Cha Squared Project, 800 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL (2026)

06/04/2025

📣 I wrote a book! 🎉
Wine Pairing for the People: The Communion of Wine, Food, and Culture from Africa and Beyond is officially available for pre-order starting today!

As a Certified Sommelier, traveler, and foodie, I’ve always asked—why doesn’t the wine world reflect the full spectrum of global cuisine? This book is my answer.

Inside, you’ll find:
✅ Wine pairings for African, Caribbean, Latin American, and Asian dishes
✅ 25+ chef-driven recipes and cocktails
✅ A deep dive into winemaking regions across the world
✅ My personal journey with wine and travel storytelling
✅ A foreword by Stephen Satterfield from the host of the Netflix show, High On the Hog 🙌🏾

This is the first book of its kind—and it’s rooted in joy, flavor, and the belief that everyone deserves great wine pairings.

📘 Ships November 4
📦 Pre-order now at https://www.chamccoy.com/books
🥂 Let’s raise a glass to food, wine, and cultural connection!

01/01/2025

2024 Recap in Selfies 🤳🏿
Part 2 🍷

When you are an entrepreneur, you have to create colleague like relationships. Since this year was uniquely difficult for me, mourning became dilbilafing to me, and i could not work. But I had to. I was not really interested in networking, traveling, or even drinking wine. I am thankful to those who shared time and energy with me this year in the midst of my fog to strategize, motivate, or inspire me to keep going even the students. I received clarity and divine direction on what work to focus on and what is filling my cup in this chapter from God this year. I look forward to executing in 2025!

Cheers 🥂 to everyone who reached out to help, honored me, tried to work with, traveled with me, studied with me, sat with me to untangle my thoughts, shared a glass with me, and helped me get through all the deadlines of my book.

#2024

01/01/2025

2024 Recap in 🤳🏿 Selfies
Part 1

The biggest lesson of 2024 is ❤️ love heals. 2024 was a year mourning, grieving, and depression but also loving in a way, healing, and being present. For the first time in my adulthood, I was not planning or thinking about my future. I was trying to survive each day. Mental battles manifested into physical struggles, and this was the most difficult year of my life.
I started to feel the power of love with every loved one who extended the extra time with me on the phone and in person. The devil was at working overtime on me last year, but that only brought me closer to God and to seek truth. I am loved. Death has a way of showing you the truth about life. Friends and family who you are activae in your life step up, show up, make room for, check in and extend themselves even when it's inconvenient.
I am feeling blessed for all those captured here with me and can't wait for when I have the capability to pour back into you!

Cheers to more memories made off the gram in 2025🥂

#2024

12/16/2024

My first , and it won't be last!

Reunited with clique doing exactly what always brought us together. I believe everyone has the appetite for art, but like wine, the industry has told people was good and what is not. Instead of allowing everyone to judge for themselves. I also believe in the power of education to understand what the market value can be a very important tool. But for your collection, whether it's wine 🍷 or art 🖼 by what you like !

I find myself admiring art that provokes something for me. It's a more personal appreciation than knowing the nuisance of techniques or the price.

The Communion Art exhibitions were rooted intentional to do the same for our guests. is more than a retail space but a place for underrepresented voices in wine and spirits, and the emerging artists selected complement our mission to empower and celebrate.

Cheers to more Wine and Art🥂🖼!

12/10/2024

"It is called education because it is learned. You do not have to have had an experience in order to sympathize or empathize with the subject. That is why books are written: so that we do not have to do the same things. We learn from experience, true; but we also learn from empathy.” A Theory of Patience

11/18/2024

Book Update: Phase 2 Completed
All items are in with the publisher. Though just when I think I am in the clear there to be another decision to make another round of reviews. There is something about writing plus creating a book of this magnitude with illustrations and photographs with so many elements that made realize how much labor and time goes into these projects that people do not talk enough about. I don’t know how many times I quit writing in the last two years. Getting to even this phase seemed impossible. Recounting stories forced me to mourn in a unique way not only loved ones but also versions of myself that feels distant. I remember entering wine hopefully now I have become harden by the reality of the real change needed in this industry. While working on this book I was confronted with the lack of information there is about emerging wine regions and which has now sparked motivation for my next role. During this phase I was also reminded a few things about myself: I love libraries, I miss having the time to read and sharing convos with people who read, I need an outline/mind map if not then I can’t write anything, spending time off socials (no announcement needed) is self care, and how much a close knit community of people to meet me for pasta and gelato everyday can help me grieve and stay focus on work during the day.

11/01/2024

2024 WINE INDUSTRY LEADERS LIST by 🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂

I am honored to be included in the WBM annual Industry Leaders list. Click the link in my bio to read the full list in their November issue. “In an era of rough sales and discussions about the future of the wine business, these people are pushing the boundaries and proving to an ever-changing wine drinking population that is fun, better for you, and not just some dull beverage their parents drank.”

Wine as a product and as a career path is often romanticized but very few of us know the true blood, sweat, and tears it takes to make it in this industry with integrity and without privilege but full of passion. Respect is earned here, I appreciate those who recognize the hard work and dedication I contribute to make the future of wine more accessible, sustainable, and equitable.

This year was personally and professionally rough and still is for me. This recognition is a reminder that even when I am down, I am still UP!🙏🏿 I am grateful to be included in this lineup of professionals this year even though it has been a year of less output and more inward work. I feel seen and motivated to keep going during these uncertain times.

Cheers to my peer honorees and a special s/o to:

08/26/2024

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Is it me, or does anyone else love season?

