Founder of Blk Wine Fest to Open Tasting Room, Office in OTR

Lush Life Brands Signs Lease for 3CDC Space

CINCINNATI (August 17, 2026) – The founder of Lush Life Brands and Blk Wine Fest, and the only Black and woman-owned licensed wine distributor in Ohio, Natasha Williams recently signed a lease for a space at 917 Vine Street in Downtown Cincinnati. Situated directly across the street from Kroger’s corporate headquarters and just around the corner from Court Street Plaza, Williams is leasing the 1,157-square-foot space from Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC).

Lush Life is a distribution company that features the Black, Brown, and women-owned brands at the forefront of a movement that embraces diversity, inclusivity, and innovation – and Williams has been intentional about bringing representation to the shelf, the table, and the conversation. She takes pride in fostering community through wine and helping people build networks, discover new brands, and create lasting relationships. Now, Williams is opening Lush Life Tasting Room – a space for hosting private tasting experiences, events, parties, and more.

“As Lush Life Brands continues to grow, I wanted to find a new way to highlight the incredible variety of wines in our portfolio,” Williams said. “This space checked all the boxes. It’s in a vibrant, walkable neighborhood, and after working with 3CDC for many years, expanding our partnership felt like a natural next step. Best of all, the space allows us to bring our business and our customers together, with a tasting room in the front and our offices in the back.”

Wine tastings at the Lush Life Tasting Room will be offered by reservation only in 75-minute sessions. Guests can choose from sweet, white, red, or mixed tasting experiences, each led by a wine professional and highlighting brands like Ibest, Bedvyne, Mom Juice, Don Luchi, and more. Tastings will accommodate 20 to 24 guests and feature four to five wines, with charcuterie available for purchase. For private events, guests are also welcome to bring outside food. The tasting room features a mix of high-top tables, a tasting bar with stools, and conversational lounge seating creating a comfortable and stylish event space for intimate gatherings.

“The 3CDC team has always enjoyed working with Natasha on events like the Cincy Rosé Wine Festival, so when we learned that she was looking to open a tasting room, we were eager to help her find the ideal space for bringing her vision to life,” said Christy Samad, EVP of Civic & Commercial Space Activation for 3CDC. “We support her mission to highlight Black-owned and diverse wine brands and are excited about the opportunities this will create within the community.”

The first tastings at Lush Life Tasting Room are set for Friday, with Ibest Wines hosting sessions at 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Guests can now reserve their spot for these and upcoming tastings at https://Blkwinefest.com/lush-life-tasting-room. After the inaugural event, the tasting room will host tastings Thursday through Saturday and every other Sunday.

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