Baltimore’s Philosophy makes inroads in once exclusive industry

Kimberly Tenice Johnson and Denise Roles Matthews are statistical outliers in the wine world. They’re Black. They’re women. Their winery is based not only in Maryland, but in Baltimore. All of the above put them in lanes not exactly overflowing with company in the industry. Yet Philosophy — the winery the women launched in 2018 — has already scored silver and bronze medals in the Maryland Governor’s Cup Competition. They sell via farmers markets, festivals, an online shop and a handful of locations like Baltimore’s Off the Rox. And they have high hopes for this year’s harvest, which is winding down across the state.