The first collaborative wine brand from The James Beard Foundation
October 6, 2020 (SAN FRANCISCO) – Distinguished Vineyards & Wine Partners (DVWP) is proud to announce the launch of Dough Wines in support of the James Beard Foundation (JBF) and its work to drive positive systemic changes in the culinary arts and beverages professions. Through its first-ever winery partnership, JBF will receive an annual donation from Dough Wines, benefitting areas such as restaurant recovery, promoting equality in the kitchen and heightening food sustainability.
“Dough Wines represents the intersection between making good and doing good, and highlights those shared values between our two organizations,” said Steve Myers, managing director for Distinguished Vineyards & Wine Partners.
Winemaker Heidi Bridenhagen, a rising star who earns praise for her quality wines and innovative spirit, has crafted Dough Wines with an approach to food in mind. Her new range of wines for Dough was made to be accessible, readily drinkable and food-friendly. Developed in partnership with an advisory panel of renowned chefs and sommeliers, including Chef Bill Telepan, the culinary director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the initial launch includes four flagship wines available nationally at retail stores and in leading restaurants. An additional 14 wines will be sold exclusively through the Dough Wines website starting in November 2020.
“Dough is rooted in purpose and crafted by a progressive and talented winemaker,” said Kate McManus, DVWP’s vice president of marketing. “It will be an example of how positive change can rise from even the smallest of actions.”
As a concept, Dough Wines represents an appreciation of a few simple, yet essential, ingredients which combined together will create something greater. Dough, like any organization or social movement, requires care and nurturing so that the ingredients meld together in order to rise and grow to maturity. Through its colloquial reference and double entendre, an annual “dough-nation” to the James Beard Foundation aligns to Distinguished Vineyards’ goal for producing wines that promote social progress.
“The James Beard Foundation is grateful for our longstanding partnership with DVWP,” said James Beard Foundation CEO Clare Reichenbach. “We are excited to be giving wine lovers the opportunity to enjoy an elegant, world-class product while supporting our work, including our Open for Good campaign, to provide critical resources to help independent restaurants build the capacity to come back stronger, more equitable, more sustainable, and more resilient.”
As part of the brand’s public launch, Wine.com will host a virtual tasting of Dough’s inaugural wines on October 20, 2020. The tasting, which will give consumers a taste of the wines and the story behind the brand, will be led by Wine.com Wine Educator, Gwendolyn Osborn, and feature CEO of the James Beard Foundation, Clare Reichenbach, Dough Winemaker Heidi Bridenhagen and Advisory Panel Member Chef Bill Telepan. To sign up and learn more about the tasting, go to https://wine.zoom.us/webinar/register/6016020005834/WN_Exgrk1PCRQ2ki8mNkzlE2Q.
THE WINES
The four flagship Dough wines:
- 2019 Sauvignon Blanc (North Coast, CA) $18.99
- 2018 Chardonnay (Sonoma & Monterey Counties) $18.99
- 2019 Pinot Noir (Oregon) $21.99
- 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (North Coast, CA) $21.99
Additional wines will be sold on the Dough Wines website (doughwines.com) beginning in November 2020, with nine thematically curated box sets, each containing three wines accompanied by flavor details, food-pairing suggestions, stories and recipes from chefs in the James Beard Foundation community. These box sets include sparkling wines, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley; Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-style red blends from the Napa Valley; and Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. These online exclusive wines range in price from $25 to $75 per bottle.
ABOUT DOUGH WINES
Dough Wines was developed by Distinguished Vineyards & Wine Partners (DVWP) as the first collaborative wine brand with the James Beard Foundation. The wines support positive systemic changes in the culinary arts and beverages professions. Dough Wines is proud to support the James Beard Foundation, with an annual donation and a focus on restaurant recovery, equality in the kitchen and food sustainability. To learn more, please visit doughwines.com.
ABOUT HEIDI BRIDENHAGEN
In 2013, at the age of 29, rising star Heidi Bridenhagen was named just the third winemaker in the storied history of Sonoma County’s acclaimed MacRostie Winery and Vineyards. As the winemaker for Dough Wines, Bridenhagen brings a strong scientific background to her winemaking, having first earned a B.S. degree in biochemistry at the University of Colorado at Boulder before traveling throughout Europe, exploring the wines of France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. She also gained invaluable experience making wines at Oyster Bay in New Zealand, and at Sonoma-Cutrer in California. As a winemaker, Bridenhagen strives to combine her scientific expertise and her creative skills. A believer in the value of exploration and experimentation, she has spent her career working with diverse and acclaimed vineyard programs, most notably in the Sonoma Coast. This has led Bridenhagen to this new project, Dough Wines, where she is utilizing Distinguished Vineyards & Wine Partners’ vineyards and its network of growers and négociants to choose high-quality lots from top AVAs, bringing the art of assemblage to life to craft the core wines to be as food friendly as possible.
ABOUT JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION
The James Beard Foundation promotes Good Food For Good™. For more than 30 years, the James Beard Foundation has highlighted the centrality of food culture in our daily lives. Through the variety of industry programs that educate and empower leaders in our community, the Foundation has asserted the power of food to drive behavior, culture, and policy change. The organization is committed to giving chefs a voice and the tools they need to make the world more sustainable, equitable, and delicious for everyone. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the James Beard Foundation launched the Open for Good campaign to ensure that independent restaurants not only survive, but that the industry is able to rebuild stronger than before. For more information, subscribe to the digital newsletter Beard Bites and follow @beardfoundation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. The James Beard Foundation is a national not-for-profit 501 C(3) organization based in New York City.
ABOUT DISTINGUISHED VINEYARDS & WINE PARTNERS
Formed in 2008, Distinguished Vineyards & Wine Partners is a dynamic mid-size wine company that includes a collection of iconic wineries from some of the world’s most prestigious wine regions. Recognized as benchmarks for their appellations, the Distinguished Vineyards portfolio includes the highly acclaimed Argyle Winery in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, MacRostie Winery and Vineyards in Sonoma County, Markham Vineyards and TEXTBOOK in Napa Valley, as well as Wither Hills in New Zealand. Dedicated to excellence, social equity and sustainability, Distinguished Vineyards includes more than 1,000 acres of sustainably certified estate vineyards. Wither Hills holds Sustainable Winegrowing NZ accreditation, and its estate vineyards are certified organic by BioGro NZ, Argyle in Oregon is LIVE Certified, MacRostie is Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing, and Markham Vineyards is certified both Napa Green and Fish Friendly Farming. For more information, visit www.dvwinepartners.com.
