This season, we are honored to shine a spotlight on Annie Favia of Favia Wines, whose work in wine and beyond brings authenticity, care, and creative depth to our Gala. Her story reminds us that the best contributions come from a place of rooted intention, the same values that guide our mission at Meals on Wheels San Francisco.

 

Annie’s path in viticulture began long before she entered Napa: raised on a farm in Connecticut, she developed a deep affinity for the land, its rhythms, and its quiet demands. In Napa, she has become known not just as a winegrower, but as a thinker, someone who listens to the soil, the vines, and nature’s own sense of balance.

 

Central to her work is a philosophy that balance is found in nature’s order. Annie insists that in every vineyard decision, from soil composition to water management to planting choices, there is room for restraint, humility, and respect for what the land can give.

 

Annie’s artistic spirit doesn’t stop with grapes. In 2018, she launched ERDA Tea, a venture rooted in her love for gardens, herbs, and botanical expression.

 

At her vineyard in Coombsville, she grows flowers and herbs carefully, harvesting whole leaves and blossoms, then drying them in low-temperature rooms to maintain vibrancy.

 

Her organically grown teas have both aesthetics and artistry, visual textures, layered aromas, and delicate flavors, and have been celebrated by critics as a contemplative companion to wine, something that enhances the act of tasting itself. She sees tea-making as a practice adjacent to wine, a way to sharpen sensitivity, deepen observation, and slow down.