Yahoo Lifestyle 12 Queer-Owned Wineries Across The US You Should Know
June is Pride Month, which makes it the perfect time to celebrate all things queer proudly and loudly. From art and music to food and fashion, the queer community has some monumental influence on culture and creativity. Although the LGBTQ+ community remains significantly underrepresented in the wine world, there is still a burgeoning group of brands making excellent, delicious wine.
Along the West Coast wine regions, from Washington down through Oregon and California, as well as across to the East Coast, a handful of queer-owned wineries are paving a path forward for the community. From more traditional blends in Napa Valley to funky, natural wineries that are essential stops on any guide to the Willamette Valley, queer winery owners are holding their own in the wine world. During June and beyond, let's raise a glass and celebrate these trailblazing wine professionals, sample their expertly crafted vintages, and support their efforts to elevate diversity in the wine world.
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Remy Wines In Dayton, OR
Remy Wines, which is housed in the farmhouse of a family-owned vineyard in Oregon's Dundee Hills AVA, is the namesake winery of queer winemaker and advocate Remy Drabkin. It's clear that becoming a winemaker was Drabkin's calling from a young age, as she herself grew up in the fields and cellars of the Willamette Valley. In 2006, she launched Remy Wines. The winery focuses on producing northern Italian varietals, such as nebbiolo, sangiovese, and lagrein.
On your visit, explore Remy's three labels: Remy Wines, which produces single-varietal northern Italian wines; Three Wives, an accessible collection of red, white, and rosé blends; and the Black Heart Series, which produces elevated blends, like Super Tuscan and Bourdeaux-style blends, as well as a sparkling wine.
As one of the few prominent queer winemakers in Oregon, Drabkin's role extends far beyond the boundaries of Remy Wines -- including into local government. She serves as the first woman and queer-identifying person to hold the position of mayor of the town of McMinnville. In 2022, Drabkin helped launched Queer Wine Fest, which is the world's first festival dedicated to celebrating queer wine professionals, winery owners, and winemakers.
(503) 864-8777
17495 NE McDougall Rd, Dayton, OR 97114
Aluel Cellars In Seattle, WA
Aluel Cellars is a winery built out of a love for wine and community by life and business partners Alex Oh and Simon Hilbert. This Seattle winery is one of the only urban wine-tasting rooms in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, which also happens to be Seattle's LGBTQ+ haven.
The winery was opened in Capitol Hill in 2016, although its origins go back a bit further. A couple wine bottles and the stories attached to them actually brought Oh and Hilbert together on their first date. Wine was a big part of their relationship from the start, and eventually, in 2012, they bottled their first vintage. Aluel focuses on producing elegant wines that use grapes from top Washington vineyards and reflect old-world traditions. The lineup includes merlot, grenache, malbec, and sauvignon blanc, among others.
Today, Aluel has expanded beyond its original tasting room to include two more spaces in Seattle's Queen Anne and Ballard neighborhoods. As the owners live and work in Capitol Hill, the original tasting room holds a special place in their hearts as they work to represent the queer community and offer an LGBTQ+ inclusive winery in the heart of the city.
Multiple locations in Seattle
Eco Terreno Wines In Sonoma, CA
Located on the banks of Northern California's Alexander Valley is Eco Terreno. Its name, meaning "ecology of the land," is a reflection of the winery's reverence for nature. Eco Terreno's ancient soils and unique microclimate, which benefit from the conditions of the nearby Pacific Ocean, are ideal for growing grapes slowly with organic and biodynamic processes. This forward-thinking winery deserves a spot on any wine guide to the Russian River Valley AVA.
Beyond its commitment to environmental sustainability, Eco Terreno is also a community advocate. The winery's owner and winemaker, Mark Lyon, is gay and has made equality and advocacy top priorities. During Pride Month and beyond, Eco Terreno uplifts important voices and platforms in the LGBTQ+ community, including trans and Black trans initiatives.
From old vine cabernet sauvignons to crisp sauvignon blancs, Eco Terreno's wines are easy drinking and reflective of the terroir. The winery proudly has a lineup of initiative-driven wines, including Empowering Education Red, Climate Conscious Cabernet Sauvignon, Social Justice Sauvignon Blanc, and Pink Pride Rosé. Each line inspires action and raises awareness for those in need. The Pink Pride Rosé, which is a fun and fruity blend of cab sauv and cab franc, gives $1 from every bottle sold to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
(707) 938-3833
19410 Sonoma Hwy, Sonoma, CA 95476
Gentleman Farmer Wines In Napa, CA
Even among the top-rated Napa Valley wineries, it's possible to find small boutique gems. Gentleman Farmer Wines is a winery in the Oak Knoll District of Napa, run by husbands Jeff Durham and Joe Wolosz. Months after meeting in 1999, the duo decided to embark on a winemaking adventure together.
