Across the country people enjoy our wine. Some don’t know what the wine is doing, some don’t know what the restaurant is doing. For Autism Awareness Month we’d like to highlight a few amazing supporters of both our brand, and our causes. We’re so lucky to work with people like this!
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“I have partnered with Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center and implemented a program with Outback Steakhouse to employ individuals with disabilities. I own several Outback Restaurants in Arizona that have employed people with autism, in fact, I am proud to say my son Sean is one of those Outbackers. My family’s dedication to autism research has been a personal journey that has evolved over the years as Sean grew. We have never given up, never settled, and never accepted that Sean was going to be anything but a success and we now get to watch our dreams come true.” -Matt McMahon Outback Steakhouses Phoenix AZ

 ”I’m Larry Houser from Bourbon Street restaurant and my son Boyd has autism. He inspired me to work every day for the families in my community affected by autism through the organization that I founded, Fullerton Cares!” Larry Houser Bourbon Street Restaurant, Fullerton CA

“One of the main reasons I chose ONEHOPE Wine for my restaurant Knife & Fork is that my 15 year old son is Autistic and we try to be as active with the cause as possible. Since the restaurant takes so much of my time, I bring him here with me to learn some skills that may help him in his adulthood.” – Norma Montalvo, San Antonio TX

“Every time I do a tasting at Harris Teeter, the Cabernet flies off the shelves! Though everyone has a connection to a cause in ONEHOPE, I find that many of the patrons who have been impacted by Autism have a deep and personal connection. They are overwhelmingly gracious and supportive of ONEHOPE Wine. Whether a teacher, parent or sibling of someone with Autism, the people are truly touched by ONEHOPE Wine’s dedication to providing therapy for children with Autism.” – Lindsay Albright, ONEHOPE Intern Raleigh North Carolina

New and old fans of ONEHOPE quickly learn that we are no ordinary wine. Whether this is your first Autism Awareness month with us, or your fifth, you must join us in celebrating the great achievements that have been made for ACT Today! Our Cabernet Sauvignon is what funds assistance for children with Autism at their care and treatment center. Here are two heart warming success stories from mother’s of ACT Today.

“Hi ACT Today! Wow, how Logan has taken off since he received his iPad. He wants to use it everyday. He knows all of his colors and all of his shapes- even the hard ones like a rhombus and hexagon. Even though he has the speech delay he knows what you are saying and can use the iPad to touch and say the word and it stays with him. His teacher just sent home a report to compare him from last year. She was almost in tears that he has improved so much. Emotions take over when you see your kids blossoms and smile and this mom knows!! MY SON IS GOING TO SUCCEED IN LIFE. Thank you so so much! Logan’s Mom”

“Dear ACT Today!, Thank you so much for the generous grant for the SKILLS ABA Web Based Application; it has been such a blessing! It has given me direction on what to do, and how to do it, when I needed it the most. It is amazing how it is helping my son. Perhaps the most noticeable change now is language. The skills he has acquired through this program have been noticed by others. Although it is very hard work, it is worth it to see him improve day by day. What is even more exciting is to see how happy and proud it makes him. He is working so hard! Thank you so much for your generous gift. Quality ABA therapy has been by far, the most beneficial treatment we have tried, but unfortunately insurance, nor the public schools, will provide it (and we can’t afford it on your own). All of you are angels to help make this possible. This is a tremendous help that would not have been possible without you. Thank you so much. Words cannot express my gratitude for all that you have done to help my son! Thank You!”

Hi ONEHOPE friends and family! We feel driven to share the imperfections of the world via how we’re going to help them. We don’t expect you to know anything about the causes we support, we don’t expect you to know anything about wine. In fact, not everyone in our company knows everything about these categories. But we do hope that you will listen and allow us to guide you through something new.

I’m Lauren Breuning, Social Media Director at ONEHOPE Wine and I’m going to interview our in house Mother Teresa, ONEHOPE Foundation Director, Melissa Levick to really find out WHAT IS AUTISM?

Lauren: What’s Autism?

Melissa: According to wikipedia, Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize; how this occurs is not well understood.

