November 21, 2025 • 20 mins
What does it take to turn a life once steeped in chaos into a business that bottles peace for others to taste? We sit down with Kitten, founder and CEO of Nelijah One Winery in Akron, Ohio, to unpack how a love of wine, a tough health diagnosis, and a very blunt $300 receipt pushed her to create a low-sulfite, no-hangover wine brand that puts wellbeing first. It’s a story about resilience, flavor, and family—told with laughter, candor, and a few pairing tips you’ll want to save.
Kitten walks us through the earliest experiments, from messy fruit batches and stubborn yeast to a smarter approach with quality grape juice that kept the taste high and the sulfites low. Lupus shaped the process and, in turn, improved the product for everyone who struggles with headaches, heartburn, or next-day fog. We explore ports, ABV awareness, and why dessert wines sing alongside chocolate and cheese. Along the way, seasonal favorites like Black Forest and Caramel Moscato show how scarcity and craft can build real community and demand.
At the heart of it all is legacy. The wines are named after grandkids, and production is a family affair—hair nets, stirring paddles, day-14 transfers, and pride. When flares hit, the kids step in, learning process, patience, and ownership. That same spirit extends to a haircare line inspired by chemo recovery, creating space for the granddaughters to see themselves in the brand. We also talk openly about alcohol as coping: how a beloved bottle can become a quiet signal to check in on ourselves, our receipts, and our rituals.
If you care about health-conscious wine, smarter sipping, and building a business that outlives the founder, this conversation offers both inspiration and practical steps. Taste the difference at thatwine.me or text 330-459-9090, then tell us your favorite flavor. If this story moved you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help more people find their own path from chaos to calm.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Barbara L Parker (00:00):
Welcome to Powerfully Broken Podcast, where
we break unhealthyrelationships that negatively
impact our mental health.
Today I have with me Kitten,our founder and CEO of Nalaja
One Winery, based in Akron,Ohio.
She has gone from being a mamapimp to mama of making sure
everybody has a happy times andno hangovers.
(00:22):
And we're just going to talk alittle bit about starting your
business, growing it, and thengetting to that next level.
Intro (00:47):
Everybody knows when the storm rolling and it's very low.
Hearts feel heavy and you'removing slow.
Tears on your face, but youhide the body.
Barbara L Parker (00:56):
Thank you again for returning and being
with us.
Thank you again for having me.
No problem.
I always love talking to you.
Thank you.
You know you're my sister.
You have a good time.
So your life.
Um, if y'all didn't watch theother episode, go back, go watch
it.
She talks about how she kind ofgrew up in a life of chaos and
(01:17):
she has chosen peace.
So we are in this point of youare transitioning from you no
longer want to be a mama pimp toI need to do something
different.
You were at McDonald's and youfound your husband, and y'all
been together forever.
And in addition to that, youdecided to start a winery.
(01:40):
What made you decide to go downthat?
Kitten (01:45):
Well, um, I love wine.
And, you know, my friends andmy family members always call me
bougie because I would never goto the corner store to buy
nothing to drink.
I'm like, I'm not gonna buythat stuff.
I needed to go like to liquorstore and get wines and you
know, my alcohol.
Only thing I did get from thecorner store, from the woo-woo,
(02:07):
like shout out to Edgewood, wasthe um Jim Bean and Cola in the
can.
Those became my best friendsbecause I love them.
But in the meantime, I met myhusband.
Well, I met him in school atBook Though, and his mom worked
at McDonald's with me, so we gottogether, and I'm buying wine,
and I'm just drinking, having agood time, having friends over,
(02:29):
and we having a good time.
And then one day my husband'slike, Do you know you spend like
$300 every other week on wine?
And I'm like, No, I don't.
He's like, Yeah, you do.
Here's your receipt.
And so when he pulled thereceipt, I'm like, no, he's not
pulling receipts out on me.
But then I'm thinking, like,but it's my money.
You know, I go to work, I makemy money, however, I spend my
(02:51):
money, I spend my money.
I don't say nothing when hebuys all his DJ stuff.
Don't say nothing when I'mentertaining myself.
But so I look at the the umreceipt and it was $300.
And I was like, oh my god, $300every other week?
I'm like, no wonder I can't getrich, you know?
So I started thinking, like,yeah, it gotta be a better way
(03:14):
for me to get my wine.
And so um, I'm like, well, youknow, I'm gonna go ahead and
start making it.
And so I started going todifferent wineries, asking how
you do this, how you do that.
And a lot of them was like, uh,we don't know you.
We're not about to tell you howwe make wine.
So you can go home and makewine and take our customers.
(03:35):
But I mean, it's enough peoplethat if I tell you how to make
it, tell you how to make it, weall gonna find somebody else to
drink.
You know what I'm saying?
Everybody's gonna drink.
It's like all the differentflavors of water.
You know what I mean?
Different bottles you got onthe shelves of water.
Barbara L Parker (03:51):
Yeah.
Kitten (03:51):
Wine, you know, it's just how you present yourself.
