Hope you all are having a fantastic Labor Day Weekend! Bye to summer, hello fall  To all of us here at the Wine Sisterhood Clubhouse in Napa, fall is one of our favorite times of the year. Not only is it harvest, which is a great cause for celebration, but it's a chance to reflect on some charities that are important to us--one cause that we have supported for awhile and one that is new this year. Our September Survey is all about Causes, but before you click through, here's a little background.

Like anything we do, there's a story behind it. About six years ago, our founder Terry Wheatley, then SVP of Sales and Marketing for Sutter Home, found herself fighting breast cancer, and it turned out to be a family matter. Her grandmother had passed away from breast cancer, her mother was herself a survivor, and her then-teenaged daughter was dealing with multiple biopsies for suspicious lumps. 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we know in a few short weeks that pink ribbons will be everywhere. Six years ago, it was not so common--and certainly not in the wine biz. There was thought that maybe health-related causes were a downer for a product that was about celebration and good times. Terry decided that this was precisely why a popular and widely available wine could and should be used to talk about the importance of early detection and the need for a cure. 

Some of you may remember Sutter Home White Zinfandel's Capsules for a Cure. We believe this was the first time a wine had gotten into the fight against breast cancer, and the women of the Wine Sisterhood, as you know us today, created that campaign. 

One of our best memories from that time was when a woman who worked for our distributor in Chicago told us our campaign reminded her to schedule a mammogram. They found cancer, but it was early, and with treatment she fully recovered.

As many of you are aware, breast cancer does run in some families. After early detection, treatment and support, thankfully the Wheatley ladies are doing fine. Because of the family history, daughter Katie continues to receive close monitoring.That's Katie in the photo on the left in the middle. She is now Executive Director of Tough Enough To Wear Pink, the western community's breast cancer awareness and fundraising initiative. The entire experience strengthened our conviction that something needed to be done to keep the focus on the cure--not only for the Wheatley family, but other women and their families, too.

So today, now that the Sisters have our own wine company, we are proud to continue our efforts in the fight against breast cancer. One of our wines, Purple Cowboy, is the official wine of Tough Enough To Wear Pink, an idea that came to Terry, (wife and mom to a family of world-champion professional cowboys), six years ago. At rodeo events across American and Canada, competitors are challenged to wear pink to raise awareness and money. The idea of being "tough enough to wear pink" at sporting events has taken off, and now many professional, college and high school teams throw their own pink game nights for the cause. 

Tough Enough To Wear Pink, with the fantastic support of presenting sponsor, Wrangler, hopes to break the nine million dollar mark in dollars raised this year. Purple Cowboy lends its support with a buck a case donated to Tough Enough To Wear Pink. The majority of the money raised stays in the local communities, but this October, Terry and Katie Wheatley will travel to New York City and present a check for $50,000 to the Evelyn Lauder Breast Cancer Research Foundation. If you are interested in the science of breast cancer, we invite you to visit the BCRF Web site. The BCRF awards research grants to doctors and researchers internationally who study breast cancer. Many significant advances have been discovered as a result of the ongoing support of the BCRF, including groundbreaking work on genetic susceptability to breast cancer.

This year, another of our wines, Middle Sister, has taken up the cause of Dress For Success. This is a world-wide organization devoted to supporting underprivileged women and their families through economic empowerment. Chapters gather gently used work clothes and help women select professional outfits for job interviews and to get them started on their workplace wardrobe. The organization also provides numerous career services including strategies on how to achieve success at your job once you find it. Thanks to your support of Middle Sister wines, we are making a cash donation of $10,000 and will be providing donated wines to many Dress For Success fundraising events in communities across the U.S. 

Our September survey is asking your opinion about Causes. We are especially curious about those that you personally support and are looking for ideas to expand our charitable impact. Your opinions and feedback will help us continue to give back a portion of our success to those in need.

And, if you'd like to help a little bit more, and enjoy some of our wines at a great price, check out our Fall Insider Sister Sampler. It's one bottle each of Middle Sister Rebel Red, Middle Sister Drama Queen, Purple Cowboy Tenacious Red and Purple Cowboy Night Rider Merlot. Free shipping and $5 from the purchase of each sampler will go to our causes!