Fightng Als, One Glass At A Time

Fighting ALS, One Glass At A Time

Organic, biodynamic, natural, and other wines grown in a way that’s more eco-conscious and sustainable have taken the leap into the mainstream, but caring for the environment isn’t the only way wines can help the greater world. Wineries have often hosted events for nonprofts or offered tasting experiences at fundraisers. And wine importers are doing their part with wines that donate a portion of proceeds for a good cause.

One such importer is organic-, vegan-, and biodynamic-focused Able Beverage, and the brand’s new pALS Cava (people with ALS) collection of two charitable sparkling wines, which donates 10% of each bottle to the ALS Association. Charitable wines are not an entirely new phenomena, but these bottles tell a unique origin story as entwined with the wine world as a vine around a trellis.

Gina Fugina, the founder and president of Able Beverage, created the label in memory of her mentor Steve Miles after his long battle with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. She’d worked as operations manager for eight years at his namesake Steve Miles Selections. “Steve was a light, a mentor, and a friend,” Fugina says. Steve was always the life of every party!

Steve Miles founded Steve Miles Selections in 2006 with an eye to bringing unexpected Spanish bottles to the U.S. All the wines represented were over-achievers in their category, great value, with an outstanding expression of their region/terroir. In his 12 years at the helm, the company grew from a small shop importing just a couple of brands to one that worked with dozens of vineyards and had distribution in more than 30 states. Through all of that time, Miles never lost his sense of humor or his love of wine. He always said: “You can sell wine if you can’t drink it!”

Though he passed in 2018, Fugina hopes his legacy lives on with every glass of pALS Cava, as wine lovers embrace Steve Miles’ fght, too. Combining his passion for Iberia with his effervescent personality, Cava was a ftting choice. The collection includes two wines, a rosé brut with rich fruit and foral notes of rose and lily, as well as a vibrant brut that “bounces on the tongue, with favors of lemon, green pear, honeysuckle and brioche with a slightly spicy fnish,” according to Wine Enthusiast’s 87-point review.

“Since his diagnosis, a couple of years prior, his great battle began. This project is a continuation of his battle,” Fugina explains. “My hope is that his battle will continue as we launch this project and that through every bottle of pALS sold we will add a drop of hope to all people affected by ALS disease.” Find the wines at DrinkCava.com.

My hope is that his battle will continue as we launch this project and that through every bottle of pALS sold we will add a drop of hope to all people afected by ALS disease.