Bishop Estate Vineyard and Winery will release its Sisters Marquette Blush wine on April 8, 2022.
Bishop Estate Vineyard and Winery is uncorking a fundraising wine to help two Bucks County men battling ALS.
On April 8, the Perkasie winery will release The Sisters Marquette Blush, a dry varietal made from the Marquette grapes grown in the vineyard. In all, 800 bottles of the limited quantity wine will be available “until it’s all gone,” owner Cindy Bishop said.
Proceeds from the sale of The Sisters Marquette Blush wine will be donated to local residents, Jay Smith and Bryan Rosica, who are both battling ALS, a nervous system disease that weakens muscles and impacts physical function. Commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS has no cure.
The winery divides its Marquette grapes each year to make The Sisters Marquette Blush – its fundraising line – as well as a new blush addition coming this year, according to Bishop.
Rosica, a Bucks County native, was diagnosed with ALS on Dec. 15, 2020. He has worked as a teacher and guidance counselor at Buckingham Elementary School for 26 years. The father of three has been married to his wife, Lisa, for 23 years.
In his first year as a counselor, Rosica designed the character education program still used at Buckingham Elementary. In the inaugural year of the Bucks County Positive Coaching Alliance Award, he was the first coach to be recognized for his dedication and positive influence in the Buckingham United Soccer Club.
Smith was diagnosed with ALS in 2014 at age 35. His only remaining mobility is his eyes. Undeterred, Smith continues to use his eyes to write motivational posts. In addition, the inventor by trade also helped create “Independence Drive,” a program used for steering a wheelchair with your eyes. Realizing that he may at some point lose the use of the muscles in his eyes, Smith is now working on a self-driving wheelchair software program.
Medical expenses for Rosica and Smith currently exceed $200,000 per year.
How you can help
Purchases of Bishop Estate Vineyard and Winery’s The Sisters Marquette Blush wine will benefit Bryan Rosica and Jay Smith. The limited-edition wine will be available beginning April 8, 2022 at the winery, 2730 Hilltown Pike in Perkasie. For more information visit https://www.bishopestatepa.com/ or call 215-249-3559.