Editors’ Note

Mari Coyle honed her winemaking skills in some of the world’s finest wine regions, apprenticing under premier pinot noir producers such as Gloria Ferrer and Merry Edwards. She later came to Napa as winemaker at the iconic Sterling Vineyards. Coyle’s first vintage wines received regional “best of show” and gold medal awards. As the winemaker for David Girard Vineyards, she earned some of the region’s highest accolades for her Rhone-style wines. Her Rhone varietals have been recognized by the likes of wine critic Robert Parker, San Francisco Chronicle, Sunset Magazine, and The Connoisseur’s Guide to California Wine. Since joining ONEHOPE, Coyle has played an integral part in developing wine education for the brand and its direct selling platform which empowers entrepreneurs to make an impact while making an income. In her role at ONEHOPE, she also acts as winemaker and works with partners to create wines that customers enjoy.

Company Brief

ONEHOPE (onehopewine.com) is a winery on a mission to share wine and give hope. ONEHOPE has quickly become one of the most recognizable cause brands due to the success of their cornerstone product, ONEHOPE Wine. To date, ONEHOPE has donated over $6 million to nonprofits around the world and inspired a community of entrepreneurs to make an impact while earning an income. Through the company’s wine fundraisers, ONEHOPE is democratizing the Napa Valley wine tasting experience and empowering consumers to support the causes that matter most to them through wine.

ONEHOPE was created with purpose at its foundation. Will you discuss the ONEHOPE mission and commitment to being purpose-driven?

ONEHOPE Wine launched in 2007 with a mission to change the world by sharing wine and giving hope. To date, through the sales of our wine, we have donated over $6 million which has funded over three million meals to children in need, planted an entire forest in Indonesia, built three schools in the developing world to provide quality education for thousands of children, and so much more. Our company’s wine fundraisers, led by our Cause Entrepreneurs, are democratizing the Napa Valley wine tasting experience and, in turn, empowering others to support the causes that matter most to them through wine.

Will you provide an overview of ONEHOPE’s wines and how the wines are positioned in the market?

ONEHOPE’s award-winning wines are made from the finest grapes sourced from world-renowned winemaking regions. Our commitment to exquisite taste, quality and excellence are as important to us as our commitment to supporting meaningful causes that make the world a better place. Our collections range from our Estate Collection, with grapes grown at our vineyard in the heart of Napa Valley, to our Vintner Collection, which is our most awarded collection at $25 per bottle.

While there is strong awareness for the ONEHOPE mission, is there an effective understanding of the high-quality and strength of the wines?

Many of our customers love the give back aspect of our brand, but we believe it is the quality of our wine that keeps them coming back for another taste. With the launch of our state-of-the-art boutique winery in Rutherford in Napa Valley, we look forward to connecting with new and current customers to further share our story and award-winning wines from our vineyard.

How has technology impacted the winemaking process for ONEHOPE?

Technology is a core competency at ONEHOPE, from shipping and customer experience to our fundraising platform and our vineyard and sustainability efforts. We are currently working on the latest technology to clean our wastewater and improve our impact on the environment.

ONEHOPE is opening a new winery in Napa. Will you highlight the new winery and its significance for the brand?

Our flagship winery, designed by Howard Backen, opens this summer and sits in the prestigious Rutherford Bench amongst some of the greatest wine brands in the world. Our winery and vineyard are fully sustainable with practices that include recycling our process water, generating our own drinking water, organic farming and more. These practices help us craft the highest quality wines while providing a healthy and beautiful environment for our guests and team.

Our ONEHOPE Estate Wine will be made in our state-of-the-art production facility, starting in our stainless and concrete fermentation tanks and ending in our barrel-aging cellar. These wines have become our most highly sought after and rare varietals.

As a leading female winemaker in the industry, what do you tell young women about the opportunities that exist to grow and lead in the industry?

The wine industry has so much room for women in leadership positions. I believe there are opportunities at every part of the business from marketing to production. I’m learning to lead with my most authentic self and encourage other women to do the same. For so many years I thought that I needed to mimic the men in our industry and I’m realizing there are still so many contributions to make for the future of our industry.

Did you always know that you had a passion for winemaking and that this is what you wanted to do for your career?

I had no idea I would step into such a rewarding and joyful career. From my early days in school, I always loved science and art. Fortunately, I found the science of winemaking early in my college studies and fell madly in love. But, believe it or not, I attended the California Maritime Academy before transferring to UC DAVIS where I received my degree in Viticulture and Enology. My experience at the academy helped me prepare for a male-dominated industry and taught me vital industrial skills like mechanical engineering, crane and forklift operations, and the discipline of keeping a tight ship. There are so many paths that lead to such a multifaceted industry.