Flying Whale: How to Find Home Through Wine

About this episode

Maba Ba shares his journey into winemaking and how Flying Whale Wine reflects his identity and experiences across cultures.

What happens when wine becomes a vessel for memory, healing, and home? In this episode of Wine Behind the Scenes , host Laurel Simmons sits down with Maba Ba, the storyteller and founder behind Flying Whale Wine , a French wine project shaped by personal taste over tradition. Born in Dakar, Senegal, raised between cultures, and now based in New York City, Maba's journey into wine wasn't linear, but it was always intentional. From his first curious sip to producing his own wines in Roussillon, France, Maba shares how Flying Whale became a reflection of his identity, his upbringing, and his desire to break open the way we talk about and connect with wine. The conversation touches on diaspora, creative entrepreneurship, and the power of doing things your own way, especially in an industry that often expects you to fit into someone else's mould. What You'll Learn: How Maba Ba's cross-continental life shaped his path into winemaking Why Flying Whale Wine is all about story, not snobbery The real challenges of getting small, independent wines into the U.S. market How Maba blends art, identity, and flavour to create something deeply personal Why belonging is a theme that runs through…

People in this episode

Host: Laurel Simmons

Guest: Maba Ba

Topics covered

• wine culture
• identity
• diaspora
• creative entrepreneurship
• personal storytelling

Keywords

• wine
• memory
• healing
• belonging
• entrepreneurship
• cultural identity
• small wines
• U.S. market

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Flying Whale Wine

Places: Dakar, Senegal, New York City, Roussillon, France

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