Cameron Diaz-backed organic winery is changing the industry

Shortly after first introducing Nicole Richie to Diaz’s sister-in-law and Power’s girlfriend, the couple realized that although they were eating natural and using clean skin care products, they didn’t really know what was inside. the wine they drank most of their adult lives.

Many premium wine producers use organically grown grapes or grow them using organic methods—adding few ingredients, if any traces of sulfites—but many do not obtain formal organic certification due to the additional time and cost involved. They also don’t list ingredients on the label (except for mentioning sulfites) because it’s not necessary—the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau doesn’t require alcoholic beverages to include ingredient or nutrition labeling. Power and Diaz decided to create a wine brand that would provide this information, becoming the first wine producer in the country to do so, they said.

“We question everything else in our lives, be it our cosmetics, skin care products or the food we consume daily. We strive for a lifestyle where everything is clean and organic,” says Power. “It never occurred to us that wine didn’t fall into that category. We were shocked to learn about the added ingredients and lack of transparency. The desire to learn more about the winemaking process and how to make clean, delicious wine led us to create Avaline.”

In 2018, Diaz and Power began diving into the world of wine, learning everything they could about the industry, from agriculture and winemaking to distribution and retail. A key step was selecting winemakers in France and Spain who owned organic vineyards and could produce at the scale the brand needed to achieve its mission of driving a new industry standard by making clean wine accessible to everyone.

“It was very important for us to find vineyards that have been passed down from generation to generation and practice organic farming. Commercial agriculture adds many toxins and chemicals to waterways and soils that have negative impacts on our environment,” says Diaz. “I really appreciate all the labeling and the growth that has happened over the last 15 to 20 years in the organic space because I can see a big difference between eating organic and non-organic.”

After tasting hundreds of wine samples, the couple—with the assistance of Ashley Hertzberg, a consulting winemaker based in Sonoma, Calif., who specializes in organic wines—launched the brand in July 2020 with four generic wines (red, white, rosé, and sparkling), rather than wines labeled according to their variety. Thanks in part to celebrity investors like Richie and Gwyneth Paltrow, the brand has grown rapidly and is now available in all 50 US states.

ITEM

Avaline wines are vegan-friendly, made from certified organic grapes and contain no added sugar, colors or concentrates. By providing complete ingredient transparency on every label, Avaline aims to set a new standard for the wine industry.

“Sharing this information is our way of saying that your well-being is important to us,” Diaz says.

According to the brand, more than 70 additives are legal to add to wine in the United States, including sugar, concentrates, colors and tannins. Avaline labels include descriptions of the wine’s flavor as well as pairing recommendations. The back label shows calories, carbs, fat, protein and ingredients.

“We wanted to create easy-to-drink, delicious wines, free of all unwanted additives, packaged in an easy-to-understand bottle,” says Power.

Each winery supplier is listed on the Avaline website; the wines are either bottled in Europe or shipped in containers and bottled in the US. The wine is sold in major grocery and retail stores such as Target, Kroger and Albertsons and is also available direct to consumer through Avaline. Web site.

The brand has also developed Bottle Service, an online subscription platform where customers can order wine in any quantity and frequency, with free delivery and special value-added services such as early access to new products and restocking of favorites. A variety of wine selections are exclusively available on the website, including a seasonal rotation of bestsellers and limited releases.

PRICE

Available exclusively on Avaline’s website, the nine-bottle “Intro Set” retails for $234. One bottle of Pinot Noir costs US$30.

DESCRIPTION

For newcomers to the brand, an introductory kit is provided. The package includes all of Avaline’s bestsellers: two bottles each of Avaline’s red, rosé and cabernet, plus one bottle each of Sauvignon Blanc, white and sparkling.

“It’s hard to pick a favorite, which is why I love this set so much,” says Diaz.

From light and crisp to smooth and rich, the introductory set offers a little bit of everything. Those who like dry and crisp wines will likely gravitate toward whites and sparkling wines, while those looking for a fuller-bodied wine will be more likely to enjoy red blends and Cabernets. Other nine-bottle sets include the Summer Edit, which features the brand’s warmer-month options, and—for oenophiles with a soft spot for one or the other—the All the Whites or All the Reds sets.

WHAT WELL

Avaline is helping lead the way in the wine industry toward greater label transparency, giving consumers more knowledge and confidence in what they are putting into their bodies.

“Learning that not all wine is vegan really opened my eyes to the lack of transparency in the industry. The wine industry has somehow managed to avoid having to be transparent or reveal what’s in the bottle,” Diaz says. “Many people may not care whether animal by-products are used in the production of wine, but we believe the consumer should be aware of this step so they can make this decision for themselves.”

Although winemakers are required by law to disclose very little information on labels, Avaline includes a full list of ingredients on every bottle. The brand works with like-minded producers who prioritize sustainability and rely on nature to grow healthy fruits and produce delicious wine without unnecessary additives.

“I completely changed what I drank when I learned that concentrates and colors were used in traditional winemaking, favoring wines made from organic grapes or more natural wines instead of the brands I bought at the grocery store,” Power says. “What was even more shocking was that most vineyards in the U.S. use harsh chemical pesticides.”

As a women-founded and owned brand, Avaline is committed to supporting other women in wine to create more equity in the industry. They have done this through a variety of events and programs, including an integrated partnership with Lift Collective, an organization that advocates for positive change in the wine industry by promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.

Avaline has also partnered with other vineyards that champion sustainable practices, most notably carbon-neutral French company EthicDrinks, which is seeking B Corporation certification. Organic means that no harmful chemical pesticides are used in the production of the wine, making it better for the people who grow the grapes, the environment and consumers. (The brand notes that wines made from organic grapes contain only one-third the sulfites found in conventional wines.)

WHAT’S NEXT

Now that Avaline is firmly established, it plans to add several varietal wines to its portfolio, including its newest wines, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.

“I’m in love with our Sauv Blanc because it’s really fresh and floral,” Diaz says. “Some wines on the market have a sharp or slightly green character, so we wanted to make our wine delicate, balanced, easy to drink and a really pure expression of the grape.”

Going forward, the brand plans to continually expand its portfolio with new core offerings as well as limited-availability releases.