Watch Christoper discuss The Two Eighty Project’s mission and work on LIVE! In the Bay.

“In California and beyond, a new generation of winemaker-activists are using hybrid and indigenous grapes to create transformational change. The 280 Project, located at Alemany Farm in San Francisco, is an important node of the ABV community. The farm is nestled between the Alemany Apartments—150 units of much-needed affordable housing in a city with some of the highest rents in the country—and the Interstate 280. In 2020, in collaboration with winemaker Steve Matthiasson, they were able to make their vision materialize into a full-blown apprenticeship program. Each year, a handful of students have the opportunity to learn about all aspects of winemaking, from climate-adaptive farming techniques to the benefits of hybrid grapes.”

“We present here a small slice of the burgeoning Black wine community, broken into two groups. You’ll find Trailblazers, those who have firmly established themselves in the wine community and are now mentors to the next generation. You’ll also find that next wave, the Rising Black Voices in Wine, those whose impact is starting to resonate across our whole industry, to the benefit of all.”

“On a lush, overgrown hillside overlooking Alemany Boulevard and Interstate 280, Christopher Renfro is growing a tiny, but potentially important, vineyard. Growing wine grapes in San Francisco would be notable under any circumstances. Viticulture in the city is pretty much limited to a few optimistic backyard gardeners, a factor of both the dense urban layout and the weather grapes love constant fog and cold summers.”

“Since he was a small child, Christopher has had an innate connection to nature. His fondest memories growing up are those of the woods of Germany - in their depths, he would explore day in, day out, observing the rhythms of Mother Nature. He learnt quickly how to dial into his inner compass and would never get lost.“

“A fight for diversity and equality is long overdue in the wine world. Despite all the hardships it brought, 2020 saw leaps taken in the right direction. We hope that this article, which outlines the efforts by so many, will serve as a positive resource for change and inspiration. “

Issue No. 5 of The Wine Zine

Damien Maloney and Nadia Pugh at Two Eighty Project in San Francisco