Though this year has been teaching me life lessons from the jump, that's a post for another day, I am still feel fired up about this season. I have been focusing on slowing down and relearning what brings me joy I was reminded about how much I truly love learning. Literally, the library has been my safe space from elementary to graduate school, and even most recently, when writing my book. I know, I know, call me a nerd 🤓 but my appetite for taking on intellectual challenges is probably what connected me to the wine industry. Everything from geography, history, and biology are just a few core subjects that are at the foundation of wine (or oenology, the science of wine and winemaking) that gets me excited to crack open a bottle 🍾 and a book 📖.

I have dusted off a few flashcards logged on to my lectures, officially transitioning from to a student of the vines again and putting myself back out there to start testing. The fear of failing is what probably stops many of us from continuing our education for higher levels, but this year, I have been focusing on mastering mental toughness for whatever life throws at me. My last exam was in 2017, so I can focus on building my business, so pray for me . Wine exams at this level are NO JOKE. They take a lot of mental capacity and extreme amount of focus and 💰. I received a scholarship for my next exam in October.

I am posting to keep myself accountable. I intend to share here about my journey studying, tasting lessons, and while trying to balance everything else in my life. What's working for me while studying in my new grown age versus what’s not. I hopefully will gain community along the way with other wine professionals who are preparing for exams. You can’t do this s**t alone.

Who else is heading back to wine school this semester or training for their exam? Let me know below. I need to a new study crew and tasting group, willing to travel for meet-ups in NorthEast.

Who else is heading back to wine school this semester or training for their

08/06/2024

Just a few selfies 🤳🏿 to remember a time was had on Saturday for annual BUBBLES & BUCKETS ROOFTOP PARTY 🍾🥂🪣🫧🍗🍤!

Thanks to My Forever Friend Tiff for flying up from Charlotte and my Bro from D.C. to support 🙏🏿 and be the additional team we needed.

The Communion Cru thanks for showing up full of energy and ready to activate our hospitality to our guests.

Until Next Year ✌🏿

07/30/2024

My Brother’s Keeper 🔒

I have taken on this title at a young age. We are 18 months apart. The story goes. I informed my parents before they knew that they were pregnant, and more specifically, that Iwas going to have a brother.

I just wanted to honor him today on these final hours of his his birthday and our special bond. His resilience, kind heart, and caring spirit have been as both are going through so much loss, and hardship this year is what is keeping me going. Though I am often seen as the tough one, he is definitely the strong one. He is the pinnacle of peace, and I find myself going to him for comfort. He is my God Given Best Friend and my rock during these times.

Chu, I love you. Thank you for letting me boss you around your whole life. I am sure we both are better because of it. I know this season is preparing us for something amazing. We will get through it because we have each other.

Happy Birthday Day!

07/24/2024

That’s A Wrap! Or at least phase 1 of this is 🫣 When I say every artistic element of this book took a VILLAGE, believe me, here are photos of that village. I would have thought this was too big of a team but we were out here creating BLACK EXCELLENCE, so I had me and you, your momma, and your cousin too working to pull off all the days of shooting and prepping this month.

When I originally pitched the Communion book I did not know how much work it takes to build such a project. I thought I would share my vision with a team and my role was just to go write in a cabin and give feedback, WRONG! I have learned a lot about the book industry (that is a post for another day) and this process has been very challenging and it is still not over.

I had to get in the driver’s seat in time for the creative portion of the book.

To everyone who contributed to the photography of this book, I want to thank you all publicly, NOW, for your patience through the first phase of this project. You all showed up with your expertise, energy, grace, and willingness to make the Communion book the best on the shelves. I wanted to give you all my gratitude while we are still in the selecting, editing, and expensing mode. You all assisted with getting me out of a rut with the book and breathing life into my vision again.

Shoutouts to the Communion Book team that contributed to bringing the vibe to life (in no order):

Photographer -
Assistant Photographer -
Food Stylist -
Assist Food Stylist -
Recipe Tester -
Prop Stylist - Gerri Williams
Assistant Prop Stylist - Sadie Frost
MUA -
Stylist -
Soror (official title Ride or Die) -

Thank you 🙏🏿❤️

#

06/17/2024

I am currently up against a major deadline for my first book, and I find myself frequently reflecting on my father. My father was the ultimate explorer, educator risk-taker, and lover of life. My first passport was my MTA Student Bus Pass . My father exposed us to the world through NYC. I would spend my weekend horseback 🏇 riding on City Island, golfing in the Bronx, and watching foreign independent films in Lincoln Center. We would take the 7 train to Queens for a Mets game one week and then ditch the MTA altogether for a bike ride around Central Park or rollerblade around Union Square.

This photo is one of the many Father-Daughter dates to a show at the Apollo Theater. He loved photography. All of the pictures from this day are in black and white. One memory I will never forget is when he grounded me for something, so I could not spend time with my friends instead I was “stuck” with him and my brother for the weekend and he took us to NBA All-Star Weekend events in NYC.

Is loud grieving a thing yet? If not, I am saying it is now. Thanks to so many people sharing about their process and grieving out loud, I am learning how to healthily connect with my father instead of feeling like a victim. I learned from the book “Grief is Love”, by Marisa Renee Lee, that doing what they love on their birthdays, Father’s Day, or any day you want to feel closer to them helps. As I go deeper into my writing and grieving journey, I am finding admiration for his parenting style, fully embracing us into his life and what brought him joy. With hustle and bustle in our lives, it was a gift to have witnessed him enjoy life and his love for his city. Thanks for showing what it feels like to LIVE.

Happy Fathers' Day, Dad!
I will see you outside 🚲

Cha Squared Project

06/04/2025

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01/01/2025

12/16/2024

12/10/2024

11/18/2024

11/01/2024

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