Have you been dreaming of a visit to the well-known Napa Valley? Now there’s an opportunity for you and a guest to win a trip to this famous wine region and help support a great cause – the Wine Unify Project.
Vineyards surrounding Fantesca Estate and Winery ©Fantesca
DLynn Proctor, an award-winning sommelier, co-founder of Wine Unify, and Director at Fantesca Estate and Winery in Napa, is sponsoring a contest to benefit Wine Unify. The winner receives free airfare for two and a private tour and tasting with Proctor at Fantesca Winery. Additionally, the prize package includes dinner at Bottega in Yountville and an overnight stay in luxurious accommodations.
DLynn Proctor
For Proctor, wine has been a long journey. He discovered the food and wine industry as a busser in his teens. He says, “I was really eager to tackle wine, and more importantly vineyards, in my early twenties. Working in restaurants propelled me to become a sommelier, dabbling in winemaking, traveling, and working all over the world.” Now he’s been in the industry for 20 years and is known as the “Somm to the Stars.”
DLynn Proctor tasting wine
Proctor brings extensive experience in fine dining, fine and rare wine brokerage, and international wine programs. In 2008, Wine and Spirits Magazine named Proctor ‘Best Sommelier in America.’ He has been featured in numerous prestigious publications, including Decanter, Wine Spectator, The New York Times, and Forbes. Proctor also appears in several wine documentaries and played a cameo role in Netflix’s original film “Uncorked.”
However, it wasn’t easy getting started. And now he wants to help other underrepresented minorities get into and thrive in the industry.
Wine Unify
Proctor, along with co-founders Mary Margaret McCamic and Martin Reyes, started Wine Unify to help provide a more equitable future for persons of color in the hospitality and beverage industry. Wine Unify believes many ethnic and racial minorities experience significant barriers to entering the wine industry. The organization seeks to change that by fostering wine education for underrepresented minority groups. It also supports people of color who are already in the wine industry by helping to amplify their voices.
Wine Unify co-founders Mary Margaret McCamic, Martin Reyes, and DLynn Proctor
Proctor says, “While much more than a project, we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with several objectives. First, we give access to underrepresented minorities in the food and beverage space. Once we identify those individuals, we welcome them into our cohort of mentors and ambassadors. These venerated pros provide a wealth of knowledge and decades of experience in hospitality (sales, marketing, winemaking). We then elevate the participants’ education, as it is the key to success, by providing testing with Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET).” The organization also provides glassware, a gift card to purchase wine, and a Coravin wine preservation kit to taste and preserve wines over time.
Proctor says, “As the recipients start to see successes in life through this access and education, we then amplify them. This gives them confidence, and they learn the tools to pass it on and share their knowledge.”
Donations Help Support Wine Unify
Wine Unify is currently operating in its third year, helping more than 80 individuals along the way. Proctor says, “We want thousands of underrepresented minorities to succeed and flourish in this wine space. We do this with the help of amazing supporters and donations.”
To help fund the project, Proctor decided to sponsor a contest that would spur donations and make others aware of the Wine Unify Project. As the Director at Fantesca Estate and Winery in Napa, the prize will feature a private tour and tasting at Fantesca hosted by Proctor. The contest winner will also receive free airfare to Napa for two, an overnight stay in luxurious accommodations, and dinner at Bottega in Yountville.
Fantesca Estate and Winery
Proctor started working at Fantesca Estate and Winery five years ago. He says, “We have a rich history at the estate. Even the name La Fantesca dates back to the 16th century.” He likes to take his guests on a journey to better understand Fantesca’s philosophy, the collection of wines, and the world-class winemaker, Heidi Barrett’s way of winemaking.
The winery’s name comes from a female character, La Fantesca, in the Italian comedy troupe that inspired Cirque du Soleil. When owners Susan and Duane Hoff heard Fantesca described as sexy, smart, and unpretentious, they chose the name for their winery.
Entry to Fantesca Estate and Winery in Napa ©Fantesca
A boutique winery in the less traveled Spring Mountain District, Fantesca encompasses 10 acres of vineyards. The winery resides on a historical property where grapes were originally planted in the 1860s. Guests enjoy stunning Spring Mountain views as they savor world-class wines in an intimate, luxurious setting.
Win a Trip to Napa Valley – How to Enter the Contest
While DLynn Proctor and Fantesca Estate and Winery are the contest’s star attractions, Wine Unify is the driving purpose for it. For a $10 donation, contestants receive 80 entries or chances to win. Donate $25 and receive 400 entries or donate up to $200 for 8,000 chances to win. To enter, visit Alltroo.com, an organization dedicated to helping charities by offering amazing experiences, and select the Wine Unify contest.
The contest closes on July 15, 2022. The winner will be announced on July 29, 2022.
So go ahead. Enter for a chance to win an exclusive trip to Napa and a tour of Fantesca Estate and Winery. Your donations help diversify the wine industry by helping underrepresented minorities break into and thrive in an industry with unlimited opportunities. And who knows? You just might win.
A selection of wine at Fantesca Estate and Winery ©Fantesca
