DeLoach Vineyards Partners with Organic Gardening Magazine to Support Community Gardens Across the Country

Pioneering Russian River Valley producer of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel will offer awards to five community gardens as chosen by online votes.

Russian River Valley, CA - March 31, 2011:  DeLoach Vineyards, a certified organic and Biodynamic^® producer of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel located in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley, announced today the launch of its Garden to Table campaign in partnership with Organic Gardening Magazine. The campaign will award a total of $20,000 to five community gardens across the country that are working to improve the communities they serve.

Fifteen different community gardens have been nominated to receive the award; wine and garden enthusiasts and supporters have been called to vote for their favorite five online at www.deloachcommunitygardens.com.

DeLoach Vineyards, a leader in sustainable practices and organic and Biodynamic farming, is launching this campaign as part of its ongoing commitment to a healthy, sustainable lifestyle from garden to table, and to support the role of community gardens in promoting good living. More than 15 years ago, DeLoach converted its winery horse pasture into a half-acre garden of seasonally fresh produce that DeLoach chefs use to prepare meals for winery visitors and employees year round.  When the Boisset family purchased DeLoach Vineyards in 2003, it imbued the winery with a commitment to organic and Biodynamic farming, and the winery garden and estate vineyards received Biodynamic certification in 2009. In November 2010, DeLoach collaborated with the Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, New York to launch “Build a Garden in Brooklyn,” a project that supported the development of the Kingsborough Urban Farm that provides students the opportunity to grow and harvest healthy, organic produce. The new Garden to Table campaign with Organic Gardening Magazine is an extension of DeLoach’s effort to help educate a new generation about leading a healthy and sustainable lifestyle—something they have been passionate about cultivating since the inception of the winery.

The 2011 Garden to Table Award Nominees include the following community gardens:
·       Ocean View Farms in Los Angeles, CA
·       Solano Gardens in Los Angeles, CA
·       Long Beach Community Gardens in Long Beach, CA
·       Hayes Valley Farm in San Francisco, CA
·       Alemany Farms in San Francisco, CA
·       Three Brothers Garden in Chicago, IL
·       The Peterson Garden Project in Chicago, IL
·       Roots In The City in Miami, FL
·       Boca Raton Community Garden in Boca Raton, FL
·       The Magnuson Community Garden in Seattle, WA
·       Marra Farm in Seattle, WA
·       Lake Highlands Community Garden in Dallas, TX
·       Center for Growing People in Dallas, TX
·       The Last Organic Outpost in Houston, TX and
·       Denver Urban Gardens in Denver, CO

The top five gardens that receive the most votes will be awarded the prize and will be announced in the October/November 2011 issue of Organic Gardening. Voters are encouraged to go to www.deloachcommunitygardens.comto help make a positive impact on communities in need. Here, they can view videos from each nominated garden and vote for the garden they feel will benefit most from winning a grant.

DeLoach has created a special retail element to accompany the contest. Bottles of DeLoach wine will be adorned with a necker that includes a QR code that will allow consumers to instantly link to the contest microsite through their smart phones, where they will be able to view the garden videos and vote for their favorite. The necker also offers a coupon for $2 off of fresh produce with the purchase of any DeLoach Vineyards wine.

Please click here to hear about the DeLoach community garden campaign from Jean-Charles Boisset, President of Boisset Family Estates.