People Behind the Pour: Crafting Wine with Intention and Impact at RAM Cellars

We’re springing into April, and to help celebrate Earth Month, we’re spotlighting Portland-based winery RAM Cellars and winemaker Vivianne Kennedy. Vivianne has carved out a unique space for RAM in the heart of Portland’s robust wine scene, and we recently caught up with her to learn more about how she started RAM Cellars and the intentional and sustainable winemaking that’s behind powering a winery that’s as much about winemaking as it is about community and social impact. 

Vivianne’s wine journey began with a transformative moment during a Yakima Valley Spring Barrel wine tasting 15 years ago. She recalls, "I was in a two-hour-plus conversation with one of their winemakers" at Kiona Winery. This encounter "cracked my brain open and helped me realize that I had a burning desire to know more about that confluence of art and science behind wine production."

Her path to winemaking was deliberate and educational. Her educational journey began with completing an 18-month program in viticulture first and then completing the science of winemaking certificate program through WSU, while simultaneously volunteering and working at various wineries throughout Washington. By 2014, she produced her first vintage, yielding a small but mighty 120 cases of a mix of Cab Franc, Malbec, and a white blend. 

At the core of RAM Cellars is a philosophy of low-intervention winemaking. 

“We’re not dogmatic about it, but our goal is to have it where possible; the only inputs to the wines end up being the lowest amount of sulfites necessary to protect them for shelf stability,” explains Vivianne. To accomplish this, RAM commits to native yeast ferments on all wines, zero fining or filtration, minimal sulfite levels, and overall careful treatment of their wines throughout their lifecycle as RAM Cellars tends to lean into preserving the acidity of their wines. 

“It sets the table so that we don't have to do any manipulation, whether that's additions or subtractions, to be able to balance that out. If we get that factor right, then we are setting ourselves up to not have to make additional moves and to be able to handle things in that low intervention style,” says Vivianne. 

That balance speaks to the craft of winemaking—between science and intention. As Vivianne notes, “We're not averse to breaking out the tools if we need to." In 2021, for example, they had to use a rescue yeast for a stuck Roussanne fermentation. She says, "I would rather use the tools available than push a wine out to the market that is not reflective of the craft of low-intervention winemaking."

"Every wine is sort of a love letter and time capsule to the vintage and the grape varietal," Vivianne Kennedy reflects.

Through RAM Cellars, she's creating more than just wine—crafting a narrative of authenticity, sustainability, and social impact with every vintage.  

Vivianne is excited about the emerging trends she sees throughout the industry to embrace more sustainable efforts, including reducing the actual weight of glass bottles to kegged wine to refillable glass bottles that help close the loop by keeping bottles in circulation (Oregon-based company Revino is leading the charge). 

But true sustainability efforts for RAM Cellars go beyond just what a winery can do about packaging. Kennedy emphasizes the importance of worker welfare, particularly highlighted during wildfire seasons. "We saw a lot of vintners trying to push their growers to get crews out," she says, despite dangerous air quality. Her approach prioritizes human safety in every line of work in winemaking.

"The biggest piece for me,” Vivianne says, “is making sure that they are taking good care of their vineyard stewards and not putting folks in harm's way."

RAM Cellars is a testament to inclusive winemaking.

For about five years, Vivianne ran the winery and her operations solo, with help during harvests or bigger events. In 2014, RAM Cellars was born, and the first wines were released in early 2016 as Vivianne carved a market for herself, bottle by bottle, at various wine shops and restaurants in the Pacific Northwest. 

In 2018, Vivianne found herself at a crossroads within the wine world, sparked by stepping into her authentic self and coming out as a transgender woman. Unsure if she would be able to find a place for herself in the industry, Vivianne recalls having some of her closest friends sit her down with a cogent reminder that her existence fully as herself and in wine are not mutually exclusive.  

This led to the creation of their sub-label, Viv Wines, a collection of wines that directly support LGBTQ+ nonprofits. As Kennedy explains, "We're giving those organizations $3 per bottle when we sell them," with wines supporting organizations like the Q Center, Advocates for Trans Equity, and Trans Lifeline. Now, with an all-queer production team, which includes assistant winemaker Beatrice, cellar master Kyra, and her partner Aidan, who manages social media and communications and helps in production, the team has grown to producing around 1,500 to 2,000 cases per year. And in the late summer of 2023, RAM Cellars joined forces with Cristina Gonzales at Gonzales Wines to open Community Wine Bar in Southeast Portland, Oregon.  

Vivianne is excited about upcoming releases, particularly a new Grüner Veltliner at just 10.2% ABV, which she describes as "a light, easy drinking, kind of like softer citrus profile. Think like lemon-lime soda without the effervescence."

WeRise is thrilled to partner with RAM Cellars, and we’re hosting Vivianne and RAM Cellars for an upcoming Meet the Winemaker pop-up in our bar on Thursday, May 1st. To learn more about Vivianne and RAM Cellars, check out their website and sign up for the WeRise newsletter so you’re the first to know about news and events at WeRise Wines.