Charity Wine: Drinking for “Good”

Two Organizations Offering Quality Napa Wines with Charitable Benefits 

We already know about the health and mood-lifting benefits of a great glass of wine, but adding a philanthropic element makes it even better. While cause-related wine is not a new concept, I met two business owners this past week who are putting their own unique spin on charity wine. As we approach the holidays, I thought it would be fitting to profile these opportunities to drink and buy wine for “good.”

Humanitas Wines

Operating under the mantra “Drink Charitably,” Napa-based Humanitas Wines donates their profits to local branch organizations that benefit three issues: hunger (Feeding America), affordable housing (Habitat for Humanity) and education. When purchasing bottles from the winery, buyers designate the specific organization they’d like to help and the funds go directly to the regional chapter. I really liked this local approach.

I learned about Humanitas on Twitter, where I spend a lot of my time writing about wine. After exchanging a few casual Tweets with founder Judd Wallenbrock, I decided to give their wines a try. The wine snob in me remained skeptical because I’ve tasted other charity-focused bottles before. On these occasions, I conceded that it didn’t matter how the wine actually tasted since the gesture was more about giving to the respective cause than walking away floored by what I was drinking. That outlook changed when I tasted the first bottle that arrived with my purchase – the Signum 2006 Red Wine from Coombsville (Napa). This full-bodied Meritage hails from Sugarloaf Mountain and swept me away with sultry aromas of dark berry fruit, cocoa and tobacco. I also tasted these flavors along with a hint of vanilla. It really left nothing to be desired. I’m excited to try the Merlot, 2009 Red Wine and Chardonnay I also ordered sometime soon. They currently have 15 wines available online, as well as the Humanitic wine club for consideration.

Cellar Angels

There are flash sales for pretty much everything today, so why not wine? Cellar Angels was founded to help connect smaller, family-run Napa wineries with wine-lovers across the country, with the added element of charity. Founder Martin Cody explained to me that similar to popular flash sale sites out there, you simply sign up to receive weekly Cellar Angels notices via e-mail. Each notification features a bottle of wine or a special package deal you can opt to purchase at a discount. For example, this week, Cellar Angels is offering a three-bottle tasting kit of Cabernet Sauvignon from St. Supery Vineyards that includes a flight of wine, a wine opener, drop stops, tasting notes and recipes for $150. Next week, they’re selling a popular Pinot Grigio for $18.

Upon purchase, buyers can select to benefit one of 18 charitable organizations that tie most closely to their hearts. Charities range from the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation to the Sea-thos Foundation (education around the world’s oceans) to others that help soldiers, children with autism, rescue pets and more.

The Cellar Angels website also features video introductions to these participating wineries, owners and winemakers. As I mentioned earlier, recognizing the charity wine I buy (like Cab from Schweiger Vineyards) is a really nice factor. There are still a few weeks worth of sales to watch for before Christmas, but this really is a good option for any time of year.

There are certainly many, many other charity wine organizations out there, but these were new to me. Feeling more sentimental than usual this time of year, I really admired hearing the passion both of these companies have for channeling wine enthusiasm for good.