Gentleman Farmer was initially established in 2005 with a mere 80 cases. The winery remains small and produces only 1,000 cases each year. The small size of the winery allows for a highly personalized and nuanced approach to monitoring and picking the grapes. Gentleman Farmer's intimate line of wines focuses on producing elegantly crafted classic wines for beginners and experienced wine drinkers alike. Chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, and Bordeaux-style blends are the top wines produced by Gentleman Farmer.
Gentleman Farmer also remains an advocate in the wine and queer communities, both of which are an important part of the winery. Gentleman Farmer celebrates Pride Month with a limited production Napa Valley Pride Red wine; 10% of the sales from this bottle goes to LGBTQ+ youth organizations in the community.
(707) 948-6107
1564 1st St, Napa, CA 94559
ZAFA Wines In Isle La Motte, VT
Queer Black winemaker Krista Scruggs has been growing grapes on 56 acres of land in Isle la Motte, Vermont, since 2018. Her goal is to grow grapes for wine production while cultivating a story of anti-colonialism, which is also reflected in the winery's name. For Scruggs, running ZAFA Wines and stewarding land is the antidote to colonialism.
Historically, landownership in Vermont has been predominately white, and Scruggs looks to change that. Her winery also employs at least 85% historically underrepresented employees, including women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals.
And when it comes to wines, Scruggs is carving out change and reframing the conversation about what sustainable winemaking means. Farming is done with a regenerative approach that focuses on rehabilitating and nourishing the soils and resources needed to grow the grapes. ZAFA then ferments the grapes into sparkling wines using native fermentation, a pre-industrial approach that uses natural, wild yeasts instead of cultured ones. Although cultured yeasts can be more consistent, native fermentation offers dynamic flavors reflective of the terroir and aligns with ZAFA's ethos of working in sync with the land. The company also experiments with other types of fruit fermentation, including a co-fermentation of grapes, apples, and peaches.
1227 E Shore Rd, Isle la Motte, VT 05463
Terah Wine Co. In Morgan Hill, CA
In California's expansive wine country, Terah Wine Co. sets itself apart by producing low-intervention wines made from organically grown fruit. Terah Wines is a woman-owned, small-production natural winery run by Bay Area queer winemaker and sommelier Terah Bajjalieh. She releases limited batches of juicy, fun, and surprising vintages that are reflective of the land and are definitely natural wines worth drinking.
Prior to opening her own wine company, Bajjalieh honed her craft by working over a dozen harvests in the U.S. and around the world, including in France, Argentina, and Australia. She also headed up winemaking for Dorcich Family Vineyards. She holds a master's degree in enology and viticulture and is a level 2 certified sommelier.
Terah Wine Co. produces small amounts of wine each year, offering vintages of barbera, vermentino, sangiovese, and grenache, among other varietals. If you're interested in sampling Terah's wines, join the Wine Club to stay up to date with the latest releases.
RAM Cellars In Portland, OR
In southeast Portland, a pocket winery produces artisanal low-intervention wines that veer from tradition. RAM Cellars is a passion project of winemaker Vivianne Kennedy. An interest in wine eventually led to Kennedy pursuing a degree in viticulture and enology. Kennedy released RAM's first bottles in 2016.
Natural methods are used in RAM's process, including using native yeast ferments, zero filtration, and limiting sulfites to the lowest level possible. Roussanne, cabernet franc, riesling, and tempranillo, among other varietals, are produced from sustainably grown grapes in Oregon and Washington. The result is wines with a lot of funk and sass, reflected as much in the palate as in the imaginative labels featuring unicorns, rams, cats, and forest creatures.
In 2018, Kennedy came out as a transgender woman, and a year later, she launched a new line of bottles, known as VIV. The name is an homage both to her name and to the French root word that means "to live, to be alive." Central to RAM Cellars is the business' support of the LGBTQ+ community, especially transgender communities. $3 of the profits from each VIV bottle sold goes to partner organizations that support queer and transgender communities, including the Trans Lifeline and the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund. RAM Cellars delivers bottles to the Porland area and is available for tasting at Community Wine Bar in Portland Thursday through Sunday.
Majuscule In Napa, CA
Just because Majuscule's production is small, doesn't mean that its impact isn't big. This boutique winery in the Mount Veeder appellation of Napa Valley produces fewer than 1,000 cases each year. It specializes in making single-vineyard cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon vintages and also releases a red blend, sauvignon blanc, and a blanc de noir.
