American Roots Winery ~ Winemaking to end breast cancer

by | Jun 10, 2008 | Philanthropy Thru Wine, Winery

David Cofarro was the first wine industry blogger that I’d ever heard about. He was uploading daily what was going on in his vineyards as a journaling exercise, and has always been the inspiration for why I blog; i.e., to keep a journal.

I just read a fellow blogger who stated that blogs are for ranting. Well, I can’t help but think back to David Coffaro and why he started… It had more to do with raving versus ranting, as near as I can tell. As in all yin-yang circumstances… Some of us come to rant, while others of us come to rave.

I could rant about breast cancer, for instance, for all the injustices that it puts upon us. Those moments, however, are private times of frustration and pain. What I’m now about to share is the story of a new person who just contacted me. How she found me I’ll never know… But, she did, and asked if I’d share her story, which I’m happy to do.

Lori Ondaro, [above with her grandchildren] like so many others before her, was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. For Lori, however, it wasn’t the first time she had to hear the words “breast cancer.” For Lori, it was for the second, horrific time.

In her own words to me, “As my family gathered together, it became clear to each of them their need to find a way to join the fight to find a cure. My son Jeff Murrell and daughter-in-law Julie Murrell felt that their contribution should come from what they know best – wine. Both in the wine industry, Jeff as Director of Research at StaVin and Julie, as Assistant Winemaker at The Hess Collection Winery in Napa, they put themselves to the task of making an exceptional group of wines that would benefit all those fighting and facing breast cancer. With incredible devotion and hard work, they founded American Roots Winery and have just bottled their Red, White and Blue label wines. A donation of 10 percent of their total sales are being donated to breast cancer organizations.

Anyone touched by this terrible disease who is interested in combining wine and philanthropy, can visit American Roots Winery Website for more information about their passion to help “fight the fight,” and perhaps be part of finding a cure… sparing our daughters, granddaughters, and their following blood lines.