Should a Winery’s Values Matter to You as a Wine Drinker?

Beginning with the 2020 vintage, we started putting our statement of commitment on the back labels of all our bottles of wine (Committed to Sustainable Winemaking, Community, and Diversity and Equity).

A wine lover asked me, “Why does this matter? All I care about is that you make good wine, so why should I care what your values are?”

There are three reasons that transparency into a winery’s values matters to you as a wine drinker.

First, wine comes from the land and is put into our bodies. Wine is, at its core, a plant that is grown in soil and crafted into something we drink. Being thoughtful about how the land was treated along the way has an impact on the long-term environmental sustainability of the region.

Additionally, awareness of how the wine was processed and whether additives were used has an impact on our own health. If we are thoughtful about the environmental and health implications of what we eat, we ought to consider the impact of the wines we choose to drink.

Second, we have an ability to influence our economic sphere by making considered choices about where we spend our resources. In other words, we speak with our dollars. If we care about the impact of climate change on the future, we ought to support companies that are mindful about the impact their business has on the environment.

We may not be able to change the whole world, but we can change our own world by creating our own economic microsphere that supports businesses that believe and act as we do.

Third, there has never been a better time as a wine aficionado to be a more conscious consumer, as the shift towards direct-to-consumer purchasing allows greater transparency into a company’s values. Simply put, as a wine drinker staring at a large wall of wine at a grocery chain, it is difficult to discern who actually owns a wine brand and how decisions are made.

However, when you purchase a bottle of wine directly from a winery, you often have access to knowing their owners and getting to observe their decisions over time. If they say they care about the environment, are they shipping in lighter weight bottles with recyclable components? Do you observe them pursuing sustainable agriculture and supporting causes and organizations in the community?

It's less about stated values but more about observable actions over time. Here at Et Fille, which means “and daughter”, we’re all about family- it’s how we started, why we make wine, and what we hope accompanies our wines once they are with you.

As a winery, we are tied to our land, seasons, and ecological community- it is our responsibility to leave them in a better place for our children. That focus on the future forms the foundation of why we are committed to sustainable winemaking, community, and diversity and equity. But how do these values inform our decisions?

• Sustainable Winemaking: We partner with vineyards that are farmed sustainably. Five of our seven vineyards are LIVE certified, a designation of sustainable farming, while the other two are farmed organically and/or biodynamically. We also package our wines in predominantly lighter weight locally sourced recyclable components to reduce carbon emissions in transit and waste. For most of our wines that are meant to be drunk within the next few years, we have eliminated tin capsules to reduce waste, and we use cork, which is a renewable resource.

• Community: We initiate projects to raise funds for organizations that seek to improve the community for the next generation. For example, our STEM & root Pinot Noir project aims to raise enough funds to send one youth girl through STEM education for one year and 25 girls to experience STEM summer camp.

• Diversity and Equity: As a business owned by a biracial woman, we seek to support suppliers that are owned and/or managed by underrepresented communities. When we are making decisions about which suppliers to purchase from, it is one of the factors we take into consideration. We also aim for the marketing imagery we use to include those or underrepresented communities.

Many of us have evaluated our own purpose during the pandemic. We have emerged not only with a stronger sense of what is important to us, but with a commitment to aligning our actions with importance. Purchasing products from businesses that support what is important to us is one way we can do this.

The next time you drink a glass of your favorite red or white (or sparkling!) wine, think about being informed about where your wine came from as a wine drinker. You can make the choice to support wineries with values that are in line with yours. Just like you can cast votes with your dollars, you can also cast votes with your glasses of wine. Thank you for supporting Et Fille and other wineries pursuing business as a force for good.