Robin grew up in Monterey on California’s Central Coast; Andréa grew up in Marlborough, Aotearoa New Zealand. Each believed she was an only child until family connected them. Their timeline dates their first meeting to 1999 at LaGuardia Airport.
Those two coastal regions became the organizing idea for wines made on opposite sides of the Pacific. The company uses “Aotearoa New Zealand,” pairing the Māori name with the country’s English name.
The official team page identifies Robin as co-founder and an entrepreneur focused on building the business across more than two decades. It identifies Andréa as co-founder and CEO. Secondary reporting has described Robin’s operational focus and Andréa’s New Zealand and market-facing perspective, but neither sister should be reduced to one task.
The company calls itself the largest Black-owned and women-founded U.S. wine company. A 2020 Wine Spectator report tied the by-volume claim to 35,000 retail cases in 12 months. Use the claim only with its source, measure and date.
The sisters established the SHE CAN Fund in 2019 and report scholarships, grants, training and an HBCU partnership with Southern University. Obtain a current fund report before publishing totals.
In January 2023, the sisters acquired M Ranch, a 12-acre vineyard property in Napa’s Carneros district. Their timeline records a first harvest later that year and ongoing restoration. Food & Wine reported plans for a company, creative and educational home base.
M Ranch adds land stewardship to a business that began with importing and sourced fruit. It does not make every McBride Sisters wine a Napa estate wine.
The official site offers shopping, a store locator, club membership and events, but no standing M Ranch tasting schedule was verified. Television visits and private gatherings do not prove walk-in access. Do not navigate there without a confirmed invitation.