The second annual Unfiltered wine festival in Berkeley, co-organized by Andrew Sullivan and Donkey & Goat Winery, recently gathered 60 low-intervention Bay Area winemakers with the explicit goal of integrating local wines more deeply into the region's retail and restaurant economy.

The second annual Unfiltered: A Celebration of Wine on the Edge festival recently concluded July 25-26, bringing together 60 low-intervention and natural winemakers from across the Bay Area at Berkeley’s Donkey & Goat Winery. Co-organized by Andrew Sullivan and Jared Brandt, co-founder of the host winery, the event aims to tackle the persistent challenge of Bay Area restaurants and retailers underserving locally produced wines.

Sullivan, a central figure in the festival’s organization, has voiced frustration with the limited local wine presence in establishments across the region. The festival positions itself not just as a tasting event but as a strategic platform to fuel the local wine economy, with Sullivan quoted saying, “Festivals shouldn't leave winemakers with empty bottles and empty pockets, and they shouldn't end when the tents come down.”

While promoted on Eventbrite under the name “Unfiltered Wine Events,” a search of the California Secretary of State business registry did not yield an active LLC or nonprofit under that name, or any clearly linked to Sullivan for the festival itself. Instead, the festival was hosted at Donkey & Goat Winery, a registered California business (SOS File No. 3573363) with Jared Brandt and Tracey Brandt as principals, suggesting the festival may operate under the winery’s existing licensing or as an informal arrangement. This distinguishes it from many event-specific entities, rooting its operations within an established local business.

Attendance numbers for the two-day event, with tickets priced at $65 for a single day or $95 for a weekend pass, were not disclosed. The festival featured a curated selection of winemakers via an invite-only process and included ancillary partnerships, notably with Visit Berkeley as a presenting sponsor. Critically for its business ambitions, a partnership with Vintage Berkeley will aid participating winemakers in securing crucial retail shelf space post-festival. While local chefs provided food at the event, formal commitments from specific restaurants to feature these wines have not been publicly announced, yet the focus on retail suggests a clear pathway for these wines to reach the market.