November 27, 2009

Ryan alum brings boutique, eco-friendly wine to Tennessee

Theresa Laurence, Tennessee Register

As Middle Tennessee families set their holiday tables this year, Father Ryan High School alum Ryan Donnelly hopes they’ll find a spot for his Sonoma County wine, Miracle One.

Named after Jesus’ first miracle of changing the water into wine during the wedding at Cana, Miracle One is also about “celebrating those everyday life miracles” with family and friends, Donnelly said.

A 2001 graduate of Father Ryan, Donnelly brings a youthful energy to the boutique wine he produces and promotes with the help of his business partner, Lane Shackleton.

The two University of the South graduates have built a company that brings the ancient tradition of winemaking squarely into the 21st century. Slick website with YouTube videos? Check. Facebook page? Of course. Twitter following? They have that too.

Even with all the digital connections Donnelly and Shackleton are making, good old fashioned face time with the public is still essential to growing their business. Donnelly travels a lot, meeting liquor store owners to expand Miracle One’s presence in the market. “We’re just trying to get out there and tell the story,” he said.

A big part of that story is Donnelly and Shackleton’s commitment to the environment. The two use a co-op facility for producing their two varietals, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, that utilizes solar panels. The facility also saves waste from the winery to be used for biofuel.

The way Donnelly sees it, “we really enjoy spending time outdoors, and we want to protect a lot of those places.”

Donnelly and Shackleton source their grapes from Sonoma County vineyards (they don’t own any land themselves) that are committed to sustainable farming practices. They also use corks that come from responsibly managed forests and use recycled and biodegradable packaging for shipping.

“We looked at every aspect of what goes into producing our wine and how we could minimize or eliminate our impact on the environment,” they write on their website.

Miracle One is also a member of 1 Percent for the Planet, where they contribute 1 percent of all annual sales directly to grassroots environmental organizations of their choice. “We’re really proud of that,” Donnelly said.

Donnelly and Shackleton are not jumping on the green bandwagon as part of a marketing scheme. “It’s important to us as people,” Donnelly said. “We’re just trying to do the right thing.”

Right now, Miracle One is tiny, having produced only about 500 cases of wine last year. For comparison, the Australian wine behemoth Yellow Tail sells closer to 16 million cases a year. As the company grows, Donnelly hopes to have an even bigger impact on protecting the planet by continuing to work with more business partners who are also committed to sustainable practices.

At the heart of the business, of course, is making great wine. It’s something that Donnelly learned about by working at three different wineries in Australia and California. He “fell in love” with all aspects of wine production while working at Yellow Tail. After that, Donnelly delved deeper into winemaking by working at Cline Cellars in Sonoma and Stag’s Leap Cellars in Napa, Calif. Now, to better understand the science behind the wine, he is now taking classes at U.C. Davis and Napa Valley College.

Donnelly’s job may sound like a dream to some, but it is hard work. During harvest time, he sometimes works around the clock. “Wake up, work, sleep, work…those days aren’t easy,” he said. To get Miracle One on the shelves in different states, Donnelly has to complete reams of paperwork and make sure his company complies with all the different local liquor laws.

Overall, though, Donnelly loves his job, and is happy so spend his time promoting a product he is proud of. With a wide network of supporters in Nashville, including his family, who are in the wine and spirits business, Donnelly has been able to build a strong base here.

The Father Ryan community has been supportive, Donnelly said, asking for Miracle One in restaurants and at liquor stores. “We love the support and we’re very thankful to have it.”

That word-of-mouth, grassroots support will help Miracle One gain a greater presence locally. While wine shops in California are chock full of small, boutique wines, “wine labels this small don’t come to Tennessee,” Donnelly said. “What we’re trying to do is bring a unique wine here to the South.”

Miracle One is available at a number of local restaurants and liquor stores, and retails for about $25-35 a bottle. More information is available at www.miracleonewines.com.

Photo by Theresa Laurence

Ryan Donnelly, a 2001 graduate of Father Ryan High School, displays his boutique wine label, Miracle One. Although his company is based in California, he is working to increase the distribution of Miracle One in the South.