Red-handed giving 

How often do you consider the human being who planted your lettuce, harvested your strawberries, or processed those olives into the oil you use to sauté dinner every night? It's important to remember that behind every great meal or bottle of wine, there are usually two pairs of weather-beaten hands doing the heavy lifting, sowing, weed pulling, and pruning. Talley Vineyards reminds us of this fact with its 2015 charity wine, Mano Tinta, or "Red Hand." The wine, benefiting the Fund for Vineyard and Farm Workers, is a nod to hardworking local growers who rarely see the spotlight.

This isn't a one-winery show. All of the grapes, materials, and services used to make Mano Tinta are donated by the local wine community (Sinor LaValle Vineyards, Ranchita Canyon Vineyards, Wolff Vineyards, and Laetitia Vineyard and Winery have been caught red-handed helping the cause); plus, local artists create a new label each year. This is not a drop of help. It's more like a flood.

Created in 2004 by Brian and Johnine Talley, the goal has always been to establish $1 million endowment, and—drum roll please—that endowment has recently surpassed $900,000! Considering that just last year, the fund made grants of $30,000 to the SLO Noor Foundation and Tolosa Children's Dental Center, I'd say this wine is worthy of a spot at your next family gathering.

That's not all. Most recently, the group created a new scholarship directly benefiting the sons and daughters of SLO County farmworkers to ensure that the next generation has a helping hand, too. If this cause matters to you, look at your own hands. Yes. I say, look at your wallet and your glass.

Find our where to purchase Mano Tinta and learn more about The Fund for Vineyard and Farm Workers by calling (805) 489-0446 or going to talleyvineyards.com. For more information about the Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County, go to cfsloco.org.

Hayley Thomas Cain stands in solidarity with the incredibly important farm and vineyard workers across the county. She can be reached at [email protected].