Verde Valley News – ‘Vin de Filles’, an Arizona wine grown, produced, and bottled by women, released their 2nd vintage during its second Fund-Raising Dinner in mid-October on the Vineyard Deck at Page Springs Cellars, Cornville, Arizona.
The group of female volunteers ranging in age between 11 and 68 started the Vin de Filles wine label in 2020. Thanks to the support of Page Springs Cellars, the community and a successful wine release event in 2021, the women rolled into caring for the same grape vines destined to become 2021’s VDF’s vintage.
The wine is composed mostly of a Syrah clone grown in the Page Springs area combined with a small percentage of Malvasia Bianca also grown in Page Springs. This French method of combining a red grape with a white grape pre fermentation is from the Côte-Rôtie appellation of southern France, although the Arizona winemakers used Malvasia Bianca rather than the traditional Viogner grape utilized in that region for the white addition.
The VDF project educates and encourages the passions of women beyond the wine industry. A five-course pairing dinner was prepared by female chefs, winemakers, a meadmaker, and a female musician playing live acoustic guitar in the background. The event included a silent auction with wine donated by women winemakers from across the world including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and California, plus a raffle for a special bottle of Vueve Clicquot, in honor of the woman who revolutionized Champagne.
All the silent auction, raffle proceeds, net profits of ticket sales, wine sales and t-shirt sales were donated to the Verde Valley Sanctuary totaling $40,000.The inaugural Vin de Filles event in 2021 yielded $25,000 also benefitting Verde Valley Sanctuary. Verde Valley Sanctuary’s mission is to provide safety, services, and comfort to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Verde Valley Sanctuary, approaching its 30th year, provided an array of direct services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence including pet friendly emergency shelter and transitional housing, community-based advocacy, lay legal advocacy, case management, and safety planning. Verde Valley Sanctuary also provides healthy relationship and prevention education to children in elementary and junior high in schools across the Verde Valley region. “The significance of this event cannot be understated, and for Verde Valley Sanctuary to have been chosen as the beneficiary of this event is truly special” says Jessye Johnson, Executive Director of Verde Valley Sanctuary. “We are beyond grateful for the generosity of the Vin De Filles winemakers, volunteers, chefs, attendees, and Page Spring Cellars who help us in our mission to serve survivors of domestic and sexual violence in the Verde Valley.”
The 2021 vintage is available for purchase at the Page Springs Cellars tasting room and the net profits from those bottle sales will continue to be donated to the Verde Valley Sanctuary. For more information, check out https://pagespringscellars.com/vin-de-filles.
For more information about Verde Valley Sanctuary or to make a donation, contact Community Development Director Tracey McConnell at (928) 282-2755, tracey@verdevalleysanctuary.org, or visit the website https://www.verdevalleysanctuary.org.