Seven Brands, One Table: What the 2022 Record Shows

The documents

On July 19, 2022, an announcement distributed by Dugard Communications introduced the Tennessee Minority-Owned Wine & Spirits Association. It named seven founding brands: Uncle Nearest, Guidance Whiskey, Twisted Sistuhs, Disbelief Tequila, Fiyori Vodka, La Leyenda Mezcal and Reverence Bourbon. It also described a retail collaboration with Last Chance Liquors.

On August 31, 2022, the Nashville Scene reported on the association and on Jason Ridgel's organizing work, providing independent corroboration that the group existed and was active.

What that establishes

It establishes historical participation. Seven brands put their names to a shared effort, and a retailer gave that effort shelf space.

What it does not establish

It does not establish current ownership, current operations, current distribution, current membership, or any schedule of events. Businesses change. People move. Brands pause, grow, change direction and sometimes close.

So this website keeps two things apart. A historical founding record says what the sources say about 2022. A current verified listing says what someone has checked recently and can point to. We will not quietly turn the first into the second.

Why the distinction matters

An industry directory is only useful if a buyer can act on it. If we publish a phone number that stopped working two years ago, we have wasted the buyer's time and spent the founder's credibility. If we publish a 2022 fact as a 2026 fact, we have done worse than that.

The archive has its own value. What one founder learns should not disappear when their business does. Keeping the record straight is how the archive stays worth reading.