The Forgotten Entheogen: A New Way of Experiencing Wine

For most of my career, I’ve talked about wine through the lens of flavor, food, and family. But over the last few years, something shifted for me. I began to ask a deeper question: What if wine could be more than a drink? What if it could be a spiritual tool?

That question led me down a path I didn’t expect.

I’ve spent decades exploring sacred plant medicine traditions — in Peru, with ayahuasca and shamanic ceremonies, and here at home through practices like meditation and sound healing. But in all those experiences, I began to realize that one of the most ancient plant medicines was growing right here in my own vineyard.

Wine has been used ceremonially for thousands of years — in religious rituals, rites of passage, and moments of communion. Somewhere along the way, we lost that connection. We turned wine into a commodity, something to score, sell, and pair. But what if we remembered what it was always meant to be?

Earlier this year, I gave a TEDx talk about this idea: Wine as Plant Medicine. And just recently, I wrote an essay for our community that goes deeper. It’s called “The Forgotten Entheogen — Can Wine Be a Sacred Medicine Again?”

In it, I reflect on a series of small gatherings we’ve hosted here at Halleck Vineyard—ceremonial wine experiences designed to bring people into stillness, connection, and presence. They’ve been some of the most meaningful moments I’ve ever witnessed as a winemaker.

If you’ve ever wondered about the spiritual side of wine—or just wanted to slow down and experience it differently—I hope you’ll take a moment to read the piece.

Read the full article here

Thank you for walking this path with me.