So I went to um a place inCleveland, I don't remember the
name of it, and they made abatch of wine for me.
And so I'm like, okay, so howdo you do it?
I said, it seemed like it'spretty simple.
And so she started telling medifferent things.
So I trial and error, you know,and um I started out with the
(04:12):
fruit.
It was hard, it was disgusting.
The wine was good, but just,you know, I'm like, I don't like
to get my hands too messy.
You have to squeeze that fruit,and I don't like the way the
yeast smells, so I'm like, I'mdone with that.
So I found I Googled some otherstuff, and I found you can do
it with um wine or grape juice.
So I'm not wine you makingwine, but grape juice, you know.
(04:35):
And so that's what I starteddoing.
So after like trial and error,trial and error, I'm like, here,
come over and try this, trythis.
And everybody's like, oh yeah,that's good.
So once I got a recipe down, Ijust like tweak it every now and
then, and here we have ElijahWine wines.
So, and I've been doing it forfour years, been um in business
(04:56):
for three, and the the wine isnamed after my grandsons.
So um it's Nelijah wine becauseNathan Elijah and Kamarian.
And Eli is the oldest, so hekind of trying to figure out why
his name wasn't first.
But I couldn't work it, youknow, work it in.
They put him first, so Elijahwon.
(05:17):
Now I have another grandson andanother one on the way.
So I'm gonna have to figure outwhere we put them in.
But I do make cocktails, so a Cand D cocktails to get Khalil
and Dier Jr.
in there.
So you know.
Barbara L Parker (05:30):
And you have ports as well.
So it's not just these lovelyflavors, which I think we have
the mango my thai, the caramelmoscato, the regular moscato,
and blue berry, proud Mary, andthe pomegranate.
And that's only six of the 31flavors.
Now, you retire flavors and youbring them back seasonal.
(05:53):
There's one that I'm alwayslike, excuse me, um I know it's
getting to be about that time.
Kitten (05:58):
The Black Forest.
Yes.
And you know, it's almost halfgone already now.
Barbara L Parker (06:02):
So you so you did not I mean I got some put
up, but you really played melike that on on camera from the
people.
Kitten (06:10):
This is living in our truth, right?
I'm just saying.
I when I called you, I calledyou and you was like, oh, I
still got some worry.
I'm like, oh, okay, well, youknow, I ain't gonna push you on.
I gave up that like that in theconversation that it was the
good stuff.
Listen, I gave up pushingdrugs, okay?
I ain't gonna push you.
If I call you, hey.
(06:31):
You supposed to say, hey, I gotthe mops.
Barbara L Parker (06:34):
I got the mops.
I got the good stuff.
Now you got the other stuff,but I know you ran out of this.
Kitten (06:39):
But I do have some.
I have um, I have enough foryou to get you normally get your
six.
I got enough, maybe.
Six.
I know, but I'm I'm tellingyou.
Sorry, y'all.
I got toasted caramel too.
It's not the black forest, Iknow, but I guess I have to give
you I have to take the you needto come and taste some of the
other parts because you knowthey're good.
(07:01):
Y'all come taste them, they'regood.
They're good, you know.
Then the seasons, you know,seasons change.
The toasted caramel though isreally my favorite.
Barbara L Parker (07:10):
It is, it is good.
The black black forest, you andmy husband love that.
But you know, I'm a sellercherry girl, so like that's my
coping strategy, and I get tohave it in wine form.
So, like, when people begetting on my nerves, I just
crack open my little pour it inmy glass, and I'm just like plus
it's 18%, so that can help too.
So, you know, what hey.
(07:31):
And it helps that Mary don'tlike chocolate.
So she ain't getting.
I got I got the toasted caramelfor Mary over there.
Kitten (07:37):
There you go.
Okay, okay, yeah.
Hey, we're here to serve, youknow.
Like you said, take you to yourhappy place.
I can't provide them happyendings, you know.
You gotta get that on your own,but I can get you halfway
there, you know.
Barbara L Parker (07:50):
Yes, for sure.
Kitten (07:51):
We do have a new flavor that I don't think you tried.
The King Vine.
I don't think I tried that one.
He's delicious.
You know, King Vine is myfavorite guy right now because
everybody says he looks like mymy youngest son.
And I shouldn't say thatbecause my kids believe my
youngest son is my golden child,my favorite.
I love them all the same, youknow.
Tell them all the same.
(08:12):
But we tell all our kids.
Right.
But if they want to know myfavorites, it's my grandkids,
you know, right?
Barbara L Parker (08:18):
I told them that.
I was like, my favorite kid isthe one I'm talking to, or the
one that is still little.
There you go.
Kitten (08:26):
And you can send them home with your own kids.
You gotta put up with themheadaches and you can't kill
them.
You know, you can choke them alittle bit, but you can't kill
them.
But hey, you know, but so butKing Vine is my favorite guy
right now because because of mebeing in the hood in the
streets, I can relate to hismusic.
Yeah.
And you know, and my grandkids,my granddaughter, she's 14, had
(08:48):
nurse tell me I don't need tolisten to King Vine.
