FARM WORKERS PROUD OF THEIR FAIRTRADE HARVEST
10.03.2011 - The uniWines Group has visited the two Fairtrade farms that supply them with grapes for the Palesa Fairtrade wine range. Here the inspirational report of the visit!
"After a very long wait, the joys of Fairtrade are finally paying off for a group of deserving people! Situated in Rawsonville is one very special farm called Tierkloof. You might ask why this farm is so special. This is the first farm in the uniWines Group to be owned and managed by Fairtrade farm workers. They would never had this opportunity if it wasn't for Fairtrade.
We drove to the vineyards while the first red grapes, a proudly South African cultivar called Pinotage, were being harvested. This morning was one particular hot morning. At 10am the temperatures already soared to 34C. I asked these workers why they are still singing and so happy in the heat. They just laughed and said, "We have to, this is our grapes." I could not help but laugh with these people and share their joy.
This year is a proud year for this group of people. For many, this will be the first big accomplishment in their lives. uniWines feels privileged to receive Tierkloof's produce and to produce magnificent Fairtrade wines from these grapes. They say that wines are made in the vineyards. If that's true, we're in for a big surprise because Tierkloof's vineyards has been tended to with love and a lot of pride!
The future of this farm and its owners is amazingly bright as the South African summer sun! We wish them all the best in their future endeavors and may they grow from strength to strength"
