Playing Her Part
Oregon’s first female African American winery owner uses platform for progress
“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.” —Desmond Tutu
When it comes to Eunice Chiweshe Goldstein’s successes, she knows the importance of community and connection.
The California-based actress, filmmaker and screenwriter is Oregon’s first African American female winery owner. She started her eponymous brand in 2018 in the heart of downtown Astoria. One might not expect to find someone from Hollywood crafting wines on the Oregon Coast. But that’s exactly where Goldstein chose to drop her anchor. The place and its people helped inform her decision.
“Oregon is so beautiful and is such a welcoming place,” Goldstein says. “I couldn’t think of another place I would want to do this. There’s something about this coast that is just so appealing to me. It’s intimate and cozy, and I just love the community; so full of welcoming people.”
In addition to her Astoria neighbors, she’s also found tremendous support from the broader wine community, connecting with advisors and mentors helping her realize her dream. “It’s not because I’m a woman or because I’m Black,” she says. “People here just want to help.”
Goldstein likes to help, too. She uses her wines to raise awareness around crucial social issues and support causes important to her.
“I will continue to push for equality,” she says. “We must strive for a society that’s fair and harmonious. In a world of many, we are all connected through our humanity. We are one.”
Goldstein believes that through the struggles of prior generations to the present day, people can learn from those experiences to make a better world. In her words, “The chains of wars, destruction and racism must be replaced by love and peace in every corner of our planet.”
Using her winery as a platform to make a difference, Goldstein developed a program called Purpose Wine, selecting a charity or organization to support and donating a portion of the wine sales. Her project has since expanded; she’s now created a wine for each cause, uplifting and bringing attention to each charitable organization she supports.
Purpose Wine was actually inspired by Goldstein’s grandmother and grandfather in Zimbabwe; the couple was known for wanting to take care of everyone. “My grandmother, who loved life, cooking and helping others, was passionate about being involved with anything that was happening in the village. She invited everybody over, and whenever there was somebody who needed help, it was her mission to help them.”
Her parents also inspire and encourage Goldstein. She describes her mother as a lovely cook and fashion designer and adds that her father is a great influence, too. She explains, “Growing up, and even today, they teach my brothers and I every day that we can accomplish anything,” an especially important message for young girls around the world.
“My mom tells me about a time when she had to convince my grandpa to let her attend school, as girls were not allowed,” Goldstein explains. “Women were not allowed at the table in many arenas. The pictures of my grandmother and my mother are inspiration for me in my winemaking.”
In addition to family, Goldstein is inspired by movie mogul Francis Ford Coppola, a fellow UCLA film school alum, who has successfully combined careers in film and wine. His Oregon winery, Domaine de Broglie, has been substantial in helping her feel at home in the wine industry. Coming full circle, this summer, she’ll be pouring at Coppola’s Dundee Hills estate during the Uncommon Wine Festival.
Goldstein first started making wine in her kitchen, experimenting with strawberries, watermelon and blackberries. These days, her now-commercial winery produces Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and rosé. She also plans to open a brewery, becoming the first African American female brewery owner in the state as well.
With an eye for growth, she’s also in the process of developing land in Tillamook County. With a visionary approach and a fearless attitude, she says she's experimenting with growing wine grapes where they haven’t grown before with just under an acre of Pinot Noir in 2017. Ultimately, her goal is to open a B&B on the property with a tasting room there as well. Her goal was 2021, but the pandemic has delayed that expansion.
Regarding her life in California, Goldstein has no intentions of leaving her primary career in the entertainment industry. Currently, she’s working on a film titled “ASSATA” and continues to develop documentary films.
For her, wine and moviemaking create a great pairing.
In addition to bringing people together, Goldstein cleverly says, “In cinema, we have .007, and in wine, we have the triple seven (Dijon clone)!” Either way, the number is a lucky one, and Goldstein would be the first to admit how blessed she truly is and what an honor it is to be able to give back.
#PurposeWine
Pinot for Parkinson’s
Goldstein has teamed up with the Brian Grant Foundation (BGF), which was established in 2010 when the former Portland Trail Blazer was diagnosed in 2008 with Parkinson’s at the age of 36. BGF provides proven tools to improve the well-being of people with the progressive disease. Goldstein says, “It’s a great organization for people with Parkinson’s [who are] living inspired lives.”
The illness resonates deeply with Goldstein, “My uncle was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, and it’s important for me to help as much as I can.” The winery sponsored the Shake It ’Til We Make It! Gala in 2019 by donating wines for the event. Subsequently, she has created Pinot Noir for Parkinson’s, of which 30% of the bottle sales is donated to BGF. The wine is made with fruit sourced from the Willamette Valley.
Black Lives Matter Pinot Noir
Black Lives Matter Pinot Noir, marked with “I can’t breathe” in honor of George Floyd, depicts a cross on the label, a reminder of the senseless killing that occurred on that fateful day in 2020. Goldstein says, “Here’s somebody who did not see [George Floyd] as a human being, but as somebody they could just toss away. How many more excuses can people take anymore? You get to a point where you’re like, I have to do something. Sitting back is not a choice; it’s not an option anymore. I just have to do something.”
In response, the winery donates 100% of the profits for each bottle sold.
Pandemic Relief Rosé
An homage to zombie movies, this wine’s focus is pandemic relief. “At times, it felt like the world and earth had had it with us humans,” Goldstein says. “Between all the fires and the virus, it felt like the apocalypse. This was our way of bringing laughter and some relief to everyone. My boyfriend and I love zombie movies, too.”
Built pandemic tough, the rosé label showcases Goldstein’s flair for drama and sense of humor, with warnings of zombies ahead, and to stay out. She plans to add strawberry, watermelon and blackberry wines as well.
Vote Pinot Noir
Now sold out, this Willamette Valley Pinot Noir encouraged voting in the 2020 Presidential election.
In addition to her special bottle series, Goldstein’s wines have supported a wide variety of charitable organizations, including Airway Science for Kids, Inc. (ASK), a small nonprofit with a mission to remove barriers for children and youth who have been systematically excluded from STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) education and careers.
She also supports No Kid Hungry, a national foundation committed to ending childhood hunger in the U.S. Goldstein says no child should go hungry in any nation, especially one as wealthy as ours.
