The ClimateHound Pack: plēb urban winery
In ancient Rome, the everyday people – known as plebeians – worshipped the gods of agriculture and abundance. The team behind plēb urban winery celebrates those forces, too, and they’re committed to bringing creative, local wine to the everyday people of Asheville. Lauren Turpin, Chris Denesha, and Lee Turpin are also committed to preserving the climate that makes wine-making possible, for the community of farmers, chefs, and adventurous drinkers they have been building since plēb launched in 2016.
Using minimal-intervention methods that rely on the natural processes of yeast and fruit grown and harvested in the region, the winery was inspired by community-driven microbreweries serving their beverages to the surrounding neighborhoods while keeping the environmental impact small. Their offerings include grapes that may be less familiar: seyval blanc, traminette, maréchal foch, and Niagara, among others. At their open, art-filled space in Asheville’s River Arts District and at their new downtown tasting room, known as “the aventine,” plēb serves wine on draft – a key component of their business model and environmental ethos, allowing them to control the temperature of each tap while serving growler fills of wine and mitigating the need for thousands of wine bottles, stickers, corks, and boxes.
“ClimateHound sought out plēb when we were having our earliest conversations, and they have supported our vision from the beginning,” says ClimateHound CEO Palmer Fox. “Even deep in their harvest season – the most critical moment for a winery – they found the time to step up as one of our launch partners. We’ve stepped up, too, to understand the unique factors that determine a winery’s footprint, versus a brewery or a distillery, and we’re grateful to have these Asheville innovators on board as our companies continue to learn and grow together.”
"It matters to both us and our customers that plēb is working hard to be a good caretaker of the planet."
Executive Manager Lauren Turpin says, “We became a biodynamic and organic grower/producer in 2016 because it matters to both us and our customers that plēb is working hard to be a good caretaker of the planet. Now ClimateHound is helping us close the gap to full carbon neutral certification, as we continue to implement reduction strategies through responsible growth. Certification to neutrality is a critical element of our holistic commitment to environmental responsibility.”