Why Proud Pour

What if drinking made the world a better place? That's the idea that inspired founder Berlin Kelly to create Proud Pour, and it will always be at the core of what we do.

Seven years ago, we were scrapping to get our first wine out there, working with a one-person distributor in one state and sending donations to our first oyster restoration partner. That first wine, our Sauvignon Blanc for wild oyster reef restoration, will always be near and dear to us. With it we built a whole first set of relationships with amazing environmental groups, oyster farmers, restaurant buyers, wine shop owners, and our earliest wine-loving fans, who saw and picked up those first few bottles.

Our second wine, a Pinot Noir for bee habitat restoration, came two years later, and something clicked. It became clear that Proud Pour supporters were thirsty for new, delicious wines that protected all the things they cared about, and not just oysters. We always knew Proud Pour would be about celebrating the whole planet, but we could see there was no time to wait. In the span of two years we released our Cider for Sea Turtles, Rosé for Reefs, and Syrah for Soil. Over this next year we'll be launching wines for wolves, big cats, and sharks, and we won't stop there.

We'll always make drinks you love and support the work of our amazing environmental nonprofit partners - giving them 5% of our top line revenue, 5x the typical give back company. But we also have a secret mission, which goes much further than giving back.

As you may have felt, it's not always easy to show the world you care about the environment. Not everyone can afford solar panels or electric cars, and not all of us have friends who are receptive to hearing about the latest unsettling climate news. Our fans tell us that a big reason they share Proud Pour drinks with friends is that it's a positive (and tasty) way to show what they care about.

Through this dynamic, we believe Proud Pour can become the ultimate tool for recruiting new environmentalists. With our wines in hand, our fans will be able to reach millions of people who otherwise don't think much about the environment. And how better to ease someone in than with a good bottle of wine? Our goal is to help create 5 million new environmentalists over the next decade.

Proud Pour is two of us, both passionate environmentalists who love good drinks. With real determination and some hard work and incredible support from our friends and fans, Proud Pour is now in 500+ shops and restaurants and supports the work of 22 environmental groups. We're pretty sure we've just scratched the surface.