This Line of Wines Supports Washington D.C. Becoming the 51st State
Washington D.C. is home to nearly 700,000 people. That’s more than two states: Vermont and Wyoming. But unlike those two states, the District of Columbia has no voting representation in the Senate or House. The topic has spurred plenty of debate—the kind of discussion you might end up having over a glass of wine. And now, a local winery is releasing a couple of bottles for just such an occasion: Statehood Syrah and Statehood Sauvignon.
These two wines—which make up a newly launched line called “The 51”—are a collaboration between Washington, D.C.’s outpost of City Winery (which opened up earlier this year) and the nonprofit DC Vote to work to get residents of the city equal representation in Congress. One way to get there would be to make the District of Columbia the 51st state, a concept this line of wine clearly supports. As a result, all profits from the wines go directly to DC Vote, allowing the organization to keep pushing the idea of D.C. statehood—though the wines themselves clearly do a decent job of raising awareness of the topic as well.
“These wines, created and bottled here in D.C., will help us inform more people about D.C. statehood here in the District (and) introduce the rest of the United States to a different side of Washington,” Bo Shuff, executive director of DC Vote, said according to WTOP.
“This partnership just makes sense for City Winery,” added Heather Otto, general manager of City Winery. “Part of City Winery’s commitment is to uplifting local voices. Our facility is home to local artists, story-tellers and events.”
The two wines are slated to be unveiled at a launch party on November 13. The Statehood Sauvignon will sell for $18 while the Statehood Syrah will be $28. Though both bottles will initially only be sold at City Winery’s D.C. location, they may eventually find their way to some of the brand’s six other cities—all of which can be found in actual states.
