Reaching across the table.

I’ve been taking this past week to reflect on the election results. It’s been a lot of anger and sadness. Wondering how we have become so divided, wondering why it feels like we don’t share common values such as protecting women, the environment, marginalized communities, or even the economy. But now I'm ready to turn the corner and start thinking about what I can do. 

Back in 2016 the election fell during my very first harvest in Napa Valley. I had just graduated college. My original plan as a biology student was to use my degree to help the environment, something I am very passionate about. I considered working in conservation, research, or ecological restoration. But the realities of needing a masters degree or PhD and continuing in the world of academia felt intimidating and stifling. During college I spent time researching fungal infections in coffee farms in Costa Rica as my study abroad experience. The complexity of science paired with the practicality of agriculture and the beauty of culture and connection was very inspiring to me. I realized wine has a lot in common with coffee and decided to work a harvest in California.

I fell in love with working in wine those first few months, sampling the vineyards, monitoring the fermentations, cleaning the tanks, and gathering around the table with so many kind and interesting people. But when Trump was elected that November, I started to question the path I was on. I felt like prioritizing the environment was essential. That working in research or conservation would be the noble thing to do in the face of this crisis. I felt guilty that making 250$ bottles of wine for the rich was only fueling this greed and division I was seeing wash over our country. It was complicated because I had just fallen in love with this world that all of sudden seemed insignificant in the face of a president that disregards the climate crisis, human rights, women's rights, and more. But I decided to keep working harvests and I am glad that I did. 

Now sitting in the same position eight years and nine harvests later, I have more perspective. There’s a lot of positive impact to be made while working in wine. Farming organically and sustainably is a huge carbon capture and very beneficial for the ecosystem. The backbone of the wine industry is made of agricultural and seasonal labor, groups that are often exploited and immigrants. And currently there is a real labor shortage. Wine is also extremely dependent on the climate which is rapidly changing with extreme weather events that can destroy entire vintages. We can use wine as a tool to advocate for climate change, immigration policy, labor rights, and sustainability. While I used to despair that I was making an elitist product and not making a difference, I try to now frame it as “there’s a lot of people across the board that want to keep drinking good wine, so how can we use that to help the world?”. 

And finally, my favorite thing about wine hands down is that it brings people together. It’s this magical elixir that can revive old friendships, make new friends, cement memories of special moments, and keep the family lingering around the table for hours after the food is finished. And in a time that is incredibly divisive, amongst neighbors, coworkers, friends, even families, we need things that bring us together and help us see eye to eye. Obviously I don’t want to trivialize what’s happening and say it can all be solved over a nice glass of wine, I am deeply concerned about the direction we are headed. But we have to try where we can. And we shouldn’t underestimate the power of human connection through sharing a meal, or bottle of wine.