Isabelo Pinotage Sweeps the Board

Congratulations to all involved in Isabelo Pinotage which swept the board at the annual Fairtrade Wine Competition, announced at Vinopolis in London on 19 November.

The same wine also won the Trophy for Best Overall Fairtrade Red Wine and the Certificate for Best Fairtrade South African Red, thus sweeping the board in every available category.

82 wines from Argentina, Chile and South Africa entered this year, compared to 61 last year, a 34% increase.

The judging panel, chaired by Louise Vaux of the Wine & Spirit Trust, was: Sarah Jane Evans MW, Tim Atkin MW, Patricia Langton, Susan McCraith MW, Jo Ahearne MW, (M&S), Michelle Smith, (Sainsbury’s), Becca Reeves, (formerly of Asda, now Direct wines), Graham Nash, (Tesco), Jaspar Corbett (Alan Titchmarsh daytime TV Show).

Congratulations to all involved.






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Pinotage is Fairtrade Best South African Red Wine

Sainsbury's Pinotage 2006 won the Best South African Red Wine category at this years Fairtrade Wine Competition, announced in London yesterday.

The aim of the Fairtrade Wine Competition is to raise awareness of the high standard of Fairtrade wines on offer and was first set up by the UK Fairtrade Wine Committee in 2007.

Entries from the three Fairtrade producing countries: Argentina, Chile and South Africa, were up by 30 per cent on last year’s competition, and were judged in September by a panel including Sarah Jane Evans MW, Olly Smith, Jamie Goode, Patricia Langton, Susan McCraith MW, Maria Elener, The Co-operative and Michelle Smith, Sainsbury’s.

Sainsburys supermarkets source their own label wines from a number of producers. It seems the 2006 Sainsbury's Fair Trade Pinotage was made by Citrusdal Cellars.

But Argentina won the Trophies for the Best Overall Fairtrade Wine and the Best Red Wine. The Trophy for White Wine went to South Africa's Isabelo Chenin Blanc 2008.