Deanna and Alfie Alcantara don’t like to see wasted potential. And they see lots of potential in the wealth of America’s endemic grape species. Not only potential for new vines that are adapted for the climate in which they’re grown, don’t need to be sprayed with chemicals, and make wines that truly reflect their land, but also potential for engaging and involving all kinds of people, especially those who might feel excluded or marginalized by the dominant Euro-centered wine culture.
So Deanna & Alfie have started a project to revive, refine and re-define the native grape and wine cultures of America. They found a piece of property in the Catskill Mountains of New York, and they’ve begun planting vines from grape species that contain native DNA – some new varieties that aren’t even named yet, and others with names like Black Eagle and America, and still others that they found growing wild on their property.
They are at the beginning of a project that can take many, many years to begin to see the impact of their efforts. I think there’s something brave and hopeful about starting something that can take longer than the years you’ve been given on this earth. And I think these are the kinds of projects we need desperately now, so I hope Deanna & Alfie will inspire us to think about what is important enough for us to give our lives to even if we know we won’t see the results.
Oh, and I forgot to mention, their name for this project is “Dear Native Grapes.” Maybe that’s where they get their inspiration. Because what they’ve started is something much more meaningful than a business plan. They’ve started writing a love letter.
@dear.native.grapes
Sponsor:
https://www.centralaswine.com/
Tom Jackson - Supergay Spirits
Elizabeth Whitlow - Regenerative Organic Certification, Vineyard & Farm Worker Treatment
Andrew Beckham - Novum Amphora & Beckham Estate Vineyard
Bill Shinkle - Tranquil Heart Vineyard & Winery in Hemet, California
Natural Wine is Bulls%$t
Solminer - Anna & David Delaski, Growing Austrian Grapes Regeneratively in Santa Barbara County
Michael Phillips - Mycorrhizal Planet, The Apple Grower, and Vineyards & Orchards as Fungal Ecosystems
Leigh Bartholomew - The Problems With Organic
Professor Magali Delmas - Organic Wine Tastes Better & The Green Bundle
Krista Scruggs - Zafa Wines, Regenerative History and Winemaking in Vermont
Steve Matthiasson - How To Grow Wine Grapes Organically
James Endicott - Vinocity Selections & How To Use Wine To Solve Climate Change
Nathan Stuart - Tablas Creek Wine Shepherd, How Using Animals Makes Better Wine
Ann Thomas - Western Reserve Distillers, Organic Distillery
Belen Arredondo & Lindsay Williams - South LA Wine Club & LAtina Garagiste
Lisa Bauer - Yamakiri Wines & Sineater Ciders, Never Let A Grape Go To Waste
Craig Camp - Troon Vineyard in Applegate Valley Oregon, Biodynamic & Organic
Herrmann York Winery - Making Unique Wine in Southern California
Matt Niess - North American Press, Native & Hybrid Grapes and Cider
Laura Brennan Bissell - INCONNU Wine Muse & Winemaking Musings
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