She told me I need to belistening to Marvin Sapp.
I never would have made it.
I'm like, Lord, if they onlyknew the life I live.
That's why King Vine is sorelatable to me, because I, you
know, I I can understand hisstories.
I've been there, done that.
Yeah.
You know, but the wine isdelicious.
(09:08):
Come get some.
Ad (09:09):
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Now back to our program.
Barbara L Parker (09:41):
And you have a THC um line of products as
well.
So, yeah.
So part of how you tweak yourrecipe has to do with their
health.
So your wine is a lot differentthan some of the other ones.
And it does one of the thingsthat has the health benefit also
(10:02):
ended up making it wherethere's not a hangover.
So tell me a little bit aboutyour struggles with their health
and how balance and all that,because sometimes when your
health is, you don't have thestrength to do stuff.
Right.
And you gotta try and figure itout or take care of yourself.
Kitten (10:20):
So and see, I have lupus, so my wines, when I make
it, I don't put as much umpreservatives and sulfites in
there.
So it doesn't agitate my lupus.
Because a lot of people won'tdrink wine because of all the
you know adjectives in there,because it might cause
headaches, hangovers, upsetstomachs, uh, heartburn.
My wines does not do thatbecause like I said, I have
(10:42):
lupus.
And with me having lupus, Imight have a flare-up where I
can't, you know, mix my stufftogether, move my heavy buckets
or whatever.
So I've taught my grandchildrenand my family members how to do
it.
My 14-year-old, if she comeshere right now, you can give her
a jug of juice, and she canmake wine, you know, without
looking at the note, she knows.
(11:04):
Even when um I'm sick, she'llcall me, like, hey, granny, it's
day 14, time to move the wine.
Now I get up at 4 o'clock inthe morning.
Nine times by the time shecalls me, I've already done it.
So some I had to learn to leavesome stuff to the side so she
can come in and do it.
And then the boys, you know,they're the oldest grandson is
(11:24):
10.
So, you know, I let them comein and do their little stirring
and draining and all that.
And that yeast takes a lot toget used to that smell.
But they're like, oh, granny,it it's stinking here, you know.
It's smell like eggs orsomething.
Like, yeah, that's the yeast.
But then I say, okay, y'allready to make it, they're like,
uh, what stage is it in?
We're gonna smell the yeast.
(11:45):
I'm like, I'm like, yeah,you're gonna smell the yeast.
That's a part of it.
But they get right in there,wash them hands, put their
little sleeves up, little hairnets, and then they're stirring
away, looking like, you know,little oopa loopas from the
Willy Wonka factory, but they beready, you know.
They'll call me and say, HeyGray, you got any wine to make?
I'm like, uh, not yet, nottoday.
(12:06):
But, you know, they're ready togo.
Like when I'm gone, I want themto be able to have that and you
know, take different flavors.
And all my wines, like most ofthem have been named after
people.
And um, like my balloons, I dothat every year.
But one day my name might be onthe label, you know.
I want them to be like, say,well, my grandma taught us this,
(12:28):
and this is her wine, and youknow, it becomes a top seller.
So, you know, I had to dosomething to leave for them when
I'm gone, other than justmemories, you know, something
positive.
Barbara L Parker (12:39):
So by you choosing peace over chaos and
creating this line, you are nowteaching your grandkids about
legacy.
Right.
You're teaching them theprocess by the time they get old
enough to be part of thiscorporation, because I know it's
gonna grow.
Kitten (12:55):
Right.
Barbara L Parker (12:56):
Because you got people coming from out of
state to cases and cases ofwine.
So I already know that this weat the beginning stages.
Right.
But when we look at this thingin 20 years, they'll understand
the process and how to navigatethe business.
Right.
Now, it has not always beensmooth selling.
(13:18):
When I met you, it was just ona random humbug, hey, come taste
my wine.
And we park a lot pimping.
And uh I'm like, oh well, letme taste this one too.
Well, can't okay, and we justit in the back of I think we
were at a networking event andyou were late.
Yeah, you end up not evenparticipating in the networking
(13:40):
event.
Well, because I wasn't invited.
I was here for my sister.
Kitten (13:43):
Oh, yeah, yeah.
I was here for my sister.
And yeah, and then she came tothe car.
She thought I was gettingjumped.
She really did.
She thought I was gettingjumped because I was surrounded.
Oh, yeah.
I'm like, girl, them days isover.
Barbara L Parker (13:55):
I ain't never getting jumped again.
You know.
Yeah, she was sitting in theredrinking with us.
Right.
The next day y'all came to thehouse.
We had a uh wine party becauseit was, uh I think I had in my
house for maybe, I don't know, Iwas just trying to think of an
event and I was like, I don'tknow why I'm gonna have
everybody over.
And your wine gave me a reasonto have everybody over.
Kitten (14:16):
That's what you said.
So me and my sister, we laughedabout that.
And she, like my kids, myhusband, they say, everywhere
you go, you meet people.
And like when I said about thispodcast, I'm like, well, I'm
not a public speaker.
