We were lucky to catch up with Stef Parker recently and have shared our conversation below.

Stef , appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

Many wines offered on store shelves today are produced with fining agents. Fining agents are chemicals used to clarify and clear wines quickly. Some of these are clay based, like bentonite while some are animal product based, like isinglass. I prefer not using fining agents of any type in my Wikkid Eden wines. I only use what nature provides. There will be some sediment as a wine ages. That’s completely natural. And in my opinion enhances the flavor by retaining it. My wines are free from chemicals and animal cruelty, which makes me feel great about the product that I’m offering to my customers.

Stef , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

The year was 2020 and the world was fiercely battling a plague. I came face to face with the thoughts of my own mortality and “What if I die?”. One question that arose from that deep introspection sent shock waves through my entire soul.
“Can you die peacefully knowing that you did your all in this lifetime?”
The answer was “absolutely NOT!”
It was in that moment that I had actually started living and I immediately began working on bringing my lifelong dream of owning a winery to fruition. Through perseverance and believing in myself, The Goth Gardener LLC was born.
I had no idea that when I began this journey that I’d be making history in the State of Georgia as being its first woman winemaker of color. The Winery at MoonLight Manor’ is minority owned, woman owned and Army Combat Veteran owned. My brand Wikkid Eden boasts of 14 TTB (ATF) approved flavors of vegan grape and fruit wines as well as fruit preserves. I also hold wine tastings here at MoonLight on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

I currently sell all my products on my business website TheGothGardener.com, I also have an option for shipping and delivery to certain states, I enjoy having the full control of my business’s shop. It allows me to quickly fill orders and personally address any customer’s questions or requests.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Honestly, Google has been great for my business. I always ask tourists how did they find out about the winery and what I hear most is “I googled winery near me”. I think I’m pretty lucky in that marketing aspect.

Contact Info:

• Website: TheGothGardener.com
• Instagram: The_gothgardener
• Facebook: The Goth Gardener
• Yelp: https://s.yelp.com/6FvdwABE04