There are charitable wineries all over California, but we want to highlight a few that we feel are exceptional. Almost every winery is asked to donate wine to charity events and many wineries are very generous with their wine. The wineries, and in some cases the special wines, we selected, go above and beyond.
We’re sure drinking wine already makes you feel good. Drinking wine from these wineries helps make others feel good too.
A Mix of Large and Small wineries
We want to give credit to the large wine brands that understand the need to give back. These wineries make a big effort to share some of their success with the communities they work in. We feel these wineries should be applauded. They are not required by law to care!
We also want to shine a light on the small wineries that dedicate almost their entire focus to doing good. Some wines on our list were born out of challenges the founders faced. There was a burning desire to do good in other cases. We are excited to share these stories with you.
Large Charitable Wineries
Jackson Family Wines
This is no small operation, but it’s still a family owned and run business. Jackson Family Wines has a portfolio of wine brands that spans the globe. The company manages over 30 different wineries and produces more than five million cases of wine per year.
The company may be global, but they started in Sonoma County California. The Jackson family still manages the business from Sonoma. They are very generous in their support of the community where they have been doing business since that late 1970’s
Charitable Focus
JFW spreads their giving around. They donate to more than 40 organizations that serve the local community. These organizations include the United Way, Red Cross and the Girls and Boys Clubs among others. In 2010 they donated $500,000 to the Sonoma County Justice Center. The center supports victims of domestic violence.
The Jackson family strongly believes in supporting education. They provided UC Davis $4 million to build the Jess S. Jackson Sustainable Winery Building. This donation achieved two things. They supported the educational efforts of the university and they provided a model for sustainable winemaking!
The company has donated an amazing $6 million to various charities over the last seven years.
A Bottle You Can Feel Good Drinking | Jackson Family Wines | Kendall-Jackson Jackson Estate Outland Ridge Pinot Noir 2013
E. and J. Gallo
The brothers Ernest and Julio launched this iconic wine brand in 1933 in Modesto California. Gallo is well known for their inexpensive jug wines. The company has diversified beyond that. They own 90 brands now from entry level wines like Barefoot and Boonesfarm to high end wineries like Frei Brothers and William Hill Estate. The Gallo company is the largest winery in the world and is one of the largest private companies in the United States.
Charitable Focus
Gallo has a unique plan to give back and protect the environment. Gallo sets aside land for conservation whenever a new vineyard is planted along the California coast. The brothers Gallo introduced the plan to help offset the impact from their growing vineyards. The “50/50” plan means that Gallo donates one acre of land to conservation for every one of newly planted vineyards.
Gallo also runs an “every cork counts” fundraising event. When you mail in a cork, or even send in a photo of a Gallo cork, the company donates $1 to the Meals on Wheels Foundation. This group helps seniors get healthy meals delivered to their door.
A Bottle You Can Feel Good Drinking | Gallo Winery | Gallo Signature Series Dry Creek Zinfandel 2014
Charitable Wineries Focused on Health
Ehlers Estate
This is a truly unique winery because Ehlers Estate is owned by a charitable trust. All their profit is put back into the trust.
Jean Leducq was a successful French businessman. In the 1990’s he sold his company. He used the proceeds from the sale to fund the Fondation Leducq.
The Fondation Leducq funds scientific research into cardiovascular and neurovascular diseases. Per the Fondation Leducq website, “As of 2015, the foundation has made 47 network awards, each for $6 million over five years, supporting hundreds of investigators at 123 institutions in 18 countries.”
The historic estate Jean purchased and built into a thriving wine business is helping to save lives through critical research. We can raise our glasses to that!
A Bottle You Can Feel Good Drinking | Ehlers Estate | 2013 Ehlers Estate Merlot
Photo Courtesy: Yelp
Staglin Family Vineyard
This amazing family winery has been at the center of funding mental health research since the 1990’s. When the Staglin’s son Brandon was diagnosed with Schizophrenia, they decided to do something. Instead of waiting and hoping for the best, the Staglin’s started learning about the disease and raising money. They have raised over $200 million dollars through the Music Festival for Brain Health.
The Staglins didn’t stop there. They continued to push for breakthroughs by setting up the One Mind Institute and One Mind for research. Combined, the Staglins are responsible for raising $800 million to support charities.
You can feel even better drinking Staglin wine. Their vineyards are all organic and they use 100% solar power to operate the winery!
A Bottle You Can Feel Good Drinking | Staglin Family Vineyard | Staglin Chardonnay 2014
J Lohr Vineyards & Wines
Carol Waldorf Lohr, passed away from breast cancer in 2008. To honor her legacy, the winery pledged to help women in need get access to mammograms. This early detection procedure can be the difference between life and death. The Lohr’s decided to make early detection possible for thousands of women. The Touching Lives program is in its eight year. Here are the program’s details per J. Lohr:
Now in our campaign’s 8th year, Touching Lives is extending its impact in two ways: by now offering $3 from every bottle sold of 2013 J. Lohr Carol’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon to benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation, an increase of 50% over previous vintages, and by expanding its support to include Patient Navigation programs and services. $2 from every bottle sold of any vintage of Carol’s Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc and previous vintages of Carol’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon will benefit NBCF
This charitable winery just surpassed 5,000 mamograms that they paid for!
A Bottle You Can Feel Good Drinking | J. Lohr | J. Lohr Carol's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Five more of the most charitable wineries coming soon...small wineries that make big impact.
