For Those Who Would Like To Help Me Restore My Trusty Vehicle (Grapefruit) !
Dear Friends and Supporters,
As some of you may or may not know, on my way back from the Catskills while rounding a sharp turn on a steep incline, a sudden fright from an oncoming vehicle caused me to over-correct, leading to an experience where I spun out and flipped into a ditch. Although I was incredibly fortunate to have received help from a local passerby who arranged for a tow back to the city, my grapefruit was left in a precarious state. Namely fixing body damage so that the vehicle can drive safely, the doors can open and close, and the engine run again.
The Problem at Hand
My vehicle (grapefruit), which has historically and notoriously been a reliable companion and is crucial for economically and efficiently transporting me to and fro the vineyard project, has suffered significant body damage. Thankfully, the frame is still intact — it’s built for the outdoors, rugged and ready for what lay ahead. However, the estimated cost for necessary repairs ranges between $2,500 and $5,000 for both body and engine work.
How Funds Will Be Utilized
Any support on this page will go directly into repairing my vehicle, ensuring it is roadworthy again!
Your Impact
Contributions to this campaign will make an immeasurable difference in my life. Getting my vehicle back into proper working order will allow me not only to stop wasting money on rentals but help productivity at the vineyard exponentially!
In case you'd like to contribute alternatively!
Venmo
@Emmanuel-Muhammad
Zelle
emmanuel@aware.wine
Welcome to Awaré ( Atlantic Wine And Reparative Enology), a NYC-based natural wine label on a mission to redefine the wine industry. At Awaré, we create native and hybrid grape fermentations that push the boundaries of what a wine label can offer culturally, socially, and in terms of the novel vintages and cuvées we craft. Our vision is grounded in two fundamental pillars: the democratization of consumer wine literacy and the elevation of under-represented producers and grape varietals.
As of this summer we have been honored with a gracious grant from Sky High Farm, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to sustainable agriculture and food justice. We are asking for your help to match this grant! With your support, Awaré can raise the appropriate support necessary to rehabilitate a 20th century New York state vineyard of hybrid grape varietals at Callisto Farm Hudson Valley. This funding will help rehabilitate the vineyard, secure our supply-chain, and strengthen our relationships with the right farmers growing the right varietals to bring another batch of real wine to life.
Following in the footsteps of a bourgeoning group of great contemporary east coast producers of cold-hardy grape wine, biodynamics and regenerative agriculture are at the forefront of this project. If we raise the appropriate amount of money, not only will we have the resources to ensure the vineyard reclamation is successful but it will ensure the agricultural integrity of our methods. Callisto farm itself is a minority owned and operated project, focused on merging hospitality with the awareness regenerative agriculture.
Harvest 2021 - Truck bed of Delaware; one of
the three varietals of Labrusca grapes used for the 2021 cuveéOur Journey and Vision
In 2021, we embarked on our winemaking journey by crafting our first vintage—a co-fermentation of three grape varietals native to the North East. This still and sparkling wine was born out of the Finger Lakes region of New York State, where everything was grown, purchased, and pressed locally. By focusing on women and BIPOC collaborators, our goal is to unite the best natural winemakers and farmers to create the most inspired products.
Challenging Tradition and Embracing Diversity
Awaré is not just another wine label. We challenge the traditional elitism and prejudice that has favored European varietals (Vitis Vinifera), and we proudly market a cuvée that co-ferments regional varietals of American native and hybrid grapes (Vitis Labrusca). Our success redefines what is considered acceptable and high-quality, low-to-no intervention wine, opening up access to previously novel fermentations for the consumer market.
Hitherto, Awaré has been a bootstrapped endeavor, and I could not be more proud of our progress.
Why We Need Your Support
As a bootstrapped endeavor, we have achieved remarkable progress. But to continue our pursuit of excellence and innovation, we need your help. By supporting our campaign, you will enable us to secure our supply-chain and establish stronger relationships with farmers cultivating the right varietals, bringing another extraordinary batch to life.
