COUNTRY TO MAKE THE KIND OF WINE
AND LIFE SHE WANTED.
>> PEOPLE THOUGHT I WAS A FOOL.
THEY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY
SOMEONE WOULD GO TO MAKE WINE IN
VERMONT.
>> Reporter: KRISTA SCRUGGS HAS
ALWAYS BEEN A BIT OF A RULE
BREAKER.
>> MY MOM RAISED ME UNDER THE
PHILOSOPHY THAT A CLOSED MOUTH
DOESN’T GET FED.
MEANING IF YOU WANT SOMETHING,
YOU ASK FOR IT.
IF YOU DON’T GET THE ANSWER, YOU
FIGURE IT OUT.
I HONOR TRADITION, BUT WHEN
TRADITION ALSO DOESN’T REPRESENT
YOU, I THINK YOU HAVE NO CHOICE
BUT TO BREAK THOSE RULES.
>> Reporter: AS SHE WORKED HER
WAY UP IN THE WINE INDUSTRY,
KRISTA DIDN’T SEE THAT
REPRESENTATION MUCH OF ANYWHERE.
>> BEING A BLACK WOMAN IN
AMERICA, THERE’S NOT MANY
INDUSTRIES THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO
LOOK AROUND AND SEE EXAMPLES OF
THEMSELVES.
>> Reporter: AND SHE NOTICED A
LACK OF DIVERSITY IN THE PRODUCT
TOO.
>> A BOTTLE OF WINE CAN CONTAIN
UP TO 300 ADDITIVES.
IT STARTED TO RESONATE WITH ME
THERE ARE A LOT OF STEPS IN THAT
PROCESS THAT PEOPLE TAKE TO MAKE
IT QUOTE UNQUOTE STABLE ON A
SHELF THAT EVERY TIME YOU BUY IT
TASTE THIS SAME.
AND THAT THEN TURNS THAT GRAPE
INTO A MANUFACTURED PRODUCT.
>> Reporter: SO KRISTA BEGAN
CHARTING HER OWN PATH LEARNING
ABOUT NATURAL WINE.
A PROCESS OF WINE MAKING WHERE
NOTHING IS ADDED OR SUBTRACTED.
>> TO ME THAT’S TRULY WHAT IT
MEANS TO BE A WINE MAKER AND A
GROWER IS TO LISTEN TO THE LAND
AND TO THE FERMENTATION AND PUT
OUR EGO ASIDE AND LET IT BE WHAT
IT IS.
AND I THINK THERE’S BEAUTY IN
THAT.
>> Reporter: IN THE HOPES OF
OWNING HER OWN LAND AND WINE
LABEL, KRISTA LEFT WINE COUNTRY
FOR FARM COUNTRY FOUR YEARS AGO.
>> I THINK WHAT WAS ENTICING TO
ME ABOUT VERMONT WAS JUST THERE
WAS UNCHARTED GROUND AND I SAW
THAT AS OPPORTUNITY TO TELL A
DIFFERENT STORY THAT HAS NOT
FULLY BEEN TOLD.
>> Reporter: A YEAR LATER AFTER
AN APPRENTICESHIP, SHE LAUNCHED
HER VERY OWN LABEL.
ZAFA WINE.
>> CAPTURE A VINTAGE AND A YEAR
IS SOMETHING THAT I STILL CAN’T
PUT WORDS TO.
AND I STILL GET CHILLS.
>> Reporter: IN KEEPING WITH HER
PHILOSOPHY, ALL OF KRISTA’S
WINES ARE MADE BY HAND AND FOOT.
>> WE FOOT CRUSH ALL THE GRAPES.
I AM NOT GOING TO LIE, IT’S A
WORKOUT.
IT TAKES ABOUT TWO HOURS TO GET
IT TO THE CONSISTENCY THAT I
TYPICALLY LIKE.
>> Reporter: AND TIMING WASN’T
HER ONLY OBSTACLE.
>> IN 2017 THE VINEYARD WITH
ANNIHILATED WITH JAPANESE
BEETLES.
I SAW IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY JUST
TO BE MORE CREATIVE AND NOT BE
BEHOLDEN TO WHAT WINE IS
SUPPOSED TO BE.
>> Reporter: KRISTA BEGAN
COMBINING APPLES AND GRAPES TO
MAKE HYBRID WIN.
>> GAINED SOMETHING ELSE.
>> Reporter: AND ALMOST RIGHT
AWAY SHE GAINED NATIONAL
ATTENTION.
WINE ENTHUSIAST MAGAZINE NAMING
HER TO THEIR 40 UNDER 40 LIST.
>> I’M INSPIRED TO BE A VOICE
FOR AGRICULTURE AND THE
IMPORTANCE OF LAND OWNERSHIP, TO
BE A VOICE FOR EQUITY.
THE END GOAL IS TO DO SOMETHING
THAT’S BIGGER THAN JUST A BOTTLE
OF WINE.
>> Reporter: JUST WEEKS AGO,
KRISTA FULFILLED HER MISSION
GETTING THE KEYS TO HER OWN FARM
AND WITH IT INCREASING
REPRESENTATION FOR BLACK
FARMERS.
>> ONLY 1.4% OF BLACK AMERICANS
OWN LAND AND VERMONT OUT OF
7,000 FARMERS I AM OFFICIALLY
THE 18th BLACK FARMER IN
VERMONT.
WE HAVE ACCESS TO LAND TO FARM,
THERE’S NOTHING MORE POLITICAL
THAN THAT I COULD BE DOING IN
AMERICA.
>> Reporter: A REMINDER THAT
BREAKING OLD RULES OFTEN PAYS
OFF.
>> I LOOK AT MY LIFE RIGHT NOW,
I DIDN’T THINK THERE WOULD BE A
ZAFA, BUT THE PATH HAS CREATED
ITSELF.
JUST A REMINDER I’M GOING WHAT I
SHOULD BE DOING.
>> IT JUST LOOKS SO PEACEFUL.
I JUST WANT TO JUMP THROUGH THE
SCREEN.
SHE AND HER TEAM PLANTED MORE
THAN 2,000 VINES ON HER NEW
FARM.
THAT WINE WILL BE READY TO GO IN
ANOTHER FOUR YEARS OR SO.
TALK ABOUT PATIENCE.
MEANTIME, THEY’RE WORKING TO GET
A TASTING ROOM BUILT ON THE
PROPERTY THEY HOPE WILL BE UP
AND RUNNING BY NEXT SUMMER.
I’VE NEVER BEEN TO VERMONT.
>> LET’S GO.
LET’S DO IT.
ROAD TRIP.
>> IN FOUR YEARS NOT BE SOCIALLY