Pouring With Purpose and Pride: How Footprint Wine Tap Sets New Standards for Sustainability in Wine

Nestled in the heart of one of Seattle’s most bustling neighborhoods, Capitol Hill, lies Footprint Wine, the first and only winery in Washington State to focus its operation on local keg wine-on-tap products. We recently sat down with its founder and owner, Ken Dillon, to learn more about how the shop came to be and how its focus on sustainability—from the vine to the pour—revolutionizes how we think and savor wine.

A Washingtonian and West Coast native, Ken grew up passionate about science, the natural world, and the arts. Ken majored in biological sciences with an ecology focus and minored in opera. He found winemaking to be the perfect blend of his interests in science and art.

“I’ve always been like a waste management geek, trying to reduce waste in every form of my life,” said Ken. “When it comes to packaging and materials for products and services that you get, I was trying to figure out a way to stand out in the wine industry and stand behind a product and service that we were delivering and wanted to sell.”

After several years of working in the wine industry, making his way from tasting room associate to bar manager, Ken developed his business plan concept when he saw a gap in the industry — a lack of focus on sustainable production and consumption.

For Ken, breaking into the wine industry with this new proof of concept was marked by determination and resilience, and he became the first Black and Gay/Queer producer in Washington state and one of the very few in the world.

“When I was transitioning into this industry, I was just trying to find people who looked like me and finding that there's very few of us in this industry,” said Ken. “Being a BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ person and trying to find my way into this industry, I didn't have any mentors or coaches that looked like me. But I’ve always found my way, no matter what. If I have this vision and this dream, why can't I do this, too? We got there with many sacrifices, perseverance, community support, and networking.”

Providing keg wine on tap became a natural progression where Ken wanted to focus, and it grew to become a holistic approach to sustainable wine—from the growers to the wineries to the distributors and the consumers.

“What customers are getting at the end of the day is a very high quality, consistent pour, every single pour,” said Ken.

Keg wine reduces the carbon footprint and eliminates the need for single-use bottles, foils, labels, and corks. This results in significant savings in space, weight, and labor during storage and transport, ultimately benefiting both the environment and the consumer. 

“Each keg is equivalent to about 27 bottles, 27 glass bottles, so just over two cases of wine,” said Ken. “That translates to savings across the board, from all aspects of the lifecycle of the wine, which then translates to the consumer.”

For generations before, it was common for people to visit their local market and bring their containers to fill up with whatever wine was available in the kegs. For modern consumers, keg wine can feel unfamiliar and be initially met with skepticism.

One of the questions Ken says his shop receives is whether keg wine affects its taste and quality. The aging of keg wine is different because the keg is void of oxygen or the natural maturation one would find from bottling.

“Keg wine is meant to be for the consumer who wants wine fresh and ready to consume,” said Ken. “Most consumers of wine, when they purchase a bottle of wine, generally consume it within a couple of weeks, if that. A growler of wine, for example, for quality assurance purposes, will last at least a month before opening, but once you open it, try to enjoy it within a few days, like you would with a regular bottle of wine.”

Now in their sixth year, Ken and his team at Footprint Wine continue to tap into what local producers have to offer. The space's design captures ​​a blend of modern and rustic, old-world and new-world, specifically curated to elicit a warm feeling that celebrates gathering and community.

However, for Ken, the best milestone at Footprint has been launching their own wines. Dillon serves as head winemaker for Footprint Wines and has released three different wines: a Rosé of Syrah, a Grenache Noir, and most recently, a Sauvignon Blanc.

A portion of the proceeds from the Rosé of Syrah went directly to support the Lavender Rights Project, a local nonprofit dedicated to elevating the Black intersex and gender-diverse community through intersectional legal and social services.  

Ken also revealed that Footprint Wines will release another white wine this June to celebrate Pride Month. 

“We’re keeping it a secret until we officially release,” said Ken. “But it is a white wine we're super happy about.” 

As Footprint Wine continues to innovate and expand, we are thrilled to share their journey with you. We can’t wait to share this wine with you at the WeRise Wine bar and bottle shop soon. To learn more about Ken Dillon and Footprint Wine Tap and to plan your next visit, check out their website and sign up for the WeRise newsletter so you’re the first to know about our grand opening.