A Journey of Resilience and Dedication
As a black-owned natural wine label, Awaré has found unwavering support and inspiration among women and BIPOC players in the industry. Our journey started with just an idea and my unique skill set, combined with limited savings as a self-supporting 25-year-old. Through perseverance, dedication, and leveraging my network, I navigated the entire process of harvesting, producing, branding, labeling, and selling our first wine.
We have garnered interest from two distributors, supplied three restaurants, and have received inquiries from several others that - with your help - we are eager to accommodate.
At Awaré, we believe in fostering positive social impact within the wine industry. Our commitment to reparative/regenerative enology goes beyond crafting exceptional wines. We aim to address historical inequities that have affected grape varietals and workers while promoting sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices to enrich the ecosystems where our grapes are grown.
A tlantic W ine A nd R egenerative E nology
-
Atlantic Wine: Signifies our connection to
American native and hybrid grape and the regions of the Atlantic
coast, where the Finger Lakes in New York State, for example, is
known for its diverse grape varietals and unique winemaking
practices. It is a nod to the wine regions along the Atlantic
Ocean, where Awaré sources its grapes, expressing a sense of place
and terroir in our offerings.
- Reparative/Regenerative Enology: Signifies a commitment to socially conscious winemaking, where the focus is not only on producing exceptional wines but also on promoting positive social impact within the wine industry; addressing the historical inequities within the wine world that have affected grape varietals and workers, and a focus on sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices that aim to restore and enrich the ecosystems where the grapes are grown.
Join Us in Creating a Culturally Conscious Wine Culture
We are incredibly grateful for your consideration of our Kickstarter campaign. By supporting Awaré, you become part of a movement that celebrates the richness of Atlantic grape varietals and champions a wine culture that embraces repair, regeneration, and social responsibility. Together, we will shape a future where exceptional wines and positive social impact go hand in hand.
Thank you for your support, and let's raise a glass to Awaré's exciting future!
Timeline
Step 1: Securing the Supply Chain (Where YOU come in!)
- Vineyard Rehabilitation and Reclamation @ Callisto Hudson Valley (October - August 2025)
Step 2: Grape Harvest and Production (September/October - November 2025)
Step 3: Fermentation and Aging (November 2025 - March 2026)
Step 4: Bottling and Labeling (April 2026)
Step 5: Fulfillment and Distribution (May-June 2026)
Budget
We believe in financial responsibility and want to ensure our backers understand how we plan to utilize the funds raised for the vineyard reclamation:
Sustainable Practices: The majority of this budget will be dedicated to supporting regenerative agricultural practices and sustainable initiatives that will go into the vineyards rehabilitation, reinforcing our commitment to a socially conscious wine industry.
- Tools - Ensuring we have all the necessary equipment for removal of unnecessary and overgrown weeds and fallen trees from vineyard.
-
Pruning and Soil Health:
- Compost : Create on-site compost system to enrich the soil, enhance fertility and support healthy vine growth.
-
Polyculture:
- Cover crops - Introduce cover crops between vine rows to enhance soil health, improve soil structure, prevent erosion, encourage biodiversity and attract beneficial insects.
- Green manures - Incorporating green manures for natural soil enrichment.
- Biodynamic Sprays + Plant Teas
-
Infrastructure + Labor:
- Replacing and improving the vineyard trellis system where it has decayed and fallen over the decades, ensuring the vines have the proper support for optimal growth and the renumeration of all those who help in the process.
Risks and challenges
Being that the majority of the development relies on my personal labor, development has been steady but organic. The biggest challenge with reclaiming the vineyard at Callisto will be ensuring we can acquire the necessary funds in time to catch the growth cycle at its most optimal point for the fruiting of the grapes. If we can begin our clearing, weeding, and re-trellising of the vineyard this fall and the pruning of the vines this coming winter, we will be able to ensure the grapes have the appropriate time to mature through the summer leading up to harvest. Although we recognize that ultimately, if the reclamation is successful the vineyard will not be at its prime for another 1-2 years post this process, if we start now, we can see a yield next year substantial enough for a cuvée of a limited run!
If you’d like to get involved, have questions, or would like to show support in any other way please reach out to emmanuel@aware.wine