I don't want to, I don't liketalking to people, but
everywhere I go, I meet people.
And you were so funny, welaughed because she was like,
girl, she don't even know youinviting you to your to her
(14:37):
house.
I'm like, man, she got a goodspirit.
We're gonna be okay.
We good.
We good.
Yeah.
Um, who knew we was gonna be atyour house all night, drinking,
having a good time, and thefood was amazing to mine.
Barbara L Parker (14:50):
But you taught me about how to pair wine and
cheese, and all I had never evenheard of mustard cheese.
And I was like, oh, this isgood, isn't it?
And Aguda, yes.
So yeah, I was doing real nice.
Yes.
And with the chocolate.
Right?
It was because you know, withports, you have to have a
(15:11):
sweeter.
A dessert wine wine.
Kitten (15:15):
Yeah.
So is Moscato.
A lot of people don't know thattoo, you know, with black
people.
We just, oh, it's a bottle.
Right.
Drinking it.
Oh, I'm supposed to drink thiswith a vegetable, or I'm
supposed to drink this with a uha sweet, or I'm supposed to
have a brownie.
Oh no, just give me a cup, I'mgood, you know.
Right, they be like, oh, I'mgonna drink Taylor with
everything.
Taylor port, let me just I getso offensive when offended when
(15:40):
people be like, oh, you makeTaylor port?
No, I do not.
Taylor port is not actuallylike a drinking wine, it's a
cooking wine.
Yeah.
And people drink and get sickand be like, oh my God, what
happened?
Because you're not supposed todrink it like that.
And if you drink it, again, I'mtalking about my own folks now,
so I don't want black peoplecoming at me talking, oh, I'm
(16:02):
talking about my own folks.
My family, me.
You're supposed to drink it inshots.
All ports are in shots.
18% alcohol.
You're supposed to have a shot.
Wine, you're supposed to have afive-ounce glass.
You know, us, we go get the biguh the big gulps from the or
circle K, get those big supergulps and all them big biggest
(16:25):
glass you got in the house anddrink a whole glass or a whole
bottle of wine at one time.
I'm not supposed to do that.
Yeah.
You know, but the way I make mywine, it's safe to do it.
You're not gonna pass out,you're not gonna hang a had a
hang over the next day.
But you're supposed to drinkwine and anything in moderation.
Right.
But ports are supposed to belittle shots, you know.
(16:47):
But when you try to tellpeople, girl, uh-uh, give me, I
need more, I need more of that.
Because it's good.
Barbara L Parker (16:52):
It's like you drinking candy sometimes.
Kitten (16:55):
So yes.
But you know, anything that'sgood has to be done in
moderation because it's not goodfor you all the time.
Yeah.
Barbara L Parker (17:03):
So in you being who you are, having this
wonderful loving spirit, andtaking care of other people, um,
and just, you know, there'sbeen days where I just pop up
because you didn't call me andsay, um, you alright?
(17:24):
You ain't got your case thisweek.
Cause I think when we met, Iwas in this period, I can't say
I I think I was, I know I was inthis period of where I was
struggling with some things.
And so your wine became thatbright spot.
But when I started getting themcalls consistently, it was like
(17:46):
a red flag that um we mighthave a small problem.
Yes.
Um, because I think I wasdrinking like a case a week or
every two weeks.
I don't remember.
I know you was buying a lot,but I didn't know you was
drinking like that.
Well, my kids probably was uhstealing some of it too.
I realized that after a while.
I was like, I know I hit thiscase over here.
(18:09):
Right.
And it's now empty.
So I probably have more help,but they but either way.
Kitten (18:14):
Yeah, but like I said before I started making my own.
I was buying $300 worth ofwine, drinking it, you know.
So you can do it like that.
Yeah.
Barbara L Parker (18:24):
Especially when you don't get sick
afterwards.
It makes sense.
Right.
It don't have none of theconsequences, unfortunately.
Kitten (18:28):
To remind you like you start looking at your receipts.
Barbara L Parker (18:32):
That part.
Um, so how do they find yourwine?
How do they find you, get incontact with you?
Kitten (18:40):
So my phone number is 330-459-9090 9090, class of 90.
That's when I'm graduated.
And I do have a website calledthatwine.me.
You know, I picked that becausewhen you think about, remember
that wine we had?
That wine, yeah, that wine wasdelicious.
So that wine.me.
So when you get the wine, youthink about the wine and think
(19:01):
about me.
Okay.
Make it simple.
Barbara L Parker (19:04):
All right.
So um, again, this wine isamazing.
Um, it's 31 flavors.
Get your favorite flavorbecause it's about to go out of
stock.
So somebody is buying a case ofthat same wine you done bought
one bottle.
Right.
So you better buy all thebottles you can of that wine.
(19:25):
There you go.
Because she may stop making it.
Kitten (19:29):
And before we go about the wine, because I do have
granddaughters, and they seem tobe feeling like left out.
The friends be like, what aboutthe granddaughters?
I make my own hair grease,because you know, I was on
chemo, my hair fell out.
