Children of the Vine

If you care about what goes into your body, your environment, and the future health of our children, Children of the Vine is a must-watch documentary. This powerful film uncovers the hidden truth behind the wine industry—how pesticides used on conventional vineyards are putting farmworkers, nearby communities, and ecosystems at serious risk. It goes beyond headlines and dives into personal stories of those most affected, revealing the human cost of chemical agriculture and the corporate forces that keep it going.

What makes Children of the Vine so compelling is not just the problem it exposes, but the hopeful path it offers forward. The documentary highlights pioneering farmers who are growing wine grapes organically—without synthetic pesticides—and proving that it’s possible to make world-class wine without poisoning people or the planet. It’s an inspiring look at what can happen when consumers demand change and farmers listen. You’ll come away with a deeper understanding of how your glass of wine connects to the health of entire communities.

This documentary film by Brian Lilla, is a film about the health crisis caused by the constant and pervasive use of Monsanto’s glyphosate-based Roundup weed killer, told in interviews with the heroes of our movement, including:

Dewayne “Lee” Johnson, the groundskeeper who fought Bayer (which merged with Monsanto in 2018) and won. Johnson’s case was the first to go to trial in a series of lawsuits involving tens of thousands of plaintiffs who got cancer from being exposed to Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer. The groundbreaking verdict has had global repercussions. Lee, with his philosophy, his struggle, and his fight for justice in the face of debilitating and terminal illness, is one of the most inspiring change-makers of our time.

Brent Wisner, the attorney who beat Bayer. Wisner is the youngest attorney in American history to win a multi-billion-dollar jury verdict, the $2 billion Roundup cancer verdict against Monsanto on behalf of Alva and Alberta Pilliod, both suffering from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after years of using Roundup. Not your stereotypical plaintiff’s attorney, Wisner didn’t just want money judgments for his clients, he wanted justice for all. That’s why he publicly released what came to be known as the Monsanto Papers, internal company documents that proved Monsanto knew Roundup caused cancer and used its power and influence to make sure the Environmental Protection Agency covered it up.

Zach Bush, MD, a physician specializing in internal medicine, endocrinology and hospice care, who explains how glyphosate impacts the human body. Glyphosate blocks the Shikimate pathway responsible for producing essential amino acids, such as tryptophan, that are the critical building blocks for the hormones and other proteins we need to function. Glyphosate’s cytotoxic and genotoxic effects increase oxidative stress, disrupt the estrogen pathway, impair some cerebral functions, trigger inflammation, and cause cancer. Glyphosate damages the gastrointestinal lymphatic tissue, a layer of immune cells that comprise 60 to 70 percent of the body’s immune system. This firewall protects us from the barrage of environmental toxins we are exposed to. When it is penetrated, all our vital organ systems are at risk. This is how glyphosate causes endocrine-disruption, celiac disease, autism, leaky-gut syndrome, etc.

Watching Children of the Vine is not just about being informed—it’s about being empowered. By choosing organic wine, you support vineyards that protect their workers, their soil, and your health. Your choices matter. This film will leave you with a renewed sense of agency and the tools to make more ethical, sustainable decisions every time you buy wine. Let’s raise awareness and our standards, one glass at a time.

If you drink wine, it’s essential to choose organic, glyphosate-free wine.

We recommend Frey Vineyards, in Redwood Valley, California, America’s first winery to be organic (since 1980) and biodynamic (since 1996), Frey makes no-sulfites-added wines that are certified Real Organic, too. Most importantly, Frey Vineyards was tested by Leah Segedie’s 

Mamavation—and no glyphosate was detected.

Buying Frey Vineyards’ glyphosate-free wine supports the Organic Consumers Association. Frey Vineyards generously gives 25% of every purchase to the Organic Consumers Association–and you get 15% off–when you use the code ORGANICCONSUMERS.