Stellar Organic Winery, situated in Trawal, 275 km north of Cape Town on the road to Namibia, is the largest producer of fine organic wines in South Africa.
The winery is privately owned by the Rossouw brothers and the Stellar workers, who own 26% shares in the cellar and 50% in Stellar Agri, a table and wine grape farming operation.
Well-known for its innovative approach, Stellar was the first organic winemaking operation in the world to gain the coveted Fairtrade accreditation and the first cellar in Africa to produce commercially viable no-sulphur-added wines.
As co-owners, everyone at Stellar is committed to ensuring that products and customers are looked after. A democratic system ensures that everyone has a voice and that anyone who wants to, is allowed to shine.
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Sauvignon Blanc Shiraz Rosé Merlot Shiraz Pinotage Cabernet Sauvignon |
Click on the bottles to open a pdf containing the product information and tasting notes |
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Workers are valued and so, in addition to receiving above average wages, their basic needs are also taken care of.
Both farm and cellar staff are transported to and from work.
Families receive health care and the permanent services of a community worker.
Workers receive free housing, electricity and water and all schooling and child-care facilities are subsidised.
The Stellar Fairtrade Workers Trust grew from a working committee established to allocate public and government donations received after the Kranskop Bridge disaster, a truck accident that claimed the lives of 53 people in 1987.
To date, Fairtrade income has paid for fencing for workers houses. On-going projects include a commercial organic vegetable garden (with the children of the local Trawal Primary school helping out with and benefiting from) as well as a Viognier vineyard planted next to the school, which will serve as an educational farming project. The proceeds from the sale of grapes and wine will be shared by the school and the Stellar Employees Trust.