Radical Vines: Chris Renfro’s Mission to Re-Humanize the World Through Wine

In the natural wine movement, where it’s common practice to advocate for regenerative farming, sustainable food systems, low-intervention winemaking and a culture of inclusivity rather than pretense, there's one person who stands apart in the scope and purpose of their work: Chris Renfro, through his 280 Project, aims not only to transform the culture of wine but, through his urban vineyard and horticulture and viticulture program in the heart of San Francisco, he aims to change the dynamics of race in America. More than anything else, Chris wants everyone to feel valued and supported, and he feels that wine, and the traditional walls of white privilege and power that surround it, is the perfect platform to expose, unpack and redefine how we see and treat each other. Through farming, making wine, and sharing the profound communal experience that wine enables, Renfro believes we shed the veil of race and connect fundamentally as people. And he's not just talking about it, he's doing it. By mentoring one BIPOC and LGTBQ winemaker at a time. Chris spent many of his formative years in Germany, where a teacher took him under her wing and taught him the magic of horticulture. The world of plants, full of majesty and wonder, but free of hate and racism, was also a world of hope for Chris. The black boy visiting farms in Germany grew into a young horticulturist in the USA, who saw how explicit forms of oppression were more subtly embedded into the culture and systems of America. Including the culture and systems of viticulture. Control of food, land, wealth and education were interwoven threads of power and health—none of which Black Americans enjoyed. So when Chris got a chance to farm land in San Francisco, he planted vines. And not your standard European varietals, but native hybrids. Varietals you've never heard of. Marginalized vines. The 280 Project is an incubator for racial equity by empowering BIPOC and other marginalized communities through horticulture, viticulture and winemaking. By coupling a common agricultural and culinary experience with a shared vocabulary of taste, Renfro is leveling the racial playing field. And by ushering cohorts of apprentices through in groups of 6-8, he’s creating skilled teams that can support each other through and beyond their work at Alemany. Chris’ strong relationships with Steve Mathieson, Matt Niess and UC Davis allow Renfro’s 280 Project to punch way above its weight. Join us on Thursday October 9th at Donkey & Goat for an evening with Chris, as he pours wine from his San Francisco vineyard, introduces us to some of the winemakers (and their wines) he trained at Alemany and explains why they just might be making the most important wine in America. 6:30 - 8p https://www.donkeyandgoat.com/event/radical-vines-chris-renfros-mission-to-re-humanize-the-world-through-wine/ Donkey & Goat Winery 1340 5th Street Berkeley CA 94710 (510) 868 - 9174

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Website: https://go.evvnt.com/3277517-0

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