Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Partners with the American Community Gardening Association to Launch Giving Through Growing

Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi is proud to announce Giving Through Growing - an innovative partnership with the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) to support the development of community gardens across the country. The program will begin on the first day of summer, June 21, 2009, and continue through the end of the year. Giving Through Growing seeks to create awareness around the ever-growing community garden movement by donating funds to create educational sessions in four cities throughout the U.S. Supported by an online campaign, the program's microsite will allow people to send "e-seeds" to friends and family. Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi will donate one dollar to the ACGA throughout the summer for every e-seed sent, to a total of $40,000.

The inspiration for this program is Robert Mondavi himself who once said "This is my life, fine food, and fine wine bringing everyone together around the table." The same philosophy holds true for community gardens, where neighbors work together to turn unused outdoor spaces into beautiful, bountiful ones.

In its inaugural year, Giving Through Growing will donate funds to create educational seminars that allow garden stakeholders to continue expanding their gardening knowledge. The Giving Through Growing microsite will post updates of the four selected cities, Atlanta, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, sharing their garden successes and recipes for fresh garden-to-table meals.

The American Community Gardening Association is led by members who strive to build community by increasing and enhancing community gardening and greening across the United States and Canada.

"The key to a successful community garden is education," notes Bobby Wilson, President of the ACGA. "The Giving Through Growing program will help us teach folks skills to care for their gardens so the greening movement can continue to expand. We are proud to work with a partner that is as dedicated to this cause as we are."

Additionally, Giving Through Growing supports First Lady Michelle Obama's vision of a healthier country by embracing the resources in our own backyards and working together. "We can provide this kind of healthy food for communities across the country, and we can do it by each of us lending a hand,"(1) said Michelle Obama in the New York Times. Through her inspiration, the ACGA has seen unprecedented interest in community gardens and expects over 2,000 new gardens to begin this year alone.

Giving back to the community was always a part of Robert Mondavi's life. His generous spirit has had a profound impact on numerous charitable foundations for many decades and Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi is committed to continuing this vision. For more information on the Woodbridge Giving Through Growing program.

(1)Swarns, Rachel L. "Michelle Obama's Agenda Includes Healthful Eating" The New York Times, March 10, 2009.

About Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi:

Robert Mondavi's pioneering vision stands on three pillars: putting California wines in the company of the great wines of the world; creating a wine culture that put a diverse range of California wines on every American table; and enriching life by embracing wine, food, and the arts as an integral part of gracious living. Robert Mondavi founded Woodbridge Winery near his boyhood home in Lodi, California, to encourage a growing wine culture in the U.S. by making quality wines that could be enjoyed by Americans as part of daily life. Combining traditional winemaking with state-of-the-art innovation, Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi raised the standard for everyday wines in America, and has become one of America's most loved wines.

Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi is distributed by Constellation Wines U.S. - the largest wine company in the U.S. based upon sales dollar value, and an operating division of Constellation Brands, Inc., a leading international producer and marketer of beverage alcohol in the wine, spirits and imported beer categories. For more about Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi, including food and wine pairings and recipes ideas.

American Community Gardening Association

The overall mission of the American Community Gardening Association is to build community by increasing and enhancing community gardening and greening across the country and Canada. The Association is a bi-national nonprofit membership organization recognizing that community gardening improves people's quality of life by providing a catalyst for neighborhood and community development, stimulating social interaction, encouraging self-reliance, beautifying neighborhoods, producing nutritious food, reducing family food budgets, conserving resources and creating opportunities for recreation, exercise, therapy and education.