Another Fair Trade Happy Hour

by Zarah Patriana

Published November 21, 2008 @ 05:12PM PT

This blog is no stranger to the Friday Happy Hour. Last time, I told you about Etica and their Fair Trade wine and a Fair Trade coffee stout using Fair Trade coffee from Higher Grounds Trading.

Well, more Fair Trade Certified wine is about to hit the shelves my fellow wine connosieurs. Looks like Sam's Club will be carrying a new brand of Fair Trade Certified wine called Neu Direction. The wine is produced by Viña de la Solidaridad (vines of solidarity), which is a cooperative representing 20 small farms. TransFairUSA's Paul Rice expressed his excitement:

"The launch of Sam’s Club Neu Direction Fair Trade Certified wine shows tremendous leadership,” said Paul Rice, president and CEO of TransFair USA. “The company’s commitment to Fair Trade Certified wine will have a far-reaching positive impact on grape growers and vineyard workers and the communities in which they live and work throughout Argentina - it will send kids to school, bring clean water to communities and enable struggling growers and workers to put food on the table."

The United States is now the second-largest wine market in the world with France at number one. I definitely drank the finest of wine when I was living in Bordeaux pretty often. Maybe a little too often? Can't help but have a glass of wine alongside long, deep conversations about French philosophy. But, I digress. Now, with the U.S. upping their wine consumption, Fair Trade Certified wine is there to guarantee fair consumption.

The most significant growth in US wine sales in recent years has been in varietals of wines from “New World” countries, including Chile, Argentina, and South Africa. However in many of these regions, it is difficult to meet the market demand for high quality wine while ensuring that grape growing communities have access to safe and fair working conditions, receive adequate pay and prices for their wine grapes, and guarantee that costs of living are covered.  Fair Trade Certified guarantees producers a set minimum price for their grapes, workers a living wage and wine producing communities funding for community development programs. 

Starbucks, Puma and now Sam's Club (division of Wal-Mart) have been stepping up their corporate social responsibility game. Fingers crossed that they all will continue to stregthen their commitment.

So, go out and get your bottle of Fair Trade Certified wine. It's 10 bucks! Bring it to your Thanksgiving dinner parties. Apparently it goes well with turkey. Your friends will be impressed.

(A message from your Fair Trade Editor: After you shop responsibly, please be sure to drink responsibly.)