A collaboration and movement to drive visitation via epicurean experiences, sustainability, inclusivity, and compassion in wine country and beyond.
Petaluma, CA (July 26, 2021) – Miyoko Schinner, Founder and CEO of Miyoko’s Creamery in Petaluma and lauded vegan chef, announces the launch of Wine Country 2.0, a campaign to foster collaboration in wine country and increase visitation by offering sustainable yet artisanally-crafted, compassionate and inclusive experiences. “Wine Country 2.0 is an entirely new way to enjoy the world’s greatest wine region and leading tourist destination. We will expose visitors and locals alike to phenomenal experiences which demonstrate that caring for the planet and animals while delivering the world’s finest food and wine pairings are not mutually exclusive” says Schinner. “This convivial, climate-forward collaboration celebrates the diverse, local tastemakers and change makers who are leading the way in creating a more sustainable and compassionate hospitality experience that will create a blueprint for the culinary industry across the country.”
The effort comes as concerns over the climate crisis, sustainability, health, and animal welfare all continue to see an upward trend. Schinner adds, “we know the total number of vegans, vegetarians, and related, is close to 14 percent of the world population and the number of vegans in the U.S. grew by 600% over the last three years. Millennials are the biggest drivers, with a quarter of 25 to 34-year-olds classifying themselves as vegan or vegetarian. That means we are leaving a lot of people out of the wine country experience and losing opportunities to attract and connect with these folks.”
The campaign, sponsored by Miyoko’s Creamery, will consist of a consortium of wineries, restaurateurs, hoteliers, hospitality-focused businesses, organizations, and local artisan food producers that are dedicated to providing sustainable and compassionate guest experiences. Together they will create a Wine Country 2.0 experience that will attract visitors that might not have opted for wine country as a destination previously, as well as enhance the current experience for the present demographic. Already, dozens of charter members have joined the campaign, including wineries such as, Blue Farm, Cline Cellars, and Clif Family Winery, and businesses such as, El Dorado Hotel & Kitchen, La Belle Vie Tours, Bohemian Highway, Renegade Foods, Green String Farm, and organizations like, Out in the Vineyard, Charlie’s Acres, Miyoko’s own Rancho Compasión, and Jameson Humane.
Wine Country 2.0 culminates in an awards ceremony in November celebrating the businesses and organizations that have created the most sustainable and inclusive programs, and also seeks to present an elevated vegan food & wine festival in Spring, 2022. Schinner concludes, “ultimately, the goal is to shift the paradigm of wine country here and beyond, and to create a model for the hospitality industry worldwide that will serve as a roadmap for sustainability by incorporating a vegan approach to food and wine. As leaders in the industry, we want to use that sphere of influence to become a trusted resource for locals, visitors, chefs, and inspire change-maker chefs and winemakers across the world to establish the new and improved wine country experience, for the businesses, the people, and the animals.” To join the new wave of wine country, visit www.winecountry2.com.
About Miyoko’s Creamery
Recognized by the United Nations as a ‘Vegan Revolutionary’ in its ‘The Future of Women’ global initiative, and named one of Forbes 50 Women over 50, Miyoko Schinner, Founder & CEO of Miyoko’s Creamery, is an epicurean activist who’s addressing some of the world’s biggest challenges by advancing our food system and creating the blueprint for the future of dairy.
Through an innovative proprietary process that merges culinary arts and food science, Schinner has cracked the code in making fermented cheese and cultured butter from plant milks that rival animal dairy counterparts on compassion, taste and nutrition on a world-changing scale.
Miyoko’s Creamery products can be found at over 30,000 stores in the US and Canada, and are distributed as well in South Africa, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The pioneer of the plant-dairy cheese revolution, Schinner is a passionate culinarian, former restaurateur, TV personality, and best-selling cookbook author. Schinner has dedicated her life to inspiring compassion through the joy of food and the positivity of plants.
Schinner is also co-founder of Rancho Compasión, a farmed animal sanctuary in Nicasio California that provides a home to over 140 rescued farm animals.
Schinner has been featured in Bloomberg, Forbes, The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Huffpost, Food & Wine and many more.
