Firestorm Chardonnay and Rosé are the Debut Wines with 100 Percent of the Proceeds Going to Help Victims of the 2017 Fires in Sonoma County
After wine country’s devastating fires of 2017, Napa Valley vintners Ryan and Crystal Waugh wanted to find a way to help the people and communities who were affected. From this desire, Relief Wines was formed. A 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, Relief Wines will give 100 percent of its profits to three causes that are important to the Waugh family.
The first Relief wines to launch this month are the 2017 Firestorm North Coast Chardonnay ($20) and 2017 Firestorm Rosé ($20), which are available for purchase at ReliefWines.com, as well as at any Vino Volo throughout the U.S. All profits from the Firestorm wines will go to Habitat for Humanity Sonoma County to support the rebuilding efforts in Sonoma County, which will take years.
Relief Wines partners with organizations, vendors and individuals who generously donate products or services to keep Relief Wines’ costs low, in order to maximize charitable contributions. As a winemaker with 20 years of experience, Ryan is able to make the wines, while Crystal Waugh runs the administrative side of the business, both taking no salary.
“We are extremely grateful for the efforts of the Waugh family,” said Mike Johnson, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County. “The substantial contributions that will be made through Relief Wines will have a significant and tangible impact in the lives of the many people who were affected by the fires of 2017.”
In 2019, Relief Wines will also release two other wine labels that will support two additional causes. Esperanza wines will support Camp Esperanza, which gives children with cancer a week to experience the joy of summer camp, while making friends, building confidence and inspiring hope. Camp Esperanza is a cause that is important to Crystal Waugh, who spent many years taking her vacation time to be a counselor at Camp Esperanza.
Breaking Cycles wines will benefit Transitional Youth’s programs supporting at-risk youth in Oregon and Washington, feeding homeless teenagers and offering long-term housing for teens and young adults.
“After witnessing the heartbreaking losses suffered by so many in 2017, we wanted to join our love of both wine and community to make a difference,” said Ryan Waugh. “At that time, we sat down with our two young sons to talk about how we, as a family, can give back to others. Both sons identified wanting to help with homelessness, which is why Portland’s Transitional Youth was selected as one of Relief Wines’ three causes. Our family is so grateful for the support of all of the people who have come together to make Relief Wines a success so that we are able to donate as much as possible to these three important organizations.”
To learn more about Relief Wines and the organizations it supports, or to purchase Firestorm wines, visit https://reliefwines.com.
