This One Felt More Important

On Tuesday, I wrote a whole newsletter about cold climate wines. It was meant to go out today.

But by Thursday, when I went back to edit it, it felt tone deaf in light of Friday’s looming ICE blackout.

Instead, I turned my attention to a much harder question: whether or not we would keep Arden open that day. Everything in me wanted to close in solidarity.

But I also had to weigh the fact that we are a small, independent restaurant that—like many of our neighbors—has already been feeling the economic pinch this past year. We’re in the middle of our slowest season, with only two reliably busy nights, and this strike fell on one of them.

But the strike is supposed to hurt.
That’s the whole point, right?
How do we make a difference otherwise?

If it just meant hurting me financially, I wouldn’t think twice. But as a small business owner, I can’t ignore the reality that payroll, rent, medical benefits, and utilities all come due this week.

I hate having to weigh revenue against the suffering of an entire community. I hate that this is even a consideration that I—or any other small business owner—has to make.

And you know what? Screw it–I’ll just say it:  I hate the people who have put us in this position.

I hate that we are all pitted against each other in a now deeply polarized society… at each other’s throats thanks to the algorithms of billionaires.

Because at our core, I genuinely believe most of us want the same things.

What human doesn’t grow up wanting to be a good person?
What human is taught to inflict suffering on their fellow man?
What has to happen to someone for their mind to become so twisted that they believe pulling children away from their parents—or shooting citizens in the streets—is the right path forward?

For a long time, I’ve tried to stay apolitical because I didn’t think I had the right to speak up. I’m only here to talk about wine, right? I should just stay in my lane.

But isn’t my lane also humanity? Isn’t all of ours?

Yes, this platform exists to give you wine tips and make you smile. And yes, entertainment serves a purpose. We all need joy and diversion, especially in hard times.

But these are more than hard times.

I don’t know how to read the news anymore without sinking into rage, fury, and despair. And other than burying my head in the sand as a coping mechanism, what else can I do?

I can use this platform to be honest and say what’s in my heart.
Because I believe the world needs all of our voices right now.

If you’re reading this and you disagree with me, you’re free to unsubscribe. But I ask that you consider the real people being hurt by the mindset behind that disagreement.

And if that feels too abstract, then at least consider where the wine you claim to love comes from—who picked it, who made it, who did the heavy work to get it to your table.

(Extra credit if you consider who formed the country you’re living in right now!)

In the interest of staying in my lane, I’ve compiled a list of statistics about immigration and wine below.

Next week, we’ll talk about cool climate wines. I’ll share some exciting news about where this platform is headed and what I’ve been working on.

But today, let’s just be good humans. Who happen to enjoy good wine.

With all the love in my heart,
Kelsey

In the United States, 2.1 million immigrants work in jobs growing, harvesting, processing, and selling agricultural products, including wine.

Aapproximately 68% of hired crop farmworkers in the United States are immigrants, and 42% lack work authorization.

In Oregon, immigrants make up roughly 60% of the full-time farm labor force. One-third of Oregon farmworkers are estimated to be undocumented.

In Washington State, immigrants constitute 49% of the agricultural workforce, with an estimated 37,000 undocumented immigrants working in agriculture.

In California, immigrants make up approximately 65% of the agricultural workforce. In Napa Country that figure rised to 73%.

Approximately 84% of vineyard workers in California were born in Mexico.

It is estimated that half of California’s agricultural workforce is undocumented.

Across the European Union, approximately one in four agricultural workers are migrants.

In Italy, it’s one in three. And in Greece, it’s one in two.

In Australia, roughly one-quarter of the horticultural workforce is made up of overseas migrant workers.

Outside of agriculture, immigrants make up one-third of the U.S. hospitality workforce, a sector outside of agriculture that includes restaurants, wine tasting rooms, wine tourism, and wine retail.

