Helga Trim reveals a new deal in winemaking
When you uncork a bottle of wine the last thing that comes to mind is the labour intensive work involved in its production. And why should you? A good vintage is made to savour and take you away from the mundane. Who cares about the grape pickers who barely eek out a living in this multi-million dollar industry? (Some earn as little as 50 pesos a day) Wine is synonymous with good living and beautiful people. Well, the two visionaries behind Soluna Malbec and Viña de la Solidaridad are about to alter that mindset.
Argentine native, Gabriela Furlotti, who comes from 3 generations of winemakers, teamed up with Patrick Struebi, a Swiss German who knows a thing or two about the Fair Trade market, "to promote Fair Trade in Latin America ." These two entrepreneurs with a penchant for easing the plight of the underprivileged are the flip side of the globalization coin. They are also proof that global trading doesn't have to mean death to small producers. Quite the opposite, "The company will provide organizational and technical support for all small producers and act as exporters for their products," says Patrick. Honestly, Free Trade isn't always Fair Trade unless it 's Fair Trade product. And consumers globally can be assured that every FairTrade product meets the highest international standards. In fact each purchase contributes to better working and living conditions for the workers and their families.
In Mendoza, Fair Trade is a novel concept that seemed like champagne dreams for people who harvest the grapes but rarely if ever get to taste the champagne. However, I spoke to Omar, a contratista, (a person contracted on a monthly salary to work in a vineyard) who has already chewed the wine of contentment as a member of Viña de la Solidaridad, the Association of contratistas and proprietors of small vineyards that are transforming the wine business while maintaining the winemaking process. He has gone from a salary of $87 pesos every 10 months thirteen years ago during Argentina's economic boom to $1000 pesos a month and the chance to work more closely with the owner of the vineyard he works for with his family. For the first time, he has a say in setting the prices for the grapes he harvests. He has a roof over his head and can keep his family off the streets. His sons, now in their 20s, also work the vineyard. But unlike his father and his grandfather before, Omar sees a more promising future for his family under the FairTrade label.
Gabriela, the Director General of Furlotti winery, who up until now resisted joining the family's business, explained her about-turn. "This is more than just about making wine," she asserted. "We can help people keep their families together and provide a better life!" Sounds like a good enough reason to me and I have witnessed the difference already. The Association and the Bodega operate more like a family than a business of employers and employees. However, many of the members thought that the wine had gone to her head when she first proposed the idea.
Now, there are nineteen members in the Association, ten proprietors (owners of small to mid-size vineyards) and nine contratistas (people contracted to live and work on the vineyard at a monthly salary). They sell their grapes to Bodega Furlotti at the minimum FairTrade price plus a premium set by the FairTrade foundation or the higher market price. Currently, the members receive a price that's somewhere in the middle. The additional amount per kilo (premium) is paid into a special account for social projects. "With these funds, we can help with healthcare and education. For example, if a member is sick, we'll cover the cost. If a member's child wants to go to university, we'll contribute to the tuition," the President of Viña de la Solidaridad proudly stated.
So the FairTrade market will get a taste of Argentina's world famous lush fruity Malbec at a price that will enrich many people's lives while satisfying the taste for rich red wine that so many others crave. The next time you go to a supermarket, realize that you are part of a global village that can help lift people out of crippling poverty in developing countries. All it takes is a conscious decision on your part to buy FairTrade certified products and if your supermarket or retail store doesn't carry any, ask them to start. As Patrick succinctly puts it, " Soluna mirrors the union of two polarities in one word, reflecting a fair and harmonious trade relationship between first and third-world countries."
