Hi everyone. We are thrilled to tell you about a new Fair Trade Certified wine we are importing into the US called Partnership Vineyards. It started as a BEE (Black Enterprise Empowerment) venture with Riebeek Cellars and has also been certified Fair Trade.

Partnership Vineyards is the cooperation of farm and cellar workers, farmers and the winery, Riebeek Cellars, in the Riebeek Valley. Since 2004 we have planted almost 60 hectares of wine grapes on the farm called Partnership Vineyards.

Shareholding in this project is 40% farm and cellar workers, 40% farmers and 20% Riebeek Cellars. Riebeek Cellars serves as the marketing and production leg of the project while the farmers (together with funding from government) have given the money to start the project with. The farmers are still involved by giving expertise and ensuring that the project is farmed properly and managed successfully. The idea is to eventually buy out all the farmers' shares, in order to have 80% shareholding in the hands of the previously disadvantaged farm and cellar workers.

Not only will this project pay out dividends to its partners as soon as it becomes profitable, it also gives each of the partners his / her few acres of Africa to own for life and to serve as an inheritance for their children.

Today they launched their Facebook Fan Page and we encourage you all to become a fan and keep up with the wonderful work happening there.

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ARTICLE: "Sustainable farming practices" by Yolandi Groenewald- Mail & Guardian

The Neethlingshof winery promotes sustainable farming practices and natural ways of maintaining "critters."  Instead of introducing chemical solutions to control mice on the estate, the farmers decided to bring back the owls that had previously left the area.  The success of this initiative is outlined in one of the estate's premier wines, The Owl Post.  Groenewald goes on to say, "The Owl Post tells the story of how owls and not chemicals defeated the mice.  Wine critics love the wine, not simply for its green story, but because the wine matches its green credentials with taste."  

Read more on Neethlingshof's Owl Post and their celebration of natural wildlife and vegetation.