Julia Coney facts for kids

Julia Coney is an American journalist and writer who focuses on wine. She is known for working to make the wine industry more welcoming for everyone. Julia wrote an important essay about fairness in the wine world. She also created Black Wine Professionals, a special online tool. This tool helps bring more different people into the wine industry.

Growing Up

Julia Coney grew up in the states of Texas and Louisiana. When she went to college, she studied English literature. This means she learned a lot about books and writing.

Her Career Path

Before becoming a wine writer, Julia Coney worked as a legal assistant. She also wrote a blog about beauty products. In 2016, she decided to focus on writing about wine. This was something she had been interested in for a long time. She even earned a special certificate in wine and spirits from the WSET.

Speaking Up for Fairness

Julia Coney often writes about how wine and fairness are connected. She strongly believes in making the wine industry more open to everyone. In 2018, she wrote an important public letter. It was called Your Wine Glass Ceiling is My Wine Glass Box. She wrote it because an article had talked about women in wine, but didn't include women of color.

Many people noticed her letter. Food & Wine magazine said it was a very important moment. The Washington Post called it memorable.

Julia has shared that she sometimes experiences small, unfair actions from others in the wine world. For example, she has said that in restaurants, staff might suggest cheaper or sweeter wines to her. This happens because they have ideas about what she might like, based on stereotypes. She has also talked about getting smaller wine pours at tastings. Sometimes, staff in shops have even followed her around.

Black Wine Professionals

In 2020, Julia Coney created Black Wine Professionals. This is an online list of Black people who work in different jobs in the wine industry. She made it to help make the wine industry more diverse. It helps people who are planning wine events or tours find Black wine experts.

Julia said she created this tool because she was often the only Black person at wine tastings. She also saw that money for promoting wine often went only to white social media influencers. Some people in the industry said they didn't know how to find Black wine professionals. So, Julia created a way for them to connect.

This database has now become a group for its members. It has even teamed up with Laurent-Perrier. This partnership helps members get more chances for professional growth and learning.

Her Life Today

Julia Coney lives in two cities: Washington, DC, and Houston, Texas. She is married.