Willamette Valley pinot noir supports African farmers
Every purchase of 2013 Grow Africa Pinot Noir supports the work of Grow International in West Africa. Grow International
Over Thanksgiving weekend 2015 a very special Willamette Valley pinot noir, destined to improve the lives of families thousands of miles away, was released. Every purchase of 2013 Grow Africa Pinot Noir supports the work of Grow International in West Africa.
Grow International—the parent company—was founded by family man and agriculture advocate, Jerry Tindall. His philosophy of ‘Reach One, Teach One, Grow One’ embodies the concepts of supporting one farmer at a time with training and supplies to grow vegetables or tend livestock. They, in turn, become equipped to pass that knowledge on to others in their community.
Grow Africa’s winemaker, Rebecca Pittock Shouldis, working on the inaugural 2013 Pinot Noir. Grow International
A collaborative effort between Grow International and former Ghost Hill Cellars’ winemaker, Rebecca Pittock Shouldis, this earthy and elegant pinot noir was crafted from unallocated wine during the 2013 harvest of Ghost Hill Cellar’s 16-acre Bayliss-Bower estate vineyard. Over the years Ghost Hill Cellars has garnered many prestigious awards for their estate-grown wines and other local wineries that source their fruit from Ghost Hills.
As Tindall tells it, the idea for 2013 Grow Africa came from Shouldis after she completed the harvest with excess enough to contribute to what she felt was a fantastic organization in line with her own heart to help others. As though Shouldis needed yet another project to work on. Aside from her weekend duties as a Technical Sergeant for the 142nd Fighter Wing of the Oregon Air National Guard, she has her own label A La Main which means ‘by hand’ in French and partners with other wineries such as Gypsy Dancer Wine and a project with Sheridan Vineyard called Singularity.
The 2013 Grow Africa Pinot Noir—crafted with Willamette Valley pinot noir sourced from Ghost Hill Cellar’s 16-acre Bayliss-Bower estate vineyard — aging quietly. Grow International
One of the ways in which proceeds from the sale of Grow Africa Pinot Noir are used is to purchase a self-contained barrel system which includes all the equipment necessary to start a small poultry farm, vegetable garden or house egg-laying chicks. Cleverly named Farm In A Barrel, the 55 gallon recycled plastic barrel used for delivery also becomes part of the farming system. The first shipment of 10 barrels to Ghana occurred in 2013 through the fundraising efforts of Truth x Vision—a youth-driven organization with a goal to end global poverty. Each barrel costs between $189-$600.
It’s Grow International’s hope that Grow Africa Pinot Noir will be an ongoing, self-sustaining arm to increase the shipment of Farm In A Barrel to communities in West Africa. Grow International
Bottles of the 2013 Grow Africa Pinot Noir are still available and it’s Tindall’s hope that this project will be an ongoing, self-sustaining arm to carry Grow International’s mission far and wide. The synergistic nature of Grow International—utilizing Willamette Valley’s agricultural resources to create funding that, in turns, supports the education and spread of another form of agriculture on another continent —defines Tindall’s vision of a global village interconnected by a common need for life-giving sustenance and life-affirming purpose.
For more information on the wine or the organization, go to www.grow-international.com.
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Viki
I am a Clark County native. I am Level 2 WSET (wine and spirit education trust)-certified and enjoy pairing wine with my passion for travel and fondness of food. My most prized possessions are the memories of places I've been with my husband, the chance encounters we've been blessed to have along the way and my carry-on bag. I can often be seen around town and in tasting rooms with our two beautiful, double-Merle Australian shepherds, Challenge and Baby Girl.