deep roots coalition

What deep roots coalition does

Deep Roots Coalition is a nonprofit membership organization of winemakers and vineyard growers, primarily in Oregon's Willamette Valley and California. Its stated mission is to promote dry-farmed viticulture — wine production without irrigation — as a sustainable, terroir-driven practice. The coalition functions as a trade association, representing roughly 50+ member wineries, advocating for shared agronomic and branding interests, and educating trade buyers, sommeliers, and consumers about dry-farmed wines.

Its core deliverables are member services rather than physical products: the organization runs an annual Trade Tasting (held at The Redd on Portland's Ecotrust campus), produces educational and editorial content, and engages in advocacy aligned with LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) certification. Distribution is membership-mediated: wineries pay recurring dues to participate in tastings and gain collective brand visibility through media coverage, including placements in Jancis Robinson and Wine Enthusiast. The technology footprint is minimal; coordination occurs through standard nonprofit administrative channels rather than proprietary digital platforms or data products.

The business model is membership-subscription by nature: member wineries (reportedly 50+) pay recurring dues that fund programming, and trade events likely generate additional participation fees. The coalition was founded by John Paul of Cameron Winery and the late Russ Raney, with current board leadership under President Tyson Crowley. With 1–10 employees and no disclosed financials, the organization operates as a niche advocacy and distribution channel for an alternative agricultural practice rather than a commercial enterprise.

Name

deep roots coalition

Legal name

Deep Roots Coalition

Website

https://deeprootscoalition.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Deep Roots Coalition is a nonprofit trade association of 50+ winemakers and vineyard growers in Oregon's Willamette Valley and California, promoting dry-farmed viticulture through annual trade tastings, educational programming, and sustainability advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Industry Trade Association

NAICS

Grape Vineyards (111332), Wineries (31213)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Vineyard Certification & Sustainability Programs (Organic, Biodynamic, Regenerative, GAP) (AFAGAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Grape Growing & Canopy Management (In-Season Vineyard Operations) (AFAGAJAB), Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE)

Keywords

• Dry-farmed wine coalition
• Wine trade tastings
• Sustainable viticulture advocacy
• Winery membership organization
• Willamette Valley wineries

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Producer Membership Dues: The organization accepts applications from US-based wineries with a minimum of three years of production for membership. Members pay dues to be part of the coalition and participate in trade tastings and promotional activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Deep Roots Coalition is a membership organization of approximately 50 wineries and vineyard growers in Oregon's Willamette Valley and California that promotes dry-farmed, terroir-driven viticulture without irrigation. It accepts applications from US-based wineries with at least three years of production, who pay dues and gain access to annual trade-only tasting events, collective marketing, and industry advocacy. Members must adhere to criteria prohibiting irrigated grapes and to low-impact viticultural programs such as LIVE, Organic, Biodynamic, or Salmon-Safe.

