She Built What She Couldn’t Find: How Chrishon Lampley Is Redefining the Wine Industry

• Inspiring Stories

She Built What She Couldn’t Find: How Chrishon Lampley Is Redefining the Wine Industry

Women’s history doesn’t just live in textbooks; it lives in decisions, in the quiet moments when a woman realizes no one is coming to create space for her, so she creates it herself. For Chrishon Lampley, that realization didn’t come all at once. It came through experience working in distribution, running an art gallery and bar, and learning the inner workings of the wine industry firsthand. She wasn’t an outsider looking in; she was already there. And still, she saw what others had learned to ignore: the absence of Black, Brown, and women entrepreneurs wasn’t subtle; it was systemic. Once she saw it clearly, she couldn’t unsee it.

“I didn’t see us in the wine industry, and that didn’t sit right with me. So I created something where we could exist.”

She had a choice: continue participating in an industry that overlooked people like her, or build something that didn’t. She chose to build.

She Saw What Others Ignored

Love Cork Screw didn’t start as a trend-driven idea or a polished business plan. It started as a direct response to a gap that had been ignored for too long. Chrishon didn’t just want to create a wine brand. She wanted to create something that made space something rooted in culture, community, and intention. Something that reflected people who had been left out of the industry narrative.

And she did it from Chicago. Not the easiest place to build. Not the most forgiving. Chicago has a way of testing you, of making you prove yourself before it ever celebrates you. Chrishon learned that support doesn’t always come early, and sometimes it doesn’t come from where you expect it.

“Chicago will make you prove yourself. It doesn’t hand you anything; you have to earn it, every step of the way.”

There’s a certain kind of strength that comes from that environment. The kind that says: keep going anyway. That mindset became part of her foundation and shaped how she approached every challenge that followed.

Wine Without Permission

What sets Love Cork Screw apart isn’t just what’s in the bottle; it’s how it makes people feel. Wine has long been positioned as something exclusive, something you have to learn before you can enjoy. The language, the rules, and the unspoken expectations can make people feel like they don’t belong before they even take a sip.

Chrishon rejected that completely.

“Wine shouldn’t feel intimidating. It should feel like you like your life, your moments, your story.”

She created wines that speak in emotion, not intimidation. Names like Good Times, Good Friends, and Hard Knock Life don’t require translation. They meet people where they are. They remind you that wine doesn’t have to be complicated, it can be personal, joyful, and familiar.

“Every bottle tells a story. I wanted people to feel something when they pick it up, not feel judged.”

That shift matters more than it seems because when you remove barriers, you don’t just sell a product, you change who feels included.

The Cost of Being Seen

But building something different doesn’t mean the challenges disappear. If anything, they become more visible. As a woman of color in the wine industry, Chrishon has had to fight consistently for shelf placement, for marketing visibility, and for recognition in spaces that weren’t designed with her in mind.

“You don’t just get on the shelf and stay there. You have to keep proving why you deserve to be seen.”

Being present isn’t enough. She has had to prove her value again and again in a competitive market that doesn’t always extend the same opportunities. There’s a weight to that, a constant pressure to perform, to validate your presence, to stay relevant.

And still she stayed. Because leaving would mean giving up the space she fought to create—not just for herself, but for others coming behind her.

When Grief Becomes Purpose

Then life shifted in a way business never prepares you for. When Chrishon lost her father, the loss didn’t just sit in her personal life it became part of her purpose. Out of that grief, she created The Lampley, an exclusive wine line that honors his legacy while supporting awareness and funding for encephalopathy (CTE) and thyroid disease.

“The Lampley isn’t just a wine, it’s my way of keeping my father’s name and impact alive.”

This wasn’t about expansion. It was about meaning. About taking something deeply personal and turning it into something that could help others. A way to ensure his name, his story, and his impact continued.

This Is Bigger Than Her

What keeps Chrishon going isn’t just growth or recognition, it’s impact.

“When people tell me they started something because they saw me, that’s what keeps me going.”

The people watching. The ones who see her and realize something shifts for them, maybe I can do this too. Maybe there’s space for me here.

“I don’t think my purpose is just to succeed, I think it’s to open doors for other people while I’m doing it.”

She understands that her presence does more than represent her brand, it creates permission. And that responsibility is something she carries with intention.

The Moment You Learn to Breathe

If she could go back and talk to her younger self, she wouldn’t tell her to move faster or push harder. She would tell her to pause.

“I’ve learned to slow down and really take in the moments I once prayed for.”

To take in the moments. To celebrate the wins. To understand that the life she’s building isn’t somewhere far ahead, it’s unfolding right now. Because success isn’t just the destination. It’s the journey we often forget to feel.

Chrishon Lampley didn’t just build a wine brand. She built something that challenges an industry, supports a community, honors her family, and opens doors for people who have been standing outside for far too long.

And that’s what Women’s History Month is really about. Not just looking back at what women have done but recognizing the women who are shaping what comes next.

If you want to witness that journey as it continues to unfold, you can follow Chrishon and experience Love Cork Screw for yourself. Explore her wines, support her mission, and stay connected to the story she’s still writing.

Because this isn’t just her moment. It’s movement.

Follow & Support:

Facebook: , LinkedIn: and Instagram: @LoveCorkScrew
Website: lovecorkscrew.com
The Lampley: https://thelampley.com/