How it started

It all started in Iowa City with a good idea and a killer party. The phrase “Rosé v. Wade” came to me via a like-minded wine professional back in the spring of 2019 and it was just so perfect that I knew I had to do something with it. Later that summer, I decided to host our largest wine party to date with proceeds to benefit an independent women’s health clinic in our neighborhood. 

Founded in 1973, the not-for-profit Emma Goldman Clinic was created by a group of women with feminist ideals in order “to empower people of all gender and sexual identities in all life stages through the provision of quality reproductive health care that includes abortion services, gynecology services, safer sex promotion, and active education.” Located just a stone’s throw away from the large University of Iowa campus, this organization plays a vital role in our community and survives solely on the donations and the good will of many volunteers.

A good friend of mine came up with the logo by infusing wine and women’s anatomy for a subtle yet in-your-face representation of what the cause was all about. That first event raised over $6,000 through ticket sales and merchandise purchases. It was so successful and so much fun that we knew it wouldn’t be the last time. 

How it’s going

After two years of hosting the party I decided it was time to search for someone who would be willing to make a private label wine so that we could raise a bit more money and, more importantly, keep the awareness up all year round. A local importer, Best Case Wines, reached out to a winery that they work with who agreed to help us out and thus the first Rosé v. Wade wine was born. We have now gone through 3 different vintages and are looking forward to finding partners in other states to help make future vintages even more successful.

The Cause

Through yearly events, merchandise and proceeds of the private-label wine, my business, Brix Cheese Shop & Wine Bar, a 40 seat establishment here in middle America, has raised nearly $40,000 for The Emma Goldman Clinic. With the political landscape dealing blow after blow to body autonomy rights, we feel it’s more important than ever to continue the fight we officially joined over 5 years ago. We will continue our efforts here in Iowa and hope to find others in our wonderful wine community to help us raise funds and awareness on a national level.

$1 of every bottle sold to our partners will be donated directly to the Abortion Care Network. ACN is a national organization made up of independent clinics like the Emma Goldman Clinic (who is actually a founding member). Statistically independent clinics provide the bulk of abortion care in the United States (more even than hospitals and Planned Parenthood.) These clinics are closing at an alarming rate and need increased donations to survive in order to continue their vital role in the physical and mental health of women across America.

While not mandatory, we strongly encourage our partners to come up with their own creative ways to use our wine to help promote awareness and raise extra funds for similar causes in their community.

- Nick Craig, founder