Walla Walla, WA — Vital Wines, a 501c(3) non-profit winery that directs its net profits to improving access to healthcare for vineyard workers and their families, is kicking off the fall release season with two new offerings from the Vital Guest Winemaker Program—including the 2022 Vital x Reininger Dolcetto and the 2022 Vital x The Walls Chardonnay. Made possible by generous contributions from celebrated regional winemakers and viticulturists, the wines are available for purchase online and at Vital’s downtown Walla Walla tasting room.
Vital’s second series of Guest Winemaker releases pair the acclaimed winemaking talents donated by Reininger and The Walls wineries with world-class fruit provided by Dwelley and French Creek vineyards. United in support for Vital’s mission and programs, these collaborations have resulted in two limited release wines to further the nonprofit winery’s work that recognizes the essential contributions of vineyard and winery workers and ensures that they and their families have access to healthcare and other important resources.
“The Vital Wines Guest Winemaker Program is yet another way for winemakers, grape growers, and wine enthusiasts to help us take good care of everyone in our industry and in our communities,” said Ashley Trout, founding president and head winemaker at Vital Wines. “The overwhelming interest and support for this program is a testament to the generosity, compassion, and involvement of our wine colleagues and our community.”
Since launching in 2016, the impact and growth of Vital Wines is made possible by donations, volunteering, and support from a variety of industry and community supporters, including grant funding from Auction of Washington Wines (AWW), a dedicated contributor since 2021. In August, AWW presented Vital with a $60,000 Industry Grant to help support the Vital Wines Promotora de Salud program, a bilingual community health advocate for vineyard workers.