Bio: Carissa Stephens, Our Featured Wine Host
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Carissa Stephens
Certified Sommelier | Wine Educator | Vintner | Co-Owner, Pur Noire Urban Wineries
Carissa Stephens is a Houston native, certified sommelier, and visionary entrepreneur redefining the modern wine experience. With a background in Business Management, Marketing, and Tax Accounting, she began her career at a Fortune 100 global energy firm before a transformative trip to Italy in 2016 awakened her passion for wine and redirected her professional path.
Today, Carissa is WSET Level II certified and Co-Founder (along with her husband Kenneth Stephens) of Pur Noire Urban Wineries, which made history in 2021 as the City of Houston’s first Black-owned winery. Launching at the onset of a global pandemic, Pur Noire not only persevered but flourished—earning national recognition and representing the less than 1% of African American wine producers worldwide.
Under Carissa’s leadership, Pur Noire has received more than 50 international wine awards, including Platinum, Double Gold, and 90+ point ratings. In 2022, the brand was honored with the Innovator of the Year Award from The Hue Society’s Rosés & Rosé Awards. Pur Noire produces a portfolio of 13+ premium wines sourced from California vineyards and now operates tasting rooms in Houston and Dallas, with distribution in fine dining establishments, luxury hotels, and Houston Hobby Airport.
Featured on Good Morning America, ESSENCE, Black Enterprise, and more, Carissa continues to blend excellence, culture, and community—building a legacy alongside her husband while raising their two children and inspiring a new generation of wine lovers.