From Pre-Med to Pinot: Meet the Woman Behind Good Pain Wines
Good Pain Wines founder Faith Hatcher talks taking risks, forging your own path, and the bittersweet pains that come with beautiful growth. Image: Faith Hatcher
Faith Hatcher believes that good things often come out of uncomfortable circumstances. That belief became a brand when the Indiana University Southeast grad abandoned her pursuit of medical science to study distillation science and launch Good Pain Wines.
Today, Faith splits her time between the Kentucky farmhouse she shares with her husband and Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley, where she harvests the fruit for her Alsatian-style whites and signature Pinot Noir. We sat down with this inspiring entrepreneur, who shared her favorite local hot spots, her dream dinner guest, and her advice for becoming a better wine buyer.
What was your first exposure to the wine business? What drew you in?
In college, I studied biology and chemistry on a pre-med track, intending to go on to medical school. During that time, I worked at a small winery in Indiana. When it was time to leave my team at the winery, I felt like I was leaving behind an important part of what had made me happy over the years. As I gained experience through medical internships, I realized it wasn’t the path I wanted in the long term. I’d never felt that way at the winery, so I took it as a sign to return to the industry.
I started back in the lab, learning wine-specific chemistry, then moved to the cellar to learn production. In 2022, I completed the Beer, Wine, and Distillation Sciences certification through the University of Kentucky, which really helped me excel in understanding the science behind beverage production. I’ve never looked back, and I am so grateful to my younger self for tuning into my intuition.
What inspired the name Good Pain?
I have a journal entry dated September 7, 2021, that reads, “Good Pain Winery?” I wrote it during a cross-country road trip with my dad, who was helping me move to the Willamette Valley for the 2021 grape harvest. I was eager to learn about Oregon wine production, but I was also grappling with a lot of unknowns.
To manage my anxiety, I began to think of the fear I was feeling as “unknown goods” for my future self. Things like the stomachache after eating too much delicious food, the soreness in your body after a great workout, or the electric feeling of an ice plunge. I began to realize that many of life’s discomforts are coupled with something positive.
I wondered if life’s more difficult challenges simply need more time for the good to reveal itself. I thought of this even in the deep sadness of hugging my dad farewell in Oregon, knowing I had completed a once-in-a-lifetime trip with him. I felt closer to him than ever while also moving farther away.
I began to recognize a pattern: Good can come from our pain. I told myself that if I ever had the courage to start my own wine brand, it would have its pains for certain, but in time, I would be rewarded for having taken the chance on myself.
What sets Good Pain Wine apart?
Good Pain Wines is a small, independent brand focused on premium fruit at an approachable price point. As a local, one of the things I value most is being able to connect directly with the people who drink my wines, whether that’s through in-person tastings, local events, or partnerships with restaurants and shops.
It’s extremely rare for a buyer to taste wine with the producer or owner of the brand. I want Good Pain to feel personal and connected to the community it’s a part of. When you choose a small producer over a big grocery store brand, you’re letting the market know that you value the quality of what you consume. When you buy my wines, you’re supporting a small business and friend, with good intentions behind each bottle.
Selecting a wine can be intimidating. What would you tell someone who wants to learn how to choose with confidence?
It can be overwhelming to choose a wine from a sea of options! My advice is to attend as many tastings, local dining events with wine pairings, and wine education classes as possible.
Wine is a subject that really benefits from even a little education. When you take the time to discover your own palate, you’re much less likely to waste money on bottles or glasses that you regret committing to. Understanding the basics of wine, along with your personal preferences, can make you feel so much more confident when dining out or walking into a wine shop.
In an alternate life, what would you be doing professionally?
I’d love to teach wine science to college students! Maybe even in this life someday …
When you aren’t working, where can we find you?
At my little farmhouse with my husband and cats, working in my garden or renovating.
Where do you go to get inspired?
New wine regions! My husband and I have been really adamant about visiting a new region every year. It is really inspiring to see people make great wine with the grapes that grow well in their climate and to learn new cultural winemaking styles.
The most recent wine region we visited was the country of Georgia. My husband is a wine importer, with a special focus on Georgian wines. Their rich history and traditional values are even represented in their winemaking style. I felt like I had gone back in time visiting some of the wineries, which was a really refreshing contrast to the “what’s new and cool?” of modern wine innovation.
What’s next for Good Pain Wines?
New wine varietals, labels made by local artists, new restaurant partnerships, and collaborations with local tastemakers. The list is endless!
What’s your best piece of advice?
Don’t let the fear of the unknown hold you back from starting. The fear of failing holds a lot of people back from experiencing new opportunities and meeting new people. It might sound corny or like an overused piece of advice, but that’s because it’s true. Even if something doesn’t work out the way you’d hoped, it is usually a great lesson.
LIGHTNING ROUND
Best Louisville boutique to buy a hostess gift? Le Lieu
Favorite place to sip a glass of wine? It’s like choosing a favorite child! In Louisville, I’d say Canary Club. In Northern Kentucky, Ripple Wine Bar. My friend Tara Goode is opening a bookstore and wine café in NuLu, Yer Mom’s, and I suspect I’ll be a regular there as well.
Which Louisville restaurant dish are you craving now? Cipollini’s gnocchi with a glass of Good Pain Pinot, of course!
Dream dinner companion? Dead or Alive? Either way, Dolly Parton. RIP, queen.
Next book on your to-be-read list? I’m slowly working through The Art of the Commonplace by Wendell Berry. It’s dense and thought-provoking. I’ll read a chapter and think about it for a week. It’s been inspiring for someone who works in the agriculture industry and recently bought farmland.
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Beth Clayton
For over 20 years, Beth Clayton has either been working in a newsroom or pitching one. A natural storyteller and word nerd from the moment she could pick up a pencil, she earned her journalism degree from Butler University and spent the next decade as a writer, reporter, and editor. She now lives in Louisville, KY with her husband, three kids, and a very bad dog, and loves immersing herself in old lady hobbies such as houseplants and macrame.
