Each new bottling of LOVE Wine will feature a label created by a female artist chosen by Alexandra Grant, turning ‘every bottle into a canvas.’
As each new bottling of LOVE Wine is rolled out, it will feature a unique label made in partnership with a female-identified artist hand-picked by Grant. “This will turn every bottle into a canvas that celebrates artistic expression,” says Caroline Shaw, senior director of marketing, communications and partnerships at J Vineyards. “This partnership seeks to amplify voices that are often marginalized, while also transforming the act of enjoying wine into an experience that connects culture, creativity and community. Supporting J and grantLOVE’s shared mission of empowering women and creativity in wine and the arts, the LOVE Wine project also invites guests to connect by engaging with wine.” LOVE Wine is available exclusively from the winery, selling for $50 per bottle. The grapes were sourced from cool-climate vineyards across California, including the Russian River Valley and Monterey and Mendocino counties. About half of the 500 cases of the initial bottling were sold in the first 60 days after the launch. A portion of the sales is earmarked for the grantLOVE project. “This is a bright, crisp sparkling wine created exclusively with internationally acclaimed artist Alexandra Grant and her grantLOVE project,” adds Shaw. Finding a partner According to her official biography, Grant spent many years of her childhood and adolescence living in France, Spain and Mexico. She earned a master of fine arts degree in 2000 from the California College of Arts and Crafts in San Francisco. Now based in Los Angeles, she works in several media, including painting, drawing, sculpting, photography and film. She has collaborated extensively with other artists and writers, including actor Keanu Reeves, her partner. The two of them created at least one book together, Ode to Happiness , and they co-founded X Artists’ Books in 2017, a small publisher of artist-centered books. Grant’s artwork has been exhibited in numerous galleries around the world.
Joe Bartolomei, proprietor of the Farmhouse Inn near Forestville, met Grant and Reeves several years ago while the couple was vacationing at the inn. “Alexandra and some of her girlfriends had been hiking at Armstrong Woods, and I picked them up. In the car on the ride back to the inn, we discovered she and I had a lot in common.” At that time, Bartolomei was under contract to produce a Sonoma-focused book with Cameron + Company publishers based in Petaluma, he says, and Grant had just created a book for the publisher about her philanthropic project grantLOVE in support of women in art. “She shared with me her dream of doing a wine project under her LOVE brand, and I told her I knew people that might be interested,” he says. “I knew that Gallo was a winery that had supported women and diversity through its Shifting the Lens and Issa Rae projects, so I helped connect her with Gallo. [Shifting the Lens showcases guest chefs from diverse backgrounds at J Vineyards, while renowned actress Rae— Barbie, American Fiction —is associated with Gallo’s Viarae Prosecco label.] Ultimately Alexandra was able to find a path forward for her project with J Vineyards.” Right now, many wineries in Sonoma County are struggling to connect with a younger demographic, says Bartolomei. “So Alexandra’s LOVE Wine project seemed to be something that might attract a younger audience.” Nicole Hitchcock, J Vineyards’ estate director and head winemaker, says the winery was thrilled to partner with Grant and the grantLOVE initiative on such a meaningful project. “Wine, like art, has the power to bring people together, spark conversation and inspire change.” ‘Perfect’ collaborators Grant founded the grantLOVE initiative in 2008 to raise funds to support art, artists and nonprofit organizations through art and merchandise featuring Grant’s trademarked LOVE symbol. The initiative also uses the direct sales of LOVE artwork and
24 NorthBaybiz
June 2025
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