Celebrate Marriage Equality

LGBTQ Wine Label series from Justice Grace Vineyards

For Immediate Release:
January 28, 2014

Shoe Shine Wine Celebrates LGBTQ Romance on Valentine's Day with Award-Winning Bay Area Petite Sirah

Near-Zero Sulphur Added Wine Wins Gold at 2014 SF Chronicle Wine Competition

San Francisco, CA-- Justice Grace Vineyards, a Bay Area micro-winery and the maker of Shoe Shine Wine, is proud to announce new vineyard-designated Petite Sirahs celebrating LGBTQ relationships with unique, fun, and beautifully designed labels.

The label series includes “Male-Tango,” depicting two men entwined in a dance, and “Female-Footsie,” capturing a flirtatious moment between two women. The labels were chosen for inclusion in SFMOMA’s 2011 curated show, “When Wine became Modern,” for their extraordinary design. Customers may select their preferred label to adorn any bottle, to celebrate their values, lives, and those of their loved ones.

“This Valentine's Day, we’re celebrating this past year’s phenomenal momentum which has restored justice and brought an end to marriage discrimination in 17 states and counting,” says owner/winemaker Eric Cohen. “I’m proud to offer a unique, handcrafted wine which reflects compassion, affection, and heart and soul both inside and outside the bottle.”

Since 2003, Shoe Shine Wine has been uniquely focused on helping to revive California’s underdog heirloom varietal, Petite Sirah, which is in the midst of a quiet Renaissance. After handcrafting wines in very small volumes in Sonoma and Napa for more than 10 years, the winery recently moved to a shared space in Northwest Berkeley.

With transparent ingredient labeling, very few additives, very low to near-zero sulphur dioxide added, and unique blends of several varietals, each lively and soulful wine speaks clearly of a special time and place. The fruit is sourced from several distinctive vineyards, including organic, Biodynamic, old vine, high altitude, and cold climate sites.

The recently released, near-zero sulphur added 2010 Shoe Shine Wine Petite Sirah, Dry Creek Valley, from Gustafson Vineyard, was just awarded a "Gold" medal in the 2014 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Last year, Shoe Shine Wine’s 2010 Wolff Vineyard’s Petite Sirah, Edna Valley, was awarded a “Double Gold” in the 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

Shoe Shine Wine is available online at shoeshinewine.com, and at select Bay Area establishments.

New Petite Sirahs from Shoe Shine Wine are available at shoeshinewine.com:

- 2010 Tenbrink Vineyards, Solano County (organically farmed)
- 2010 Gustafson Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley (high-altitude)
- 2010 York Creek Vineyards, Spring Mountain (old-vine)
- 2010 Golden Vineyards, Mendocino (Biodynamic)

About Justice Grace Vineyards:

Justice Grace Vineyards is a father and young son team with the sole winemaking mission to make authentic and world-class Petite Sirahs, using very few ingredients and interventions. Shoe Shine Wine released its first vintage in 2003, but only publicly launched at the end of 2011, after its ninth vintage. Shoe Shine Wine is dedicated to being a catalyst and resource for a national living wage movement. A new, second brand will be launched in early 2014 with an additional social justice mission. The winery is located in Northwest Berkeley; tastings available by appointment only.

Noteworthy:

- One of very few wineries worldwide to transparently label all ingredients on each bottle.
- Each cork/bottle is hand wrapped with a vintage fabric “capsule,”—beautiful and environmentally conscious.
- Abstract Winemaking Photography: In 2012, owner/winemaker Eric Cohen was named one of 10 extraordinary Bay Area artists in SF Weekly’s “Masterminds” artist competition for his abstract winemaking photography taken over the past decade.

For More Information:
Justice Grace Vineyards: justicegrace.com

Shoe Shine Wine: shoeshinewine.com
Follow Us on Facebook: facebook.com/JusticeGraceVineyards

Selected Abstract Winemaking Photography: http://www.flickr.com/photos/justicegracevineyards/

Eric Cohen, Owner/Winemaker: info@justicegrace.com, 415.695.7662