Eat Ethically Oz Clarke on Fairtrade wine

Date Published:

27/02/2008

You may have switched to buying Fairtrade coffee and bananas, but what about Fairtrade wine? Hannah Williams caught up with outspoken wine writer Oz Clarke to discover how wine is working wonders for developing communities in Argentina, Chile and South Africa

So Fairtrade wine - which wine-producing countries does the initiative cover and why?

It's mainly areas in Argentina, South Africa and Chile. All of which are struggling with different social problems. The Fairtrade initiative gives people a hand up rather than a hand out. People understand the words fair and trade and it makes a great selling point. In fact in South Africa the initiative has become a more important selling tool than the Black Empowerment initiative (a program run by the South African government to redress the historical economic inequalities of apartheid).

Will the Fairtrade label cost me more? If so where does my money go?

A good Fairtrade wine doesn't need to cost you more than £4.99. In fact throughout Fairtrade fortnight you can buy wines in Co-op for £3.99. There's a great one from Los Robles and some from Equality, which when you stack them up against the opposition come out pretty well. A lot of the time when you're paying £4.99 for a wine it will be a branded one so you're paying for things like advertising and marketing. With something like Fairtrade paying £4.99 means giving growers £4.99.

What about taste? Do I have to sacrifice my palate for the common good?

What about taste? Do I have to sacrifice my palate for the common good? Like anything, when you start a new initiative a learning process is part of it. But every year these wines get better. The Argentinean ones are much better this year than they were last year.
You're limited to the three countries but within those there's a lot of choice. The Los Robles - Carmenere is great and if you're going to buy one Fairtrade wine this fortnight I'd make it that one.

Where can I get it? Will I have to go to a specialist retailer?

Not at all, it's readily available in most supermarkets. The Co-op have an extensive range, it's in Waitrose, Sainsbury's and all the big shops as well as Threshers and other wine stockists.

What’s the reaction been like from the wine-making community? Are they supportive or do they see it as creating an uneven playing field?

In terms of the wine-producing world I've seen no evidence of any sort of backlash. People are aware of the good the initiative is doing in these countries and the problems that they face. And in terms of the South American regions these guys are the only players down there. Lots of Fairtrade co-operatives are set up when other industries, such as tanneries or lumber factories, have folded.

Britain is the biggest market for Fairtrade wines and that's something we should be proud of. We do a good job of lambasting ourselves for the things we do wrong. But when it comes to doing a little good in our shopping baskets we are second to none.

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