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Photo: Kristine Hansen
When Budge Brown's wife of 48 years died in 2005 of breast cancer, he vowed to not only raise funds for the cause but to make the process fun. Each Cleavage Creek Cellars bottle features a photo of a breast-cancer survivor. The wines are all estate-grown and debuted in 2007. Ten percent of gross wine sales fund breast-cancer research and support. So far donations have amounted to $70,800, including a $40,000 grant to the Bastyr University Integrated Oncology Research Clinic, which opened in February in Kenmore, Wash.
2007 Tracy Hills Secret Red ($18): Jammy, raspberry notes in this balanced wine make this a good pick for pairing with both sweet and savory foods.
2008 Secret White ($18): Whereas the red is deep and sultry, the white is bright, acidic and even more complex. A nose of gooseberries climaxes into notes of lemongrass and tropical fruits, with honey on the finish.
Humanitas Wine Company, founded in 2001, uses profits to help fund issues surrounding hunger and affordable housing. Instead of writing checks to the national headquarters of America's Second Harvest and Habitat for Humanity, the donations flows to regional chapters.
2006 Humanitas 'Gap's Crown' Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($40): This wine has a lovely garnet hue and a hint of eucalyptus on the nose. Delicate spice notes coast through to the finish.
2006 Humanitas Signum Napa Valley Red Wine ($75): The Cabernet Sauvignon (62 percent) and Merlot (38 percent) are sourced from Napa vineyards,making for inky-colored wine that's got a smoky, cocoa-powder nose; plum notes and soft tannins round it out.
Burning Hawk is the first project from Revolution Wines. After a hawk was electrocuted and caught fire in 2008, essentially burning a vineyard, the winery was born. Its mission is to protect and save hawks -- and other birds -- from similar tragedies, such as collisions and wind-mill run-ins, by supporting various non-profit groups' research and education about bird protection (which includes energy-system management and studying birds of prey). The wines are produced by Windsor Vineyards in California.
2008 Burning Hawk Sauvignon Blanc Mendocino County ($12): Despite its cat's-pee nose (a common characteristic of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc) and similar viscosity, the wine is less acidic, which might appeal to a new group of wine drinkers. The nutty finish would make this a great pairing with Gorgonzola.
2008 Burning Hawk Sonoma County Barrel Fermented Chardonnay ($18): A lovely nose of rose petals ushers in some brightness mid-palate and a hint of orange peel; overall, this is a light and delicate wine.
2006 Burning Hawk North Coast Zinfandel ($15): Raspberry and plum notes are at the heart of this earthy wine, with soft tannins appearing mid-palate.
Another option for drinking to a social cause is to check out Vinofina, a virtual wine shop with 850 small-production, high-allocation wines. It's the first wine source that, for each bottle sold, gives back to the buyer's charity of choice. About 70 percent of the stock retails for under $30 a bottle.
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12-21-2009 @8:11PM Christie said... Another is Carivintas (http://www.carivintas.com/) - part of their proceeds goes to animal rescue operations. You can even choose which one your specific purchase benefits here: http://www.dogloverswineclub.com/index.cfm?method=pages.showPage&pageid=41748718-e801-114c-978d-9304673a0d5b
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12-21-2009 @8:13PM Kristine Hansen said... Thanks, Christie! I will look into Carivintas.
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12-22-2009 @9:33AM Heather said... another wine with 100% of the proceeds put towards their cause:
http://www.cherrycreekwine.com/scripts/winepg.cfm/_/29/the%20Winds/
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12-22-2009 @9:34AM Kristine Hansen said... Thanks, Heather! And as a Wisconsinite I love that it's a Michigan winery.
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12-22-2009 @11:05AM Judd Wallenbrock said... Thanks so much for the nice comments Kristine. Great wine that does 'good'. I'm very proud of what we've done at Humanitas and love to see others following suit! Drink charitably!
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12-22-2009 @11:30PM Missy said... This is a fantastic article. We have tried several of the Cleavage Creek wines and they are outstanding. What this winery is doing to fight breast cancer is amazing and most inspiring. Kudos to you and www.cleavagecreek.com !
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