Celebrate Fairtrade Fornight with these wines | Alistair Gibson

The Fairtrade logo has become a recognised part of our week.

The label reassures us that the growers of these crops all receive a fair price and in turn the workers are paid living wages and have their rights protected.

The Fairtrade label on wine is perhaps a little less widely seen.

Wine is made in so many countries around the world but currently only four subscribe to Fairtrade labelling – South Africa, Argentina, Chile and perhaps a little more surprisingly, Lebanon.

As with any ethical labelling, Fairtrade is no guarantee of quality and I think that particularly applies to wine, where there have been some poor examples over the years.

Therefore, this Fairtrade Fortnight is a good opportunity to taste Fairtrade wines currently on the shelves and here are two which I think work really well.

The Co-op has, over the years, become very much a ‘flag waver’ for the Fairtrade movement and with regards to wine they do have one of the largest ranges on the high street.

Irresistible Fairtrade Sauvignon Blanc 2019, Western Cape ( Co-op £6) has a little semillon and colombard in the blend and was apparently served at the Fairtrade’s own 25th anniversary celebrations.

This is very fresh with citrus and some tropical fruit on the nose followed by a palate which is very lively with zesty acidity and a clean, dry finish.

This is simple, straightforward dry white wine that’s not going to win any awards for complexity, but it’s good value and would work well as an aperitif served with some simply grilled oily fish such as mackerel.

Irresistible Fairtrade Organic Malbec 2018, Argentina (Co-op £7.50) is consistently one of the best Fairtrade red wines on the shelves, and indeed the previous vintage has also appeared in this column and I have no hesitation in recommending this current release.

It’s made from 100 per cent Malbec from the Famatina Valley, one of Argentina’s less well-known vineyard areas, and the fact that it is also organic is a nice touch.

The bouquet offers ripe dark black cherry fruit, a little mocha and a touch of spice, before a palate that is packed with plump dark fruits, more than a touch of cinnamon, some smooth tannins and a very pleasing finish.