It's not every day that someone gets to make history; when they do, society can only lean back and applaud. As the first Kenyan-American-owned winery in the United States of America (USA), Wachira Wines is breaking the barriers to give many other ambitious African entrepreneurs the hope to make it in the land of the free.

Wachira Wines is located in Alameda County, California USA. It is owned and operated by Dr. Chris Wachira - the first Kenyan-born, Californian winemaker, distributor, importer, and exporter. 

After immigrating to the US, she earned her bachelor’s in nursing from San Francisco State University in 2006, followed by a Master of Public Administration (MPA) in 2011. She went on to earn a doctor of nursing practice at the University of San Francisco in 2017.

“San Francisco State gave me a sense of community as a young Kenyan immigrant and a sense of belonging in a country where I knew less than 10 people,” Wachira said.

“SFSU allowed me to develop skills that prepared me both intellectually and socially to be a productive member of my community. It also affirmed to me that hard work, focus and drive could be rewarding.”

While working in Neuroscience Clinical Outcomes at Stanford Healthcare, Dr. Wachira developed a passion for the science of winemaking. 

“I fell in love with the sense of community derived from sharing bottles with complete strangers. Secondly, I was keen to craft wines I could pair with my Kenyan mother’s cooking," she said.

She followed her passion for wine and cultivating community and in 2017, she launched Wachira Wines, where she serves as CEO. She founded the company, dedicated to crafting world-class wines and tasting experiences that are true to her Kenyan roots.

Dr Wachira celebrates the ability to realize one's dreams and emphasizes the importance of family and one’s roots. She has created an international wine that celebrates Kenyan culture, Kenyan values, and her dual Kenyan-American adventure. A wine that is truly Kenyan-American.

Wachira, her family name, has been passed down for generations; in translation, it means "one who deals with cases" such as an attorney or a judge. Hundreds of years later, she now deals with "cases" of wine. She chooses to believe wine-making was written in her stars.

"When we put our family name on our wines, we ensure they deliver the highest quality vintages. We are more than a wine label, we are a lifestyle," she says.

Wine Brands

Wachira Wines boasts six brands; Wachira Black Label Sparkling Wine ($57), Wachira Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon ($60), Wachira Black Label Chardonnay ($57), Wachira Black Label Zinfandel ($37), Wachira Black Label Muscat ($57) and the Rose Gold Label - Rose of Mourvédré ($57).

"My winemaking style is centred around taking, for example, a Cabernet grape and infusing it with my "Kenyanese" twist to craft a high quality, easy-to-drink wine that maintains the integrity of each grape’s varietal. Such that a Wachira Cabernet or Wachira Rosé still has characteristics associated with the grape varietal but with that little je-ne-sais-qouis that is uniquely me," Dr Wachira says.

KARIBU Wine Lounge

Karibu Wine Lounge by Wachira is a community-based tasting room located at 1419 Park Street in Alameda, CA 94501. Karibu is a Swahili word that translates to mean *you're welcome*

Dr. Wachira established the lounge to create a space where great but underserved wineries are highlighted and celebrated. A place where everybody is welcome.

Karibu Wine Lounge showcases the value of diversity in the wine market by offering a retail platform for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), women, and local winemakers.

SOKO Distributors

After establishing her company, Dr Chris Wachira figured that distribution could be a major problem, so she founded Soko which translates to "marketplace" in Swahili.

Soko provides an inclusive distribution enterprise that showcases producers in the BIPOC community. 

Soko holds an expansive portfolio history of partnerships ranging from entities such as Delta Airlines - SFO and LAX airports, 25 Total Wines & More locations in California, East African Breweries Limited (EABL), restaurants, and bars across the United States

Awards & Recognitions

Wine Enthusiast named Dr. Chris Wachira as one of Future 40 Tastemakers & Innovators of 2023.

The 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition awarded four medals to Wachira Wines: double golds for Wachira Cabernet Sauvignon, silver for its Chardonnay and bronze for its Sparkling White wine.

As an African American woman in a not-so-diverse industry, Wachira is driven to pay it forward to other underrepresented groups and launched a wine incubator program.  

Her achievements have since been highlighted by multiple publications within the US and globally.

Community Projects

The Wachira Wine Clubs also benefit the local community. The winery is the Official Sponsor Wine Partner of the Oakland Symphony. Ten per cent of all Wine Club proceeds are also donated to the Gamma Sigma Sigma Chapter of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.