Product overview

Deep Roots Coalition is a membership organization composed of winemakers and vineyard growers from Oregon's Willamette Valley and California who are committed to sustainable and terroir-driven viticulture without irrigation. The organization does not offer a software product or platform, but rather provides member services including trade tasting events, educational resources about dry farming, and collective advocacy for non-irrigated viticulture practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• DRC tasting events feature over 35 member wineries at single events
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ecotrust (The Redd)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcotrust's The Redd event space in Portland serves as the primary venue for DRC's annual trade tasting events. The partnership provides DRC with a premier event space in Portland's east side.
• LIVE (Low Input Viticulture & Enology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLIVE is a Pacific Northwest-based environmental and socially responsible winegrowing certification organization. Several DRC members are LIVE certified. LIVE participates as a special guest at DRC trade tasting events.
• Dry Farming InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Dry Farming Institute promotes dry farming through marketing assistance, seed stewardship, and collaborations with growers and researchers. They participate as special guests at DRC trade tastings and collaborate on educational content about dry farming.
• Culinary Breeding NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBN is an organization that identifies and promotes veggies, grains, and fruits that work well when grown organically. They organize seed trials and marketing events. CBN participates as special guests at DRC trade tastings.
• RevinominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRevino aims to reduce wine's carbon footprint by offering refillable bottles. They participate as special guests at DRC trade tastings. Founded in 2021, they are launching a system for reusable glass wine bottles in Oregon.
• Oregon Wine BoardcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Oregon Wine Board promotes Oregon wine and is a recommended resource for visitors to the Willamette Valley. DRC refers members and visitors to the organization.
• Willamette Valley Wineries AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWVWA is a trade organization funded by Willamette Valley wineries that promotes the Valley's wine and tourism. DRC recommends the association as a resource for visiting the region.
• Casa BrunocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOregon wine distributor that distributes DRC member wines. Listed as an Oregon distributor supporting DRC trade tasting events.
• Estelle ImportscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOregon wine distributor that distributes DRC member wines. Listed as an Oregon distributor supporting DRC trade tasting events.
• Galaxy Wine CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOregon wine distributor that distributes DRC member wines. Listed as an Oregon distributor supporting DRC trade tasting events.
• Handcrafted WinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOregon wine distributor that distributes DRC member wines. Listed as an Oregon distributor supporting DRC trade tasting events.
• Mitchell Wine GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOregon wine distributor that distributes DRC member wines. Listed as an Oregon distributor supporting DRC trade tasting events.
• Oregon Brand ManagementcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOregon wine distributor that distributes DRC member wines. Listed as an Oregon distributor supporting DRC trade tasting events.
• PDX WinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOregon wine distributor that distributes DRC member wines. Listed as an Oregon distributor supporting DRC trade tasting events.
• Julian SinclairminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndependent wine distributor operating in Oregon that distributes DRC member wines.
• Vehrs DistributingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOregon wine distributor that distributes DRC member wines.
• Elephants DelicatessenminorOthersPortland-based delicatessen that provides catering for DRC trade tasting events at The Redd.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Dry Farming Institute: An organization promoting dry farming through marketing assistance, seed stewardship, and grower/researcher collaboration. Highly comparable mission to DRC (dry-farming advocacy) but focused on broader crops, not exclusively viticulture.
• LIVE (Low Input Viticulture & Enology): A Pacific Northwest certification organization promoting sustainable winegrowing. DRC requires LIVE membership of many of its members and LIVE participates as a guest at DRC tastings — a closely aligned sustainability coalition with overlapping membership.
• Willamette Valley Wineries Association: A trade organization funded by Willamette Valley wineries to promote the region's wine and tourism. Directly comparable to DRC as a regional wine trade/membership body, though broader in scope (all Willamette wineries, not just dry-farmed). DRC itself refers members to WVWA.

Broad incumbents

• Oregon Wine Board: The state-level body promoting Oregon wine overall. It serves a similar member/advocacy function but at the state-wide level covering all Oregon wine producers, whereas DRC is niche on dry-farming methodology.
• California Wines (Wine Institute): The public-policy and trade association representing California wineries. Comparable as a state-wide wine trade/membership organization, though much larger and broader in scope than DRC.
• Napa Valley Vintners Association: A long-established regional wine trade association that promotes Napa Valley wines and runs trade events. Comparable as a regional wine membership/trade body, though much larger and focused on Napa rather than dry-farming.
• Sonoma County Vintners: Regional wine trade association promoting Sonoma County wineries through events, education, and trade outreach. Similar trade-event-and-membership model to DRC, though broader in membership scope.

Regional players

• Finger Lakes Wine Alliance: A trade alliance of Finger Lakes wineries promoting the region. Comparable in function (regional wine membership/trade body running events) but operating in a distinct East Coast geography and climate context.
• Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance: A regional wine trade alliance in Washington state promoting Walla Walla Valley wines. Comparable as a regional wine membership/trade organization, but in a different wine-growing geography.

Emerging players

• International Wineries for Climate Action: A coalition of wineries committed to climate action and emissions reduction. Comparable as a coalition-of-wineries pursuing a sustainability thesis, though focused on carbon rather than dry-farming water stewardship.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2036029833084736&type=1&l=88cf33cda3
• Instagraminstagram.com/p/DBwC_3gRP7O
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deep-roots-coalition

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about deep roots coalition