A Wine To Break the Stigma Around Mental Health Struggles

In 2017, Oregon winemaker Chase Renton was diagnosed with cancer and underwent chemotherapy. But he says the biggest challenge came once he was better, as his anxiety and depression proved even more daunting than cancer. “I mean, they’re both hard,” he told Wine Spectator. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m saying my personal balance. Mental health is a lot more internal. People don’t see it as much. It’s not like cancer when I lost all my hair.”

To help support others in their battle for mental health, Renton is releasing a Pinot Noir called Resilience, made of grapes from his L’Angolo Estate winery’s Dundee Hills vineyards. The release is set for May 1, coinciding with the start of Mental Health Awareness month. All proceeds will go to the Kevin Love Fund, which supports programs aimed at building equity in mental and physical health.

“It’s something very near and dear to me,” said Renton. “It’s my passion project and [I’m] just really excited to get it out to people. And [I] hope the enthusiasm resonates.”

Renton studied wine appreciation at the Apicius International School of Hospitality in Florence, Italy, and has worked stints in Sonoma, Burgundy and Oregon for Kosta Browne, Marc Haisma and Pierre Naigeon, and Isabelle Meunier, respectively. He founded L’Angolo in 2012. 

After fighting cancer, Renton began hosting charity events to raise funds for the Children’s Cancer Society, at times working with NBA champions Kevin Love and Channing Frye. He launched Chosen Family Wines with the duo in 2020. 

But over the next few years, he struggled with mental health issues. It impacted his ability to run a business and direct his attention to things other than winemaking. “When you lose sight of why you get into something, it’s really tough,” he said.

Renton is the owner and winemaker of L’Angolo Estate in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. (L’Angolo/Dezeen)

Kevin Love experienced similar struggles with anxiety and mental health, publicly acknowledging them in 2018 when he published an essay in the Players’ Tribune titled, “Everyone Is Going Through Something.” That led to the start of the Kevin Love Fund.

“Everyone is going through something, whether you can see it or not,” said Love, in a statement. “I’m incredibly grateful to Chase for helping bring this wine to life and for aligning the spirit of Resilience with our mission. Partnerships like this allow us to continue to create safe spaces for honest conversations, encourage vulnerability and ultimately help more people live healthier, more connected lives.”

Renton added, “So much of the battle is just being vulnerable and talking to someone. So, the idea is really to use this wine as a connector. I think wine is the ultimate connector. It’s about being together. [To] let someone know that ‘if you ever have something, I’m always here.’”

The grapes for Resilience Pinot Noir grow in L’Angolo’s estate vineyards, sitting at 330 to 450 feet elevation in Oregon’s Dundee Hills. Renton destemmed 100% of the clusters and fermented using ambient yeasts. He aged the wine for 12 months in 35% new French oak barrels. Eight barrels of 2024 Pinot Noir were used to produce the 200 cases of Resilience’s inaugural release. 

“I wanted to pick out the barrels that were most expressive young,” said Renton. “I want this wine to be something that’s popped at the dinner table. Bring it to your friend’s house and open it and drink it and talk about mental health, talk about the world, talk about what’s really going on in your life, not what you see on Instagram.”

The wine retails for $38, and Renton’s goal is to initially fundraise $25,000 to $30,000. Sales are through the winery’s mailing list and tasting room, as well as distribution to select retail partners throughout the Portland metro area. The proceeds directly benefit Kevin Love Fund’s mental health curriculum.