Lauren: What the heck does that mean?

Melissa: Autism a very general term for very complex disorders of the brain. They are characterized by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors.

Lauren: Who has Autism?

Melissa: Around 1 in 88 American children are on the autism spectrum–a ten-fold increase in prevalence in 40 years. Careful research shows that this increase is only partly explained by improved diagnosis and awareness. Studies also show that autism is four to five times more common among boys than girls. An estimated 1 out of 54 boys and 1 in 252 girls are diagnosed with autism in the United States.

Lauren: How/ when do you get Autism?

Melissa: Autism first appears during infancy or childhood, and generally follows a steady course without remission. Overt symptoms gradually begin after the age of six months, become established by age two or three years, and tend to continue through adulthood, although often in more muted form. It is distinguished not by a single symptom, but by a characteristic triad of symptoms: impairments in social interaction; impairments in communication; and restricted interests and repetitive behavior. Other aspects, such as atypical eating, are also common but are not essential for diagnosis.

Lauren: What is life like for someone with Autism?

Melissa: Kids with autism experience the world differently than do other children — they may have a hard time dealing with or making sense of the sights, sounds, smells and other sensations that surround us all. Autism may also make it difficult for that child to talk, play, go to school or socialize — at least in any way that makes sense to the rest of us. The range of autism spectrum disorder is extremely broad — some children are only mildly affected, while others have a severe disability. Here are some examples of symptoms that may appear within a child with Autism:
Child A: Adores/obsesses about trains; can’t stand the feel of most clothing against his skin; severe speech delay; refuses eye contact; benefits from firm pressure (weighted vests and blankets, being held tightly by someone he trusts) and loves to jump up and down.

Child B: Talks all the time, but mainly just parroting everything he hears; scared of loud noises; exceptional recall and artistic abilities; limited eye contact; flaps hands; fascinated by numbers; runs off every chance he gets and has no concept of danger.

Child C: No speech skills; spends much of his time rocking back and forth; minimal eye contact; obsessively arranges and rearranges his toys while ignoring the remainder of the world; still not fully potty-trained at age 11; can complete a puzzle of the USA in two minutes flat.

Child D: Advanced verbal skills, and talks non-stop about every facet of dinosaurs; good eye contact; many obsessive-compulsive traits (will only eat white food or one very specific brand and variety of juice); prone to tantrums and head-banging; will happily wander off from his parents whether at the museum or shopping mall.

Lauren: As an average 29 year old living in Los Angeles, how can I help?

Melissa: There are many ways to get involved! First off, ONEHOPE Cabernet Sauvignon supports children with autism, where every 6 cases provides an hour of behavioral therapy. This is a wonderful way to support families and children with autism by doing something you already do!

Second, there is the ACT Today 5k/10k Run on April 6 in San Diego. This is an incredible way to get involved, get out in the sunshine, and raise funds for our partner organization. You can also donate directly to them through the ONEHOPE Foundation at www.onehopefoundation.org/donate.

Lauren: Thanks everyone for reading and showing your passion for helping others. If you have any more questions about the cause, do not every hesitate to ask! Stop by our facebook, twitter and instagram pages and keep in touch!

All month we enjoyed the #PinotParty but one particular night the SoCal ONEHOPE team sat down to a dinner to appreciate our hard work and introduce ourselves to the four new wines. It was Surf and Turf reinvented for Pinot Noir. Pairing food with this fair grape involves a delicate balance of simple fresh ingredients and herbs. If you’re looking to pair any of your dishes with Pinot Noir, think about something that isn’t quite bold enough for a big red, but not quite as delicate as what you would pair with a white! Here’s what we dined on:

It’s our fourth and final week of #PinotParty, are you tired of Pinot Noir? Didn’t think so! For our grand finale we’re releasing a Pinot Noir that is here to stay as part of our permanent collection. It’s not just a cute name, Pinot for Paws gives the spotlight to our furry friends that can’t speak up for themselves – every case can rescue an animal. Our soft release today is only available to purchase online, but will be in restaurants and grocery stores nationwide by June! READ MORE