A Notorious Release to Honor The Legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Written by Jill Osur, Founder and CEO

When I look back at many of the strong women who have inspired me both personally and professionally, I think Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is among the most influential. In a world where womxn were expected to comply, she famously said “I dissent.” As we count down to Womxn’s History Month, we are proud to celebrate her life with the Notorious Collection, our first themed limited-edition release.

Despite her diminutive size, the Notorious RBG, as she became known, was a jurist of historic stature, a tireless and resolute champion of justice. She believed the law was gender blind and argued landmark cases on gender equity before the Supreme Court. She became the Court’s second female justice and its first Jewish woman.

Driving progress towards gender equity is a moral and legal imperative. Until we accelerate gender justice for those left historically behind –womxn of color, LGBTQ+ and low income womxn – we cannot lift up all womxn.

At Teneral Cellars, our commitment to womxn’s empowerment extends past our glasses and into the SWARM, a membership movement with benefits and purpose #SIPWITHPURPOSE. Together we can enable change!

When SWARM members purchase the new RBG release, $10 will be donated to support the National Women’s Law Center, fighting for gender justice and working across issues central to the lives of womxn and girls. They use the law in all its forms to change culture and drive solutions to the gender inequity that shapes our society and to break down the barriers that harm all of us — especially those who face multiple forms of discrimination, including womxn of color, LGBTQ people, and low-income womxn and families.

Download the fact sheet here.

It takes a village!

Each of the three wines in the Notorious release has its own story, from the one-of-a-kind label design to an RBG inspired companion recipe created by Food & Lifestyle Influencer Georgina Whalen.

Sauvignon Blanc - Pair with Speaking Out for Those Who Have No Voice.

• Label – All the collars RBG selected to wear on top of her black robe held a special place in her heart. She wore each to subtly express her feelings about a decision or event. The collar design on this label was created by Cory Justice, an architect turned designer based in Los Angeles, CA. You can find Cory on Instagram @designsbycory.
• Recipe Inspiration – Crostini Topped with Whipped Herb Cream Cheese, Poppy Seeds, Lemon Peel & Honey. This recipe was inspired by the ‘RBG’ documentary that provided a glimpse into Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s personal life. In it we learn that RBG frequently ordered her favorite Russ & Daughters poppy-seed bagels, even having them shipped to D.C! This is a great way to start out a date night at home. It is easy to whip up, yet feels a bit fancy.
• Download the recipe here.

Dissent Zinfandel - Pair with Equity & Fighting for What You Care About.

• Label – Designed by Gigi Glazier, a graphic designer with over 20 years’ experience, it was created using acrylic paint on canvas, to design a digital print. Vibrant colors speak to RBG legacy as a warrior for rights of LGBTQ and Americans. You can find Gigi on Instagram @glazier707.
• Recipe Inspiration: Char Siu Style Pork Chops Over Sesame Noodles. RBG frequently took her daughter to the Kings Highway branch of the Brooklyn Public Library that sat above a Chinese restaurant. They would pour over books for hours and as reported in The New York Times in the 90’s. RBG associated the scent of Chinese food with the “pleasures of reading.”
• Download the recipe here.

Notorious Cabernet Sauvignon - Pair with Womxn Who Control Their Own Destiny.

• Label - The label was designed by Uptown Studios, a full-service marketing firm. Uptown Studios partnered with Teneral Cellars because they believe, as we do, that women need an extra boost and mentoring to be their best. You can find Uptown Studios on Instagram @uptownstudios.
• Recipe Inspiration: Hostess Style Cupcakes with White Dissent Collar Frosting. RBG was known for her love of desserts. This homemade version of a dessert favorite will be topped with frosting swirls evoking her famous dissent collar, instead of the typical frosting swirls on Hostess Cupcakes. No special meal is complete without a little bit of sugar!
• Download the recipe here.

RBG Inspired Recipes by Georgina Whalen

Georgina Whalen is the Food & Lifestyle Influencer creator behind A Noted Life, a blog started twelve years ago to help her document memorable culinary moments and partnerships. A passionate champion for racial equality and advocate for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), the most common type of lupus, Georgina uses her platform to engage in meaningful discourse, sharing her own experiences of inequality to help drive connection and insight. Find her on Instagram @georgina.whalen.

My industry does not have a lot of equity and it’s one of my personal missions to change that. There are 0.1% Black wine makers – that’s men and womxn combined. There are only 10% female winemakers. That’s another issue for me that’s unacceptable. My company will be far more successful if I have diversity of experiences and voices. I want my business to be a model for other companies, to see how successful we will become, because we have that kind of diversity and equity.

By joining the SWARM, you become a member of a uniquely digital movement for women who love wine and want to create change in the world. You will receive discounted quarterly wine releases, access to limited release wines, invites to exclusive online events and powerful panel discussions. With each release, 10% of the profits will be donated to an organization focused on women’s issues -- including climate, justice, and social change. There is no fee to join. Sign up today to start receiving your benefits.

What We Are Looking Forward To!

We will celebrate the first day of Spring (Saturday, March 20^th) with a concert by singer/songwriter and activist Carsie Blanton. Learn more about Carsie on her website www.carsieblanton.com.

Everyone is looking forward to Georgina’s virtual cooking class in April. A series of virtual wine tasting and educational events with our Sommelier Vicki Tomiser is coming up. Stay tuned for details on all of these fun events.

Our Dragonfly icon symbolizes the power of self-realization, rooted in understanding a deeper meaning of life. Teneral Cellars is an entrepreneurial agent of change. In fact the brand essence of Teneral is about claiming the power within to transform the world with grit and grace. Always Being. Always becoming. Like the Dragonfly, we want all womxn to claim their power with grit and grace, just as RBG inspired us to do.

Women-owned and committed to the hard but necessary discussions, we are using exceptional wine to amplify the voices/representation of womxn in the wine industry, and around the country. 

We honor Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the historic changes she helped create. As she said, “Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that others will join you.”

We'd love for you to join us!

*X in womxn is inclusive of trans womxn, womxn of color and non-binary people.