So now my hair is growing, it'shealthy.
I make my own grease.
And it's named after mygranddaughter's um Queen Ayani's
crown.
So I got all my granddaughtersin there, just like I did with
(19:53):
my grandson.
So I do have hair grease too.
Yeah.
Barbara L Parker (19:57):
So you just got multiple businesses.
Kitten (19:59):
Y'all gotta catch the fleet.
We had to you had to do that tostack that dough, you know.
Barbara L Parker (20:04):
You're over there looking like Scrooge
McDuck.
There you go.
Swimmy.
All right.
You guys, thank you for yourtime and see you on our next
episode.
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BF Empowerment Center helpsindividuals break barriers,
build healthier relationships,and unlock their true potential
for lasting transformation.
Follow at Queen BL Parker or atBF Empowerment.
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(20:40):
Powerfully Broken Podcast.
Airing every Friday at 9 a.m.
Powerfully Broken empowers youto overcome unhealthy
relationships that negativelyimpact your mental health.
Intro (20:53):
Powerfully broken, but never
Welcome to Powerfully Broken Podcast, where
we break unhealthyrelationships that negatively
impact our mental health.
Today I have with me Kitten,our founder and CEO of Nalaja
One Winery, based in Akron,Ohio.
She has gone from being a mamapimp to mama of making sure
everybody has a happy times andno hangovers.
(00:22):
And we're just going to talk alittle bit about starting your
business, growing it, and thengetting to that next level.
Intro (00:47):
Everybody knows when the storm rolling and it's very low.
Hearts feel heavy and you'removing slow.
Tears on your face, but youhide the body.
Barbara L Parker (00:56):
Thank you again for returning and being
with us.
Thank you again for having me.
No problem.
I always love talking to you.
Thank you.
You know you're my sister.
You have a good time.
So your life.
Um, if y'all didn't watch theother episode, go back, go watch
it.
She talks about how she kind ofgrew up in a life of chaos and
(01:17):
she has chosen peace.
So we are in this point of youare transitioning from you no
longer want to be a mama pimp toI need to do something
different.
You were at McDonald's and youfound your husband, and y'all
been together forever.
And in addition to that, youdecided to start a winery.
(01:40):
What made you decide to go downthat?
Kitten (01:45):
Well, um, I love wine.
And, you know, my friends andmy family members always call me
bougie because I would never goto the corner store to buy
nothing to drink.
I'm like, I'm not gonna buythat stuff.
I needed to go like to liquorstore and get wines and you
know, my alcohol.
Only thing I did get from thecorner store, from the woo-woo,
(02:07):
like shout out to Edgewood, wasthe um Jim Bean and Cola in the
can.
Those became my best friendsbecause I love them.
But in the meantime, I met myhusband.
Well, I met him in school atBook Though, and his mom worked
at McDonald's with me, so we gottogether, and I'm buying wine,
and I'm just drinking, having agood time, having friends over,
(02:29):
and we having a good time.
And then one day my husband'slike, Do you know you spend like
$300 every other week on wine?
And I'm like, No, I don't.
He's like, Yeah, you do.
Here's your receipt.
And so when he pulled thereceipt, I'm like, no, he's not
pulling receipts out on me.
But then I'm thinking, like,but it's my money.
You know, I go to work, I makemy money, however, I spend my
(02:51):
money, I spend my money.
I don't say nothing when hebuys all his DJ stuff.
Don't say nothing when I'mentertaining myself.
But so I look at the the umreceipt and it was $300.
And I was like, oh my god, $300every other week?
I'm like, no wonder I can't getrich, you know?
So I started thinking, like,yeah, it gotta be a better way
(03:14):
for me to get my wine.
And so um, I'm like, well, youknow, I'm gonna go ahead and
start making it.
And so I started going todifferent wineries, asking how
you do this, how you do that.
And a lot of them was like, uh,we don't know you.
We're not about to tell you howwe make wine.
So you can go home and makewine and take our customers.
(03:35):
But I mean, it's enough peoplethat if I tell you how to make
it, tell you how to make it, weall gonna find somebody else to
drink.
You know what I'm saying?
Everybody's gonna drink.
It's like all the differentflavors of water.
You know what I mean?
Different bottles you got onthe shelves of water.
Barbara L Parker (03:51):
Yeah.
Kitten (03:51):
Wine, you know, it's just how you present yourself.
So I went to um a place inCleveland, I don't remember the
name of it, and they made abatch of wine for me.
And so I'm like, okay, so howdo you do it?
I said, it seemed like it'spretty simple.
And so she started telling medifferent things.
So I trial and error, you know,and um I started out with the
(04:12):
fruit.
It was hard, it was disgusting.
The wine was good, but just,you know, I'm like, I don't like
to get my hands too messy.
You have to squeeze that fruit,and I don't like the way the
yeast smells, so I'm like, I'mdone with that.
So I found I Googled some otherstuff, and I found you can do
it with um wine or grape juice.
So I'm not wine you makingwine, but grape juice, you know.
