Featured Business
Suga Sugar Wines – Brewing local fruit wines year round
BY LA SHAWNA GRIFFITH
A Barbadian Christmas is not complete without a Farmer’s Choice ham or a tasty glass of sorrel. For forty-year-old Renee Sobers, the owner of Suga Sugar Wines a company which operates from Rock Hall, St Lucy she decided that instead of doing the traditional sorrel drink that she would make a sorrel wine.
Sobers said she was seeking to make a wine that reflected a Barbadian Christmas when she had the idea to try using sorrel.
“I wanted to make a wine for the holidays that was part of our Bajan culture and traditions. What is more traditional than sorrel? So, I thought, “Why not make a wine?” Since the start of the Christmas season her sorrel wines have been in high demand.
Sorrell is the Jamaican name or a type of hibiscus flower known as the Roselle. The dried sepals of the hibiscus flower create the red colour that we see when we drink sorrel. It is infused with hot water and spices such as ginger and allspice. It is a refreshing drink that is enjoyed year-round, but its festive colour and delicious taste is perfectly suited for Christmas.
Sobers started her company in March 2020 in the midst of the lockdown in Barbados. She said that being laid off from her profession, as a massage therapist, was the catalyst that made her realize she needed to utilize her talent to make a viable business.
“Wine brewing has always fascinated me, and it really was just a hobby, to be honest. I initially made wines and shared them with family and friends. I always would receive good reviews from them, but I never really considered making it a viable business. Well, this all changed in March of this year when COVID-19 caused me to become laid off from my profession as a massage therapist. This is how Suga Sugar Wines began,” she revealed.
The mother of six children who range in age from nine-years-old to nineteen-years-old explained that her business Suga Sugar Wines is a micro business that brews whatever local fruit is in season.
However, we do carry a year-round product like Rice Wine and Ginger Wine. We only carry Rum Punch and Punch De Creme during the Christmas season and these two products are the only two products we carry that are not wines.”
Sobers said her biggest achievement thus far with her business is being able to see the growth she has made in nine months.
“Seeing my hobby grow from single bucket dabbling to bottling, to having a viable business with glass bottles, proper sanitization, labelling and available in shops is awesome, to say the least.”
The owner of Suga Sugar Wines had a bit of advice for anyone seeking to become a business owner, which is to stop thinking about it and do it.
“Stop thinking about it and do it. You do not have to jump headfirst into the unknown. Start the process, do your homework, and just start. There is an old Bajan saying, ‘De world ain’t mek in a day!’ This means you will not get everything done at once. Thus, I say start small and use that fear of failure to fuel your fire.”
What is next for Renee Sobers and Suga Sugar Wines?
“My next goal is to have an online website so people can order wines.” Sobers also wanted to share that she has had great experiences in Canada and is hoping to bring her company Suga Sugar Wines there someday in the not-too-distant future.
“Yes, I have a very special place in my heart for Canada. Visiting the country from the time I was eighteen and staying as long as six months sometimes. I have visited Halifax, Toronto and some places in between. Canada is a beautiful country. I have a goal that our products continue to grow. I am cognizant that at this time my goal to have my products in Canada is a bit unrealistic, as I am still at the baby stages of production. However, I know if I work hard it can become a reality.”
To contact Renee Sobers from Suga Sugar Wines email Sugasugarwines@outlook.com