See the Beauty in the Madness: The Story Behind Maniq Wines

Wendy VanArsdale
4 days ago
4 min read

When I sat down with Khrischen to interview him for this blog post, the one theme he wanted to make very clear is...There is hope.

And so, that’s where we begin—not with struggle, but with hope. This is a story of resilience. Of falling and rising. Of painting through the darkness and finding, within it, the shape of something beautiful.

This is the story of Khrischen Alvarado, Founder for Maniq Wines. His wine tells a story not only through the beautiful wine that he makes, but through a label that invites you to look deeper—to see the art, the struggle, and the healing.

“The most important message I’ve been trying to tell myself this entire time is: don’t lose hope.”

A Quiet Revolution in a Bottle

On every bottle of Maniq wine, two things stand out: a striking image of a painted mannequin, and a small neck wrapper you can tear off and keep in your pocket. The wrapper holds contact information for a nonprofit offering support to those living with mental illness. It’s there in case you, or someone you love, needs it.

Because sometimes, all it takes is one quiet act of kindness. One reachable resource. One conversation.

Khrischen says “When I explain the Maniq label, people tell me their stories. And often it’s the same—bipolar, schizophrenic, misdiagnosed for years. That’s why I put that information on the bottle. Someone might need it.”

“Sonder”: The Mannequin That Became a Mirror

The mannequin on the label has a name: Sonder

Sonder: The profound realization that every single person—those you pass on the street, sit next to on a bus, or briefly lock eyes with in a crowd—has a life as rich and intricate as your own. Each stranger is living out a story you’ll never fully know, filled with their own ambitions, routines, heartbreaks, friendships, worries, and memories. They have families and jobs, moments of triumph and despair, inside jokes, favorite songs, and dreams for the future. While you are the center of your own world, they are the center of theirs, and your story is just a flicker in their periphery—if it appears at all. It’s a quiet, humbling awareness that your life, no matter how full or meaningful it feels, is just one thread in a vast, interwoven tapestry of human experience. Every person you meet has a depth you can’t see. Behind every face, a universe.

Her surface is layered with color and meaning, brushstroke over brushstroke, pain over healing, thoughts turned into art.

She started as a blank canvas during a difficult day, when Khrischen was coming down from a manic episode.

“Everyone was out of town. I grabbed the mannequin, put her on the table, and started writing letters—like, ‘I miss you,’ ‘I love you’—to people, to my dog who passed, even to myself. Then the darker messages came out. The things I tell myself: Why can’t you be normal?”

To protect those around him from seeing the rawness of those words, he covered them in paint. And then he did it again. And again.

“It became a process. I would write, then paint over it. Then write more. And in that moment, I’d forget whatever was going on in my head. Sonder became my way to heal.”

Sonder’s image now lives on the label of Maniq wines—a reminder that healing is layered, imperfect, and stunning in its honesty.

The Darkness and the Light

The Maniq label design is divided: one side black, the other white. It’s intentional.

“You have to go through the darkness to get to the light.”

That’s not just about wine, or art, or branding. That’s about life. Living with bipolar disorder means navigating the intense swings of emotion—elation, despair, clarity, confusion. Khrischen shares it all with honesty and grace. “I’ll have days when everything’s great. And then suddenly, it’s not. And I ask myself, why can’t I just be normal? But this is who I am. There’s nothing I could’ve done to change that. And that’s okay.”

Community as Medicine

Hope lives not only in art and wine, but in people—those who choose to stay, to listen, to walk with you through the storm.

Khrischen found that in his partner, Even. “If I say, ‘I can’t deal with this,’ Even says, ‘Yes, we can. Let’s do a meditation. Let’s go for a walk.’ To have someone care like that... that’s everything.”

Khrischen (left), Even (right), and their 3 dogs

He also found it in his boss, Andrew Schultz, who responded to Khrischen’ s resignation attempts with compassion, not dismissal.

“I came to him with the intention of leaving my laptop and walking away - saying ‘I don’t think I can be here anymore, I should leave’. His response was ‘Let’s talk.’ He made space for me. Not many people do that.”

Giving Back, One Bottle at a Time

Khrischen’s heart beats for more than just wine. His passion for mental health and the unhoused community led him to build Maniq Wines as more than a business—it’s a mission.

Proceeds from Maniq Wines support mental health organizations. Eventually, Khrischen wants to start a nonprofit of his own. In the meantime, the label speaks for itself. It invites connection. It creates conversation. And above all, it offers hope.