(04:35):
And so that's what I starteddoing.
So after like trial and error,trial and error, I'm like, here,
come over and try this, trythis.
And everybody's like, oh yeah,that's good.
So once I got a recipe down, Ijust like tweak it every now and
then, and here we have ElijahWine wines.
So, and I've been doing it forfour years, been um in business
(04:56):
for three, and the the wine isnamed after my grandsons.
So um it's Nelijah wine becauseNathan Elijah and Kamarian.
And Eli is the oldest, so hekind of trying to figure out why
his name wasn't first.
But I couldn't work it, youknow, work it in.
They put him first, so Elijahwon.
(05:17):
Now I have another grandson andanother one on the way.
So I'm gonna have to figure outwhere we put them in.
But I do make cocktails, so a Cand D cocktails to get Khalil
and Dier Jr.
in there.
So you know.
Barbara L Parker (05:30):
And you have ports as well.
So it's not just these lovelyflavors, which I think we have
the mango my thai, the caramelmoscato, the regular moscato,
and blue berry, proud Mary, andthe pomegranate.
And that's only six of the 31flavors.
Now, you retire flavors and youbring them back seasonal.
(05:53):
There's one that I'm alwayslike, excuse me, um I know it's
getting to be about that time.
Kitten (05:58):
The Black Forest.
Yes.
And you know, it's almost halfgone already now.
Barbara L Parker (06:02):
So you so you did not I mean I got some put
up, but you really played melike that on on camera from the
people.
Kitten (06:10):
This is living in our truth, right?
I'm just saying.
I when I called you, I calledyou and you was like, oh, I
still got some worry.
I'm like, oh, okay, well, youknow, I ain't gonna push you on.
I gave up that like that in theconversation that it was the
good stuff.
Listen, I gave up pushingdrugs, okay?
I ain't gonna push you.
If I call you, hey.
(06:31):
You supposed to say, hey, I gotthe mops.
Barbara L Parker (06:34):
I got the mops.
I got the good stuff.
Now you got the other stuff,but I know you ran out of this.
Kitten (06:39):
But I do have some.
I have um, I have enough foryou to get you normally get your
six.
I got enough, maybe.
Six.
I know, but I'm I'm tellingyou.
Sorry, y'all.
I got toasted caramel too.
It's not the black forest, Iknow, but I guess I have to give
you I have to take the you needto come and taste some of the
other parts because you knowthey're good.
(07:01):
Y'all come taste them, they'regood.
They're good, you know.
Then the seasons, you know,seasons change.
The toasted caramel though isreally my favorite.
Barbara L Parker (07:10):
It is, it is good.
The black black forest, you andmy husband love that.
But you know, I'm a sellercherry girl, so like that's my
coping strategy, and I get tohave it in wine form.
So, like, when people begetting on my nerves, I just
crack open my little pour it inmy glass, and I'm just like plus
it's 18%, so that can help too.
So, you know, what hey.
(07:31):
And it helps that Mary don'tlike chocolate.
So she ain't getting.
I got I got the toasted caramelfor Mary over there.
Kitten (07:37):
There you go.
Okay, okay, yeah.
Hey, we're here to serve, youknow.
Like you said, take you to yourhappy place.
I can't provide them happyendings, you know.
You gotta get that on your own,but I can get you halfway
there, you know.
Barbara L Parker (07:50):
Yes, for sure.
Kitten (07:51):
We do have a new flavor that I don't think you tried.
The King Vine.
I don't think I tried that one.
He's delicious.
You know, King Vine is myfavorite guy right now because
everybody says he looks like mymy youngest son.
And I shouldn't say thatbecause my kids believe my
youngest son is my golden child,my favorite.
I love them all the same, youknow.
Tell them all the same.
(08:12):
But we tell all our kids.
Right.
But if they want to know myfavorites, it's my grandkids,
you know, right?
Barbara L Parker (08:18):
I told them that.
I was like, my favorite kid isthe one I'm talking to, or the
one that is still little.
There you go.
Kitten (08:26):
And you can send them home with your own kids.
You gotta put up with themheadaches and you can't kill
them.
You know, you can choke them alittle bit, but you can't kill
them.
But hey, you know, but so butKing Vine is my favorite guy
right now because because of mebeing in the hood in the
streets, I can relate to hismusic.
Yeah.
And you know, and my grandkids,my granddaughter, she's 14, had
(08:48):
nurse tell me I don't need tolisten to King Vine.
She told me I need to belistening to Marvin Sapp.
I never would have made it.
I'm like, Lord, if they onlyknew the life I live.
That's why King Vine is sorelatable to me, because I, you
know, I I can understand hisstories.
I've been there, done that.
Yeah.
You know, but the wine isdelicious.
(09:08):
Come get some.
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Now back to our program.
Barbara L Parker (09:41):
And you have a THC um line of products as
well.
So, yeah.
So part of how you tweak yourrecipe has to do with their
health.
So your wine is a lot differentthan some of the other ones.
And it does one of the thingsthat has the health benefit also
(10:02):
ended up making it wherethere's not a hangover.
