Domestique, the award-winning natural wine store located in Washington, DC, has just announced the application details surrounding the 2021 Major Taylor Fellowship and a new advisory council that will help guide Domestique on its mission to address, challenge, and disrupt the lack of diversity in the wine world.
The second annual Major Taylor Fellowship, which Domestique first launched in July 2020, is designed to give a person of color a starting point in wine. The three-week, stipend-based apprenticeship will give this year’s recipient the opportunity to spend thirty hours a week at Domestique, learning the ins and outs of wine retail operations.
The store has also formed a new advisory council that will help guide its efforts while acting as a critical resource for future fellows. The council brings together industry leaders, journalists, restaurant owners, producers, and importers, to create a collective body that will help Domestique facilitate needed change and connect like-minded leaders in the field beyond the fellowship. Also part of this committee is Kayla Mensah, Domestique’s inaugural recipient of the Major Taylor Fellowship, who is now a full-time employee.
Domestique’s advisory council includes:
Marissa A. Ross, Wine Writer & Author of Wine All The Time: A Casual Guide to Drinking
Cha McCoy, Sommelier & Founder, Cha Squared Consulting
Christopher Renfro, Founder & Producer, The Two-Eighty Project
Stephen Bitterolf, Founder, Vom Boden
Genevieve Villamora, Co-Owner, Bad Saint
Kayla Mensah, 2021 Major Taylor Fellow & Domestique Employee
Applications for the 2021 Major Taylor Fellowship will be open from June 22 - July 6 and the finalist will be announced during the week of July 20th. The Major Taylor Fellowship application is open to any BIPOC looking to establish a career in wine and will include a $3,000 stipend, in addition to covering housing costs. The full application will be live on domestiquewine.com beginning on June 22.
The Major Taylor Fellowship is named after Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor (1878-1932), the first Black World Champion cyclist.