“For my wife Jennifer and I, bravery isn’t just found in the military and first responders, it’s also found in common people. People who choose to be kind to each other, people who live a life of service” says Corey Christman, founder of Bravery Wines.
After retiring from the Air Force with more than twenty years of service, Corey started at Anthony Road Wine Company in 2014. “I caught the winemaking ‘bug’. I had been making my own wine from kits. So I enrolled in the Washington State University enology program and got my certificate.” Corey then sent a letter to the New York Wine and Grape Foundation, along with his resume, asking if they knew of any work for him in the industry. Despite no practical experience in winemaking or vineyard work, he interviewed with Peter Becraft of Anthony Road and got a job. “I’ve worked every vintage with Peter since he became head winemaker there.”
In 2019 Corey approached Peter and the Martini family, owners of Anthony Road, about a joint venture making his wine. With Peter’s help and the winery’s production facility, Bravery Wines was officially launched on Veteran’s Day of 2020.
“My goal was always to work towards my own label. The label talks about celebrating the hero in all of us. Often when we hear the term hero, we assume it’s a person with a uniform, but we all know many heroes who never wear a uniform: moms and dads and people who are courageous and giving of themselves. So we started Bravery Wines to celebrate the hero in all of us.”
Some of the profits from each bottle sold are donated to the Yellow Ribbon Fund. “It’s at least two dollars per bottle, but often it’s even more.” The Yellow Ribbon Fund is a veteran service organization, 501(c)3 providing housing, transportation, and caregiver & family support to severely wounded, ill and injured post-9/11 service members from every branch of the United States Military, following unexpected medical crises. (https://yellowribbonfund.org/story/)
The initial release consisted of 300 cases of 2017 Cabernet Franc, a 2019 Riesling, a 2019 Vignoles and a NV white blend. With the obvious exception of the blend, they are single tank wines. A 2020 Rose of Pinot Noir was released early in July and a 2020 Sauvignon Blanc will be coming soon. “Sauvignon Blanc is really special to us, we knew that the minute it came off the press. It was tough working with it as this is the first vintage for these new vines, but in the end I believe it turned out to be an exceptional wine”
Bravery Wines are available for purchase in the Anthony Road tasting room and online. More information can be found at https://www.bravery.wine/.
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