Faith Armstrong: Onward Wines

Patwin land – Napa, California

www.onwardwines.com, @onwardwines

As refreshing as the Pétillant Naturel she makes of Malvasia Bianca, many of the words used to describe Faith Armstrong Foster’s wine could be used to describe the winemaker herself. Honest, vibrant, unfiltered, true to her origins, bright, complex. To get to know Faith, taste one of her wines and then ask her a question about how it is made. Sit back and relax. You are about to be introduced to her passion. Born on a tiny island in British Columbia, Canada, traveling to school in a little boat called the Onward, Faith could hardly have seen her future as a winemaker, even with a crystal ball.

After working in marketing and sales in the boating industry in Canada, Faith discovered her interest in winemaking by taking a position in wine promotion, marketing and sales in California. The more she learned about wine, the more her interest in grew. Her leap into production came from spending a day helping out at a winery, she shoveled her first fermenter and was hooked.

What followed was a full Regents Scholarship to the University of California at Davis, and a Degree in Viticulture and Enology with Highest Honors in 2006.

After graduation, Faith began working for Frank Family Vineyards, where she was soon promoted to Assistant Winemaker.  A drive to work more closely with all aspects of the wine business coupled with the demands of a growing family (four children), both contributed to the decision to go into business for herself.

Purchasing her first grapes in 2009 from a Mendocino grower whose practices she admired, Faith launched her own brand. Seeking a name for her wine provided the opportunity to pay homage to her unusual childhood by choosing the name of the little boat in which she went to school every day. The name Onward equally referenced her natural approach to winemaking, honoring the history and authenticity of the grape and the vineyard site. The name and the label represent the essential philosophy of Faith’s winemaking. Passion. Care. Connection. Respect for the environment and the grape’s essence…it’s heart. This is Onward Wine and Faith.

Social Justice and Environmental Restoration Statement
I do not have any employees, however I work with growers and distributors that ensure fair labor practices and include and amplify women by doing things such as paying a living wage to all workers and providing paid sick and parental leave and working with marginalized groups, as does the winery owner where I am a client. I provide mentorship to woman interested in the wine industry through UC Davis's mentorship program and I have given guidance and support too many women interested in starting a wine brand or owning their own business over the decade that I have been self-employed. I have been working exclusively with organic and sustainably farmed vineyards since day one of Onward wines in 2009, and I have been championing the importance of sound environmental practices in the wine industry through tirelessly sharing this message as a key factor in the how and why of what is behind the wines I make. It brings me great pride to have been a part of the natural wine movement from early on with the launch of Onward in the marketplace in 2011. While I am glad to see how far we have come for natural wine, sound farming practices and increasing importance of the role women and marginalized groups in the wine industry in the last decade, there is still much more change needed and I am committed to continue to be active part of this much needed change in the decades to come.Faith Armstrong