He wears his self-styled mantle of “black sheep” proudly.
André Hueston Mack’s collection of wines, Maison Noir, are symbolized by an illustration of a little black sheep, and some of the bottles bear the name “Mouton Noir,” the exact translation in French.
Mack knows he’s an anomaly in more ways than one. Using Oregon as his base, he’s created a line of wines that have gained serious exposure and traction among aficionados, some featuring hip hop references both in name and image. He’s also created a cheeky line of graphic T-shirts (most mixing wine puns and middle America icons, like IHOP)—and both lines are for sale on his website, maisonnoirwines.com. His unusual path began with a career in finance that he left to pursue his passion for wine, and he quickly scaled the heights and never looked back. He was named the Best Young Sommelier in America by the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, and that propelled him to accept a job at Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry—and then be the head sommelier of Per Se.
And on June 3, Mack will visit Naples Wine Collection for a meet and greet and tasting of eight of his wines that will be served with light bites from the store’s adjacent wine bar, The Cave. The event will last from 5-6:30 p.m., and tickets are $20 per person. To reserve a spot, call (239) 513-0095 or email info@napleswinecollection.com.
