Napa Winery Serves Up The Fight For Same-Sex Marriage

O'Brien Cellars announced that it will partner with Equality California (EQCA), the largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organization in the state, in fighting to end the ban on same-sex marriage in California.
"We believe in romance and the fundamental right to pursue happiness with whomever you love," said Bart O'Brien, proprietor of O'Brien Cellars. "This fight is just too important to be sitting on the sidelines any longer."
O'Brien, who owns the winery with his wife Barb, opened their 40-acre winery six years ago as the culmination of a dream. "We are living our dream here at the winery, and in getting to know the gay and lesbian couples who have visited the winery, we realized that they are denied the right to fully live out their dreams, and that's just wrong."
Since opening the winery in 2000, the O'Brien's have provided private romance tours for couples, many of them gay or lesbian. "A lot of the couples stated how safe and comfortable they felt to be themselves while visiting our winery. Today, especially in California, that should be the accepted norm, and we are honored to have the opportunity to work with EQCA in making that happen."
As the official wine sponsor of EQCA, O'Brien Cellars will be the exclusive wine poured at all EQCA events throughout the state including the Equality Awards dinners in Los Angeles, Palm Springs and San Francisco.
"We are honored to welcome O'Brien Cellars as one of our key statewide partners," said Geoff Kors, executive director of EQCA. "Not only will they help enhance our events throughout the state, but as an ally, they are setting a philanthropic and inclusive example with the ultimate goal of ending discrimination."
O'Brien Cellars is located in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley and produces three wines, a Chardonnay, an Estate Merlot and their signature wine, Seduction, which is a proprietary red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot (Bordeaux varietal grapes) from the Napa Valley appellation.
While not open to the general public, romance tours can be arranged through the winery. Their wine maker is David Yorgensen who worked with renowned winemaking consultant Philippe Melka at Seavey Vineyard. For more information or to order wine online, visit their website at www.seductionwines.com.
Equality California is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots-based, statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to achieve equality and civil rights for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Californians. Please visit our website at www.eqca.org.
from YubaNet