Fair trade wine

Each wine offers real character and a full flavour and has been carefully chosen for the way it combines quality and value for money with real social benefits to the people whose work makes the wine possible.

Traidcraft wine comes from:

• Argentina: La Riojana Cooperativa Vitivinifrutícola de La Rioja Limitada
  This vineyard produces wine by means of the traditional techniques and the most advanced technology. The farmers see the most important benefit as the fair trade price for the grapes, but there are also a number of social benefits, including insurance against storm & frost damage and access to free technical assistance and advice.

• Chile: Covica
  The co-op was founded in 1939, following an earthquake that devastated this region of Chile. There are around 60 workers at the winery - one of the main employers in an area of high unemployment. Since gaining its Fairtrade status, granted in October 2006, the winery has begun a programme of social change to help to improve the lives of the workers through improved education, sanitation and health. The first benefit provided is health insurance for winery workers and their families, which is being extended to cover members and their families.

• Chile: Vinos Lautaro
  Vinos Lautaro was created in 1997 by 17 small-scale farmers. Benefits funded by the Fairtrade premium include healthcare, scholarships for members’ children and an annual holiday for members and their families.

• South Africa: Sonop
  The vineyard produces ‘Winds of Change’ wines – the label was launched in 1999 to specifically fund social and economic black empowerment for that community.

• South Africa: Citrusdal Cellars
  Citrusdal has an active Community Development Association that empowers farm workers, through training and the development of skills, to influence their own future and take responsibility for their individual communities. Other training funded through the premiums included:

  • Workshops for pre-school, after-school and crèche personnel
  • Courses to develop men and women in basic life skills
  • Productivity and management courses
  • Meetings to inform men and women on issues such as HIV/AIDS, workers rights etc
  • A variety of youth programmes.