Meet the new wave of winemakers sponsored by “Stay Rooted in California” – a scholarship program developed by The Roots Fund and Naked Wines
“We are building something with a nod to the past… and our hearts on the future… centered on the tenets of supporting worker rights.”
Kathline Chery, “Stay Rooted” Scholarship Recipient
Naked Wines and The Roots Fund are proud to support Kathline Chery – one of eight recipients of the “Stay Rooted” Scholarship in 2020-2021.
Along with her business partners, Kathline has formed a worker-owned wine company in Vermont – Kalchē Wine Co. She is a farmer by trade and writer in soul – a storyteller who works with fruit to capture the narratives of a time and place.
At Kalchē, “we are building something with a nod to the past,” said Chery. The wine company “focuses on low intervention winemaking production, centered on the tenets of supporting worker rights,” according to Chery’s cooperative website.
Chery has had an unlikely and adventurous foray into regional winemaking, practicing regenerative agriculture amidst orchards and vineyards in Pennsylvania, Texas, and Vermont. Most recently, Chery completed a winemaking fellowship at Hiyu Wine Farm in Oregon.
Chery believes in work as play, so she welcomes it into her environment at every turn — and as a land steward, that opportunity is plentiful. She is currently enrolled in the Winemaking Certificate Program at UC Davis.
About our partner: The Roots Fund was created to empower communities of color by providing resources and financial support through educational scholarships, wine education, mentorship, and job placement. Naked has pledged a 5-year commitment to The Roots Fund and the advancement of the BIPOC community in wine.
Yay for Kathline! Glad to see Progressive Vermont on the wine map! Will plan a visit to the Kalchë Wine Co soon.
Yes! We love seeing Vermont in the mix too!