The work of one badass Black woman from Chicago, Love Cork Screw is more than just wine. It’s a whole mood.
Who We Are
Love Cork Screw is a Black-owned, woman-owned wine brand with a fresh take on what wine for this generation should be – fun, inclusive, simple and delicious. Our unique selection of award-winning premium red, white, and rosé varietals are more than wine, they’re a whole mood.
Our Story
After a flood destroyed founder Chrishon Lampley’s Chicago art and wine bar, she was forced to start over. Her first step was to continue to channel her passion for wine and her passion for connecting with people through a blog she called Love Cork Screw.
She started sharing lifestyle tips, wine picks, and restaurant recommendations, quickly becoming a go-to source for her growing audience. However, she noticed a disconnect; despite the enthusiasm, many people felt out of place in the wine scene. There’s a common myth that wine has to be fancy or expensive to be good, that there are too many stiff rules about how to drink it, and even the names are overwhelming. She realized there was a big opportunity to break down these barriers and make wine more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
So, through the community she had built in her bar, her blog and her own experiences she found her new passion – to make wine fun, easy and inclusive. Her vision for Love Cork Screw became about creating something that everyone and anyone could connect to. No rules, no pressure, no expectations. Just good quality, easy-to-understand, easy-to-drink wine.
She launched with six varietals in December 2013 and has now sold over 2 million bottles, expanded to include wine scented candles and skincare and has been featured in Forbes, People Magazine, Wine Enthusiast and more.
The Woman Behind the Wine
“I am on a mission to break every glass ceiling and inspire inclusivity and change in an industry that’s traditionally male-dominated.” – Chrishon Lampley
If there’s two things founder and CEO of Love Cork Screw, Chrishon Lampley has a knack for, it’s discovering great, quality vineyards from around the world and building a welcoming community – and Love Cork Screw brings them both together with a mission to not only reinvent the wine industry but to create a more inclusive and sustainable experience for all.
Her journey in the wine industry, where Black women represent just 1%, ignited a passion to reshape it into a more diverse, welcoming space. Beyond her business pursuits, as Vice President of the Association of African American Vintners (AAAV), she champions the representation and growth of Black professionals in the field.
In partnership with Joyce Dawkins of She ROCKS It, Lampley co-founded the Clink Festival in Chicago. This celebrated event shines a spotlight on women, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in the wine and spirits industry. Through this initiative, Lampley addresses the exposure gap faced by minority-owned businesses, using her platform to elevate underrepresented voices.
“Love Cork Screw allowed me to pursue my passion for wine despite the odds, but it’s more than just wine – it’s a mood! We are a proud Black female-owned business that fosters a sense of inclusivity, diversity and transparency with a mission to truly make a difference in the wine industry, but also to create a fun, playful and relatable take on the wine world for everyone to enjoy.”
