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 (Las Lomas)
  The co-op was founded in 1939, following an earthquake that devastated this region of Chile. It now has 240 members, over 50% of whom are small farmers with less than 5 hectares of vines. With the benefit of fair trade the co-op has been able to develop a housing project and pay towards health insurance for winery workers and farmers. In addition, scholarships have been made available for some local children.

• 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: Koopmanskloof
  In South Africa, where good wine is legendary, there is also a history of unequal opportunity. The wine industry has been particularly bad - with farm workers being denied basic rights, skills and opportunities. Addressing this problem is not simple and is often dependent upon on-going support from landowners and wineries.

  Koopmanskloof is an exciting response. In 2004, with the financial assistance of the Department of Land Affairs who provided the finance, the worker community became owners of their own farm Vredehoek and co-owners in the operational company, Koopmanskloof Wingerde (Pty) which has another 6 farms.