So tell me a little bit aboutyour struggles with their health
and how balance and all that,because sometimes when your
health is, you don't have thestrength to do stuff.
Right.
And you gotta try and figure itout or take care of yourself.
Kitten (10:20):
So and see, I have lupus, so my wines, when I make
it, I don't put as much umpreservatives and sulfites in
there.
So it doesn't agitate my lupus.
Because a lot of people won'tdrink wine because of all the
you know adjectives in there,because it might cause
headaches, hangovers, upsetstomachs, uh, heartburn.
My wines does not do thatbecause like I said, I have
(10:42):
lupus.
And with me having lupus, Imight have a flare-up where I
can't, you know, mix my stufftogether, move my heavy buckets
or whatever.
So I've taught my grandchildrenand my family members how to do
it.
My 14-year-old, if she comeshere right now, you can give her
a jug of juice, and she canmake wine, you know, without
looking at the note, she knows.
(11:04):
Even when um I'm sick, she'llcall me, like, hey, granny, it's
day 14, time to move the wine.
Now I get up at 4 o'clock inthe morning.
Nine times by the time shecalls me, I've already done it.
So some I had to learn to leavesome stuff to the side so she
can come in and do it.
And then the boys, you know,they're the oldest grandson is
(11:24):
10.
So, you know, I let them comein and do their little stirring
and draining and all that.
And that yeast takes a lot toget used to that smell.
But they're like, oh, granny,it it's stinking here, you know.
It's smell like eggs orsomething.
Like, yeah, that's the yeast.
But then I say, okay, y'allready to make it, they're like,
uh, what stage is it in?
We're gonna smell the yeast.
(11:45):
I'm like, I'm like, yeah,you're gonna smell the yeast.
That's a part of it.
But they get right in there,wash them hands, put their
little sleeves up, little hairnets, and then they're stirring
away, looking like, you know,little oopa loopas from the
Willy Wonka factory, but they beready, you know.
They'll call me and say, HeyGray, you got any wine to make?
I'm like, uh, not yet, nottoday.
(12:06):
But, you know, they're ready togo.
Like when I'm gone, I want themto be able to have that and you
know, take different flavors.
And all my wines, like most ofthem have been named after
people.
And um, like my balloons, I dothat every year.
But one day my name might be onthe label, you know.
I want them to be like, say,well, my grandma taught us this,
(12:28):
and this is her wine, and youknow, it becomes a top seller.
So, you know, I had to dosomething to leave for them when
I'm gone, other than justmemories, you know, something
positive.
Barbara L Parker (12:39):
So by you choosing peace over chaos and
creating this line, you are nowteaching your grandkids about
legacy.
Right.
You're teaching them theprocess by the time they get old
enough to be part of thiscorporation, because I know it's
gonna grow.
Kitten (12:55):
Right.
Barbara L Parker (12:56):
Because you got people coming from out of
state to cases and cases ofwine.
So I already know that this weat the beginning stages.
Right.
But when we look at this thingin 20 years, they'll understand
the process and how to navigatethe business.
Right.
Now, it has not always beensmooth selling.
(13:18):
When I met you, it was just ona random humbug, hey, come taste
my wine.
And we park a lot pimping.
And uh I'm like, oh well, letme taste this one too.
Well, can't okay, and we justit in the back of I think we
were at a networking event andyou were late.
Yeah, you end up not evenparticipating in the networking
(13:40):
event.
Well, because I wasn't invited.
I was here for my sister.
Kitten (13:43):
Oh, yeah, yeah.
I was here for my sister.
And yeah, and then she came tothe car.
She thought I was gettingjumped.
She really did.
She thought I was gettingjumped because I was surrounded.
Oh, yeah.
I'm like, girl, them days isover.
Barbara L Parker (13:55):
I ain't never getting jumped again.
You know.
Yeah, she was sitting in theredrinking with us.
Right.
The next day y'all came to thehouse.
We had a uh wine party becauseit was, uh I think I had in my
house for maybe, I don't know, Iwas just trying to think of an
event and I was like, I don'tknow why I'm gonna have
everybody over.
And your wine gave me a reasonto have everybody over.
Kitten (14:16):
That's what you said.
So me and my sister, we laughedabout that.
And she, like my kids, myhusband, they say, everywhere
you go, you meet people.
And like when I said about thispodcast, I'm like, well, I'm
not a public speaker.
I don't want to, I don't liketalking to people, but
everywhere I go, I meet people.
And you were so funny, welaughed because she was like,
girl, she don't even know youinviting you to your to her
(14:37):
house.
I'm like, man, she got a goodspirit.
We're gonna be okay.
We good.
We good.
Yeah.
Um, who knew we was gonna be atyour house all night, drinking,
having a good time, and thefood was amazing to mine.
Barbara L Parker (14:50):
But you taught me about how to pair wine and
cheese, and all I had never evenheard of mustard cheese.
And I was like, oh, this isgood, isn't it?
And Aguda, yes.
So yeah, I was doing real nice.
Yes.
And with the chocolate.
