A Bottle for You, a Meal for Someone Who Needs It
It's been a tough week, watching fires rage across Spain and France — not far in fact from where I was recently. We're no strangers to wildfires here in the Pacific Northwest, and it's with a deep understanding of the fear and danger involved that I send my profound wish for safety and a quick end to these historic fires.
It's easy to feel helpless in the face of such monumental natural disasters. It's far away, it's beyond the scope of one person — and on and on. Look, most days I'm clear-eyed about what I do: I have the good fortune to travel around Europe, meet winemakers, and share a product that is by most measures a luxury. I have a deep belief in the value of artisanal viticulture and the power of beauty in our everyday lives, including a glass of wine. But I know I'm not putting out fires or saving lives.
And then I think about people like José Andrés, whose organization World Central Kitchen started as a simple notion — provide comfort after disaster through a meal, and it leverages the power of one person plus one person plus one person, and so on. It's an organization that hits me in the gut every time I think about their mission. Because at the heart of what I do is the meaning and connection that comes from sharing a meal with other people. And more than a home, more than any possession, losing the ability to take comfort from the basics of food and company would be a tragedy. That's exactly what WCK works to prevent.
So today I want to leverage the power of what I do to help WCK do their work — in France, Spain, and everywhere that needs it — bringing the comfort of a meal and a warm word to people facing disaster. The latest vintage of my own small wine project, Aucun Commentaire, is now available, and I'll be donating 20% of all sales to World Central Kitchen.
Read on below for more details about the wine. You can reply directly to this email to order, or use the link below. Every bottle you buy puts a little something toward a meal for someone who needs it — and of course, you can donate directly to WCK, and learn more about the good they do here.
Thank you for your support, and I hope you enjoy this one in the sunshine of one another's company.
Anyone who's traveled around Europe knows: a meal is not complete without a bottle of wine on the table. The legacy of Europe's long history with wine is that it is viewed more as a staple than a luxury. There are prized vineyards and bottles to be sure, but a well-made and delicious wine is something accessible to nearly everyone — as important and common as olive oil to the Italians, ham to the Spanish, bread and cheese to the French.
It is that everyday-ness that is too often lacking in wine made here in the States — wine viewed as elitist, put on a pedestal, reserved for special occasions. On the other side of the Atlantic, wine is what makes a meal civilized, humble origins or not. It is one of the ways humans have discovered to express the beauty of the world and foster joy and fellowship. In that sense, wine is not a luxury, because beauty, joy and fellowship are not luxuries. They are essential to what makes us human.
I started this small project a few years ago to make exactly that kind of wine — one that embraces the beauty and joy of an everyday bottle that is not out of reach in any sense of the word. I don’t make much of it — just a couple hundred bottles — because like those small European producers, I believe in quality over quantity. It's called Aucun Commentaire, French for “No Comment”, as in, no comment necessary to enjoy this wine.
In the bottle is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Columbia Valley. Sustainably farmed, minimal intervention, maximum flavor. Tropical flowers, stone fruit and sweet citrus on the nose — delicious, fresh and juicy on the palate. Just the sort of wine to reach for when you want to make your day a little more civilized, brighten up a meal, or share something with friends. A simple pleasure, made to be enjoyed without pretension.
No more comments necessary — except this one: every bottle you buy puts a little something toward a meal for someone who needs it.
Thank you.