The story of this winery dates back to 2006. At the time, the now-owners and winemakers of Majuscule, Jeff Davis and Greg Brickey, were working highly different careers when they purchased a wine store in Arizona. In 2009, the duo decided to make two barrels of wine with a grape-growing friend in Mount Veeder. They eventually relocated to Napa Valley, where they were married. What started as a side project ultimately led to the launch of Majuscule in 2018.
Majuscule's wines are elegant and fruit-forward, reflective of the small vineyard on the steep slopes of the western side of Napa Valley. You can sample these refined wines at the vineyard or in the petite tasting room in downtown Napa, a product of two guys' genuine love for wine and the wine world of Northern California.
(707) 681-5758
1209 1st St, Napa, CA 94558
Bergevin Lane Vineyards In Walla Walla, WA
Bergevin Lane is a true family affair. The winery, which is situated on a family-owned estate, started as a collaboration between father-and-daughter duo Gary and Annette Bergevin, who co-founded Bergevin Lane Vineyards. They planted their first grapes in 2011 on their estate vineyard, Bergevin Springs, which is located in the Walla Walla Valley of southern Washington. Bergevin Lane specializes in the bold reds that are characteristic of Washington state wine, including cabernet sauvignon, as well as smaller amounts of merlot, malbec, petite verdot, and viognier.
Annette Bergevin is an openly lesbian woman in the wine world, a fifth-generation Walla Walla local, and co-founder and general manager of Bergevin. Since connecting with her father over his wine collection, Bergevin fell in love with the wine world and loves everything about the business today. The family dream has grown substantially since its early imaginings, and the winery has even opened a tasting room in downtown Walla Walla.
(509)-876-2959
70 N Colville St, Suite 106, Walla Walla, WA 99362
Americana Vineyards In Interlaken, NY
A former 1820s swing barn was reclaimed and turned into one of the Finger Lakes' finest wineries and has been pressing wine for over 25 years. Americana Vineyards is LGBTQ+ owned and a proud founding member of the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, an organization that helps guide visitors in learning about the wine offerings in the region. Americana produces dry varietals like chardonnay and lemberger, as well as regional specialties such as Crystal Lake, made from Niagara grapes, and a dessert-style red designed for drinkers with a sweet tooth.
Americana's historic charm will get you through the door, while the winery's sense of community will get you to stay. Drop by for a wine tasting and grab lunch at the adjoining Crystal Lake Cafe. Or, check out one of Americana's vibrant events, from live music Sundays to seasonal bashes including the dog-friendly Woofstock event.
(607) 387-6801
4367 East Covert Rd, Interlaken, NY 14847
Montifalco Vineyard In Ruckersville, VA
Montifalco Vineyard, located in the lush hills of Virginia, blends old-world winemaking tradition with the flavor and terroir of the East Coast. The vines are in the Monticello AVA of central Virginia's Piedmont region. The winery's name is a nod to Monticello and to Justin Falco, Montifalco's LGBTQ+ identifying owner and winemaker. It also references a passion and interest in falconry; if you're lucky, you may be able to spot some of the hawks, falcons, and eagles hanging out in the vineyards.
Montifalco operates across several small vineyards and grows several different types of grapes. It grows more common varietals like sauvignon blanc, cabernet franc, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon, as well as more unusual varietals including saperavi, rkatsiteli, and garanoir. You can sample the fruits of the winery's labor in one of its lounges, which include sun-soaked spots among the vines, or in the vintage-style wine bar nestled in a cozy wine cave.
(434) 989-9115
1800 Fray Rd, Ruckersville, VA 22968
Equality Vines In Guerneville, CA
Sometimes wine is more than what's in the glass. For Jim Obergefell and Matt Grove, co-founders of Equality Vines, a passion for high-quality wine also translates into an opportunity to advocate for human rights, equality, and other causes close to heart.
This California-based winery released its first bottle in 2016 and, ever since, has gained traction for its support of equality organizations, including those trying to advance women's and immigrants' rights. Equality Vines is also an outspoken advocate and supporter of LGBTQ+ businesses and organizations. Obergefell is openly gay and one half of Equality's team. Prior to the winery, Obergefell was the named plaintiff in Obergefell v. Hodges: the Supreme Court case that led to the legalization of same-sex marriage in the U.S. Today, he continues to speak and write on LGBTQ+ equality and related issues -- and has now moved into the wine space.
A percentage of proceeds from all of Equality Vines' bottles -- including pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, albarino, and blanc de blanc -- supports partner charities championing equality for marginalized populations. Buying a bottle (or two) of Equality Vines is an investment in the causes that matter to its winemakers. Pour a glass of its Love Wins Sparkling Rosé and cheers to that!
(877) 379-4637
16215 Main St, Suite #4, Guerneville, CA 95446
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
