Can Wine Save the Planet

Yep, not just a Documentary, a Documentary Series.

Michael doesn’t do anything small. But there is a reason behind that.

As we set out to tell the stories of these wineries and vineyards who are working to make a difference, it’s not a quick story. They didn’t turn things around in their own vineyards overnight. So, their stories will need to be told over time.

So, this is a 7-year project. Our plan is to saturate the market so I can walk up to almost anyone and say the words “biodynamic” or “regenerative organic” and have them understand what that means.

Distribution and Marketing Strategy

We will create feature shorts to present at Film Festivals, with three Feature Films. This will be an interactive movement.

Can Wine Save the Planet? Soil, Biodiversity an Eco Solution Feature 1
Can Wine Save The Planet?, Stories from Across the EcoVerse
Can Wine Save the Planet? Yes it Can!
The Path, The Journey, an Eco System Thriving Join the Movement

Education Videos, Speaking Engagements, Film Festival Screening. Social Media Saturation.

We will be pitching to streaming channels for an episodic Series.

Can Wine Save The Planet a Documentary Project

So, how are we going to do this?

First, we reached out to vineyards and wineries that we had visited before to see if they would be interested in working with us on this project. We started with Tablas Creek Vineyards and Troon Vineyard. They were the first 2 Regenerative Organic Certified Vineyards in the world, and they are people we like and respect. They were on board! We also reached out to the Regenerative Organic Alliance, who also said they were interested!

We expanded our list and spoke to Montinore Estate, Beckham, Wilridge Vineyard, Syncline, Beckmen, and Hedges Family Estate. All were happy to allow us access and time.

the Vineyards

Then, we gathered a team of writers. We want to include different perspectives and voices. We have a global team, including.

Our Global Team of Writers and Storytellers

Jeff Burrows WSET 4 FoodWineClick

Lynn Gowdy WSET 3 SavortheHarvest

Allison & Chris Wallace WSET 2, CWS, AdVINEtures

Robin Renken WSET 3, CSW, 42 Aspens Productions, Crushed Grape Chronicles

Andrea Lemieux- WSET 2 & CSW, The Quirky Cork

Martin Redmond, WSET 2 (w/Distinction) CSWS, Enofylz Blog

Then came the tough part. Michael sat down and created a budget and, after a month of preparing, applied for Fiscal Sponsorship from the International Documentary Association. Their website says that the typical turnaround on an application is 6 to 8 weeks. He applied on a Wednesday, and we were accepted on Friday. Suddenly, this long process was moving quickly.

We did our orientation and set up our funding page (more on that in the next post.)

is a fiscally sponsored project of the International
Documentary Association (IDA), 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization. Contributions in
support of Can Wine Save the Planet are payable to IDA and are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Donate Here

We also were put in touch with the Biodynamic Demeter Alliance and will be attending their conference in November in Colorado to gain a fuller understanding of biodynamic farming.

As far as filming? We spent a bit of time at Tablas Creek earlier this year, getting some footage to get us started. Jason Haas, the GM at Tablas Creek; Jordon Lonborg, their viticulturist; Gustavo Prieto, their director of Biodynamics; and Erin Mason, their Regenerative Specialist, all took time to speak with us on camera. You may have seen bits of this in our introductory videos.

Now, we are getting ready to head back out to California, Oregon, and Washington to get those glamour shots that you all love of harvest! You can expect lots to pop up on our social media over the next month or two!

Next year, we will expand, and our other writers will be working in different regions, gathering footage and speaking with vignerons.

Of course, all this takes a little bit of time and money, planning, traveling, shooting, editing…

Watch for our next post where you can see how you can help!

Fundraising for Can Wine Save the Planet Can Wine Save the Planet is a fiscally sponsored project of the International Documentary Association (IDA), 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization. Contributions in support of Can Wine Save the Planet are payable to IDA and are tax-deductible as allowed by law.