Right?
It was because you know, withports, you have to have a
(15:11):
sweeter.
A dessert wine wine.
Kitten (15:15):
Yeah.
So is Moscato.
A lot of people don't know thattoo, you know, with black
people.
We just, oh, it's a bottle.
Right.
Drinking it.
Oh, I'm supposed to drink thiswith a vegetable, or I'm
supposed to drink this with a uha sweet, or I'm supposed to
have a brownie.
Oh no, just give me a cup, I'mgood, you know.
Right, they be like, oh, I'mgonna drink Taylor with
everything.
Taylor port, let me just I getso offensive when offended when
(15:40):
people be like, oh, you makeTaylor port?
No, I do not.
Taylor port is not actuallylike a drinking wine, it's a
cooking wine.
Yeah.
And people drink and get sickand be like, oh my God, what
happened?
Because you're not supposed todrink it like that.
And if you drink it, again, I'mtalking about my own folks now,
so I don't want black peoplecoming at me talking, oh, I'm
(16:02):
talking about my own folks.
My family, me.
You're supposed to drink it inshots.
All ports are in shots.
18% alcohol.
You're supposed to have a shot.
Wine, you're supposed to have afive-ounce glass.
You know, us, we go get the biguh the big gulps from the or
circle K, get those big supergulps and all them big biggest
(16:25):
glass you got in the house anddrink a whole glass or a whole
bottle of wine at one time.
I'm not supposed to do that.
Yeah.
You know, but the way I make mywine, it's safe to do it.
You're not gonna pass out,you're not gonna hang a had a
hang over the next day.
But you're supposed to drinkwine and anything in moderation.
Right.
But ports are supposed to belittle shots, you know.
(16:47):
But when you try to tellpeople, girl, uh-uh, give me, I
need more, I need more of that.
Because it's good.
Barbara L Parker (16:52):
It's like you drinking candy sometimes.
Kitten (16:55):
So yes.
But you know, anything that'sgood has to be done in
moderation because it's not goodfor you all the time.
Yeah.
Barbara L Parker (17:03):
So in you being who you are, having this
wonderful loving spirit, andtaking care of other people, um,
and just, you know, there'sbeen days where I just pop up
because you didn't call me andsay, um, you alright?
(17:24):
You ain't got your case thisweek.
Cause I think when we met, Iwas in this period, I can't say
I I think I was, I know I was inthis period of where I was
struggling with some things.
And so your wine became thatbright spot.
But when I started getting themcalls consistently, it was like
(17:46):
a red flag that um we mighthave a small problem.
Yes.
Um, because I think I wasdrinking like a case a week or
every two weeks.
I don't remember.
I know you was buying a lot,but I didn't know you was
drinking like that.
Well, my kids probably was uhstealing some of it too.
I realized that after a while.
I was like, I know I hit thiscase over here.
(18:09):
Right.
And it's now empty.
So I probably have more help,but they but either way.
Kitten (18:14):
Yeah, but like I said before I started making my own.
I was buying $300 worth ofwine, drinking it, you know.
So you can do it like that.
Yeah.
Barbara L Parker (18:24):
Especially when you don't get sick
afterwards.
It makes sense.
Right.
It don't have none of theconsequences, unfortunately.
Kitten (18:28):
To remind you like you start looking at your receipts.
Barbara L Parker (18:32):
That part.
Um, so how do they find yourwine?
How do they find you, get incontact with you?
Kitten (18:40):
So my phone number is 330-459-9090 9090, class of 90.
That's when I'm graduated.
And I do have a website calledthatwine.me.
You know, I picked that becausewhen you think about, remember
that wine we had?
That wine, yeah, that wine wasdelicious.
So that wine.me.
So when you get the wine, youthink about the wine and think
(19:01):
about me.
Okay.
Make it simple.
Barbara L Parker (19:04):
All right.
So um, again, this wine isamazing.
Um, it's 31 flavors.
Get your favorite flavorbecause it's about to go out of
stock.
So somebody is buying a case ofthat same wine you done bought
one bottle.
Right.
So you better buy all thebottles you can of that wine.
(19:25):
There you go.
Because she may stop making it.
Kitten (19:29):
And before we go about the wine, because I do have
granddaughters, and they seem tobe feeling like left out.
The friends be like, what aboutthe granddaughters?
I make my own hair grease,because you know, I was on
chemo, my hair fell out.
So now my hair is growing, it'shealthy.
I make my own grease.
And it's named after mygranddaughter's um Queen Ayani's
crown.
So I got all my granddaughtersin there, just like I did with
(19:53):
my grandson.
So I do have hair grease too.
Yeah.
Barbara L Parker (19:57):
So you just got multiple businesses.
Kitten (19:59):
Y'all gotta catch the fleet.
We had to you had to do that tostack that dough, you know.
Barbara L Parker (20:04):
You're over there looking like Scrooge
McDuck.
There you go.
Swimmy.
All right.
You guys, thank you for yourtime and see you on our next
episode.
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build healthier relationships,and unlock their true potential
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