SOME WINERIES YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE

That were founded by immigrants

Robert Mondavi Winery (founded by Robert Mondavi, second-generation Italian immigrant)

Grgich Hills Estate (founded by Mike Grgich, Croatian immigrant)

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars (founded by Warren Winiarski, second-generation Polish immigrant)

Heitz Cellar (founded by Joe Heitz, second-generation Swiss immigrant)

Beringer Vineyards (founded by Jacob and Frederick Beringer, German immigrants)

Sebastiani Vineyards (founded by Samuele Sebastiani, Italian immigrant)

Sutter Home (founded by the Trinchero family, Italian immigrants)

Ravenswood Winery (founded by Joel Peterson, second-generation immigrant)

Beaulieu Vineyard (founded by Georges de Latour, French immigrant)

Inglenook (developed by Gustave Niebaum, Finnish immigrant)

Ponzi Vineyards (founded by Dick Ponzi, second-generation Italian immigrant)

Sokol Blosser Winery (co-founded by Alex Sokol Blosser, Russian immigrant)

Gallo Winery (founded by Ernest and Julio Gallo, second-generation Italian immigrants)

Franzia (founded by the Franzia family, Italian immigrants)

Clos du Val (co-founded with Bernard Portet, French immigrant)

Boisset Collection (founded by Jean-Charles Boisset, French immigrant)

Domaine Chandon (founded by Moët & Chandon, French immigrant Champagne house)

Louis M. Martini Winery (founded by Louis M. Martini, Italian immigrant)

Gundlach Bundschu (founded by Jacob Gundlach, German immigrant)

Korbel Champagne Cellars (founded by the Korbel brothers, Bohemian immigrants)

Schramsberg Vineyards (founded by Jacob Schram, German immigrant)

Fetzer Vineyards (founded by the Fetzer family, Swiss immigrants)

Mumm Napa (founded by G.H. Mumm, French immigrant Champagne house)

Adelsheim Vineyard (founded by David Adelsheim, second-generation German immigrant)

Buena Vista Winery (founded by Agoston Haraszthy, Hungarian immigrant)

Charles Krug Winery (founded by Charles Krug, Prussian/German immigrant)

Wente Vineyards (founded by C.H. Wente, German immigrant)

Concannon Vineyard (founded by James Concannon, Irish immigrant)

Simi Winery (founded by Giuseppe and Pietro Simi, Italian immigrants)

Pedroncelli Winery (founded by Giovanni Pedroncelli, Italian immigrant)

Seghesio Family Vineyards (founded by Edoardo Seghesio, Italian immigrant)

Ferrari-Carano Vineyards (founded by the Carano family, Italian immigrants)

Benziger Family Winery (founded by the Benziger family, Swiss/German immigrants)

Dalla Valle Vineyards (founded by Gustav Dalla Valle, second-generation Italian immigrant, and Naoko Dalla Valle, Japanese immigrant)

Alumbra Cellars (founded by Elena Rodriguez, second-generation Mexican immigrant)

Guillén Family Wines (founded by Jesús Guillén, Mexican immigrant)

Abbey Creek Vineyard (founded by Bertony Faustin, second-generation Haitian immigrant)

Cória Estates (founded by the Coria family, Mexican immigrants)

Shiba Wichern Cellars (founded by Akiko Shiba, Japanese immigrant)

Junichi Fujita Wines (founded by Junichi Fujita, Japanese immigrant)

Beacon Hill Winery & Vineyard (founded by Carla Rodriguez, Mexican immigrant)

Atticus Wine (founded by Ximena Orrego, Peruvian immigrant)

Cramoisi Vineyard (founded by Sofía Torres-McKay, Mexican immigrant)

Parra Wine Co. (founded by Sam Parra, second-generation Mexican immigrant)

Cubanisimo Vineyards (founded by Mauricio Collada, Cuban immigrant)

Valcan Cellars (founded by Juan Pablo “JP” Valot, Argentinian immigrant)

Cho Wines (founded by Dave and Lois Cho, second-generation Korean immigrants)

Maysara Wines (founded by Moe Momtazi, Iranian immigrant)

Ayoub Wines (founded by Mo Ayoub, Lebanese immigrant)

Bergström Wines (founded by John Bergström, Swedish immigrant)

Domaine Drouhin Oregon (founded by the Drouhin family, French immigrants)

Alexana Winery (founded by Madaiah Revana, Indian immigrant)

I could go on... and that says something 🖤