Tinte Cellars: Raise a Glass for the Greater Good With Teresa Spellman Gamble
A winery dedicated to leaving the world a better place than they found it, Tinte Cellars is built on the foundation of philanthropy and powered by world-class award-winning Washington wines. Since its founding in 2018, the winery has raised over 1.2 million dollars for Washington non-profits – an impressive and honorable feat that couldn’t have been done without co-founder, Teresa Spellman Gamble: earnest changemaker and inspiring leader.
“Our social mission is Great Wine for the Greater Good. We really try and stay true to that. If it weren’t for our committed staff and wine club members, I don’t think we’d be where we are today.
We’re incredibly fortunate to have such a supportive group of individuals around us and an exceptional winemaker… That we are able to do something that we love and support the community at the same time.”
Dinner conversation turned dream
“It was a Sunday dinner table. I was 18. I have a big family. My dad was asking questions of us, and that particular day he said, ‘Hey, if you had all the money in the world – but you had to work – what would you do?’ Everybody went around the table and had an answer. When it got to me, I said ‘I don’t know.’ He said, ‘You need to know.’ What he meant by this was, ‘What’s your passion? What brings you joy?’
It took Teresa two thoughtful years to come up with an answer: “I’m going to have a business in Washington where I sell local goods and art. Each year I will choose a different nonprofit to receive the proceeds of the sales.”
Tinte Cellars was born
Teresa and her husband Tim Gamble founded Tinte Cellars in 2018 after they both decided they were in need of a career change.
“We were just trying to think of a very transparent and authentic way to support our community. Because we’re from Washington, because we want to take care of the future generations as our parents did.”
Wine is a community builder and a powerful economic and agricultural driver in Washington state, which is why Teresa and Tim thought it made the “perfect avenue for their social mission.”
Structure of the social mission
The philanthropic structure can be broken down into three channels.
Donation
Tinte donates directly off the top to support nonprofits, This ranges from 5%-10% of every single sale. There are four predetermined nonprofits in 2024, chosen with care by Tim and Teresa with approval of the staff.
Family connection
Since its founding, Tinte has supported over 220 individual nonprofits. Each week, they receive dozens of requests to help at a vast array of nonprofit events. The best way to choose, they have learned, is by prioritizing those that have a connection to their staff or wine club members.
Volunteering
Tinte encourages staff, friends, family, and club members to “roll up their sleeves and help” by creating regular volunteer opportunities. They are currently collecting diapers and baby wipes for patients of the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic as they have learned that these necessities aren’t paid for by any federal healthcare programs.
2024 predetermined nonprofits
“We try to embrace supporting our community…financially, through our time, through the talents that we all individually have and we really try and inspire others to help their community.”
Seattle Children’s Crisis Care Clinic
“The clinic was created right when we were founding our our winery. It was created to give families and young people a place to go outside of the emergency room if they were in some sort of a mental health crisis. That rings true to some experiences we’ve had in our family,”
“A very treasured local nonprofit that provides housing to families who are homeless in the Puget Sound area, as well as education, training, roofs over their head and many other things. I volunteer with Mary’s Place. Our son, did a lot of volunteering with Mary’s Place.”
“My mom was very instrumental in building the food bank network in Washington State. Food insecurity was something that was very highlighted as an important nonprofit focus when I was a young person. And we used to bring our kids to volunteer at food banks when they were quite young as well.”
Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic
“They really serve all of Eastern Washington – It’s just got that name of Yakima Valley. This is near and dear to our hearts because we own vineyards in eastern Washington, and we try very hard to connect the dots for people. If you and I are drinking a glass of wine, I want us to remember that if we didn’t have farm workers, we wouldn’t have wine. Farm workers are vital to wine everywhere and in Washington state. The YVFWC provides mobile health, clinic care, dentistry, they’re implementing a mobile mammography van – all these things to help provide care to the farm workers and their family members where they’re at.”
Love letters for the elderly
Teresa’s parents, both fond of handwritten letters, died a week apart in 2018. When Covid hit and the news displayed pictures of the elderly unable to see their own families, lonely, it was heart-wrenching for Teresa to witness.
Teresa and Tim were holed up with their kids like the rest of the world, antsy to help. They decided to write letters and paint watercolor to send to the local senior center.
What started out as an afternoon activity became much bigger when the Gambles introduced the Love Letters for The Elderly campaign at the winery. Reaching beyond Washington State, people across the country were writing love letters to the elderly, a much needed gesture during the time.
“It became this really positive, heartwarming experience that I think was a direct result of having a winery with a mission of looking out and trying to inspire people to help take care of their neighbors. It’s one of my favorite things that’s happened.”
Teresa's advice for women in the workplace
Resilience
Teresa’s father was in public office when she was a child, and witnessing the public vote on whether he had a job every four years taught her the importance of resilience.
“Learn how to manage interpersonal conflicts, maintain composure, and bounce back from disappointments”
Continuous curiosity
Teresa stresses the importance of curiosity – she takes workshops, extra courses, and reads articles and books to consistently engage her mind.
“Being a lifelong learner is absolutely key because you never know what you’re going to end up doing. Some people do, let’s be honest, but most of us don’t, right? So be open to learning new things and develop a skill set that really is true to who you are and that will then take you to your next journey.”
Networking
“Develop strong networking skills and cultivate professional relationships because that’s what can open doors to new opportunities.. I was a very proud mentor for decades at the University of Washington. And no matter how busy I was, I wanted to be a mentor to young women.”
Confidence
Imposter syndrome, or the ever-present feeling of doubting yourself despite your abilities, is something that many women face – especially in male-dominated industries.
As a younger professional, Teresa constantly thought “Oh my gosh, I’m faking it. Somebody is going to find out that I’m actually just making it up.” Her response to combat that feeling is for young women to “advocate for themselves, assert their ideas, and pursue opportunities with conviction. As a society, allowing women to take risks and step outside of their comfort zone to pursue goals is important.”
To gain confidence, Teresa suggests finding an avenue that you enjoy – this could be sports, art, speaking engagements, or even dog sitting on Rover – “anything that helps build assertiveness will add to a woman’s ability to be successful as a businessperson.”
Here to help
Teresa wants women to know that her door is open for guidance and support. Zoom, coffees, phone calls – she is willing to help in any way that she can, so don’t hesitate to reach out.
“I was raised by an incredibly strong woman who worked hard to pave the way for others and to make sure she was taking care of those around her.
If it wasn’t for my mom, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
What’s next?
This May, Tinte Cellars is releasing their first Grenache Blanc. Later this year, they will be releasing their first estate wine. Keep an eye out for pop-up wine tasting events on their vineyard on Red Mountain.
Connect with Teresa, Tim, and the team
Visit the website: Tinte Cellars.
Visit their Seattle tasting room or Woodnville tasting room.
Editor
Natalie is co-founder and editor of The Grapevine Magazine where she helps winemakers big and small tell their stories. She lives in Manhattan, New York City.
