife

#Entrepreneurship #StoreClosing #TheCommunion #entrepreneur #bossmoves #wineshop #wine #grief #trendaudio #shopsmall #smallbusiness #Tiktok #dance #bibleverse #BlackSomm #BlackOwned

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