Stellar Organics

Stellar Organics - Organic Winery from South Africa

Stellar Organics is the first winery in the world to receive certification as a Fair Trade Organic Winery. With a lot of dedication and originality, a sophisticated and sustainable structure was built up here within a few years. Today, they proudly look at a functioning winery that produces sophisticated organic wines at a technically high level. Behind it are workers who work under fair social conditions and represent a functioning community. A clear sign of the professionalism and international recognition are the numerous awards with which Stellar Organics has already been honored. Stellar Organics can also clearly score points for wines without added sulfites.

finally, in 2017, the first biodynamically cultivated vineyards were planted. In this project, the workers at Stellar Organics are majority owners with over 60%. Employee well-being is at the top of Stellar Organics' agenda. This welfare of all employees is championed by the Stellar Empowerment Trust and the Stellar Foundation. The latter is responsible for ensuring that fair trade premiums and donations are used to implement social projects selected by the employees themselves.

The main site in Trawal is complemented by a modern cellar in Vredendal, where oenologist Claas Coetzee works with the experienced production and quality managers and other employees to ensure transparent processes. Certifications and traceability must always be guaranteed.

Stellar Organics is an important institution for the more than 200 indigenous employees and their families, who work here under exemplary conditions. The permanent employees live with their families in small houses with gardens provided by Stellar Organics. Modern health care is guaranteed. Children can attend the kindergarten and the adjacent elementary school, and the company's own school bus provides transportation for those attending secondary school. Further education opportunities are also available to adults.

Social projects that Stellar Organics supports

Since Riegel Bioweine began importing Stellar Organics wines to Germany in 2003, numerous projects have been implemented thanks to sales and voluntary donations. Some of them are:

• Training kitchen: Stellar Organics supports the Steilhoogte elementary school near Trawal. a training kitchen with cooking utensils is intended to teach the children practical skills so that they can later earn a living with cooking and other activities, for example.

• Mobile clinic bus: To provide care for the employees, there is a mobile clinic that carries out regular health checks, such as measuring blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as HIV tests.

• Bus: Since there is practically no public transport in the area, a bus was purchased for the employees to take them to the next town or to the respective place of work.

• Soccer field: On the well-equipped soccer field that Stellar Organics built on its own land, employees as well as other people from the region can play sports together. Goals, grass, changing rooms and sportswear are available.

Fair for Life

The "Fair for Life" program at Ecocert IMO Swiss AG has been in place since 2006. The program specializes in ethical rules of fair trade, according to international standards such as the ILO conventions, the Fairtrade Standards of FLO, SA 8000 and the social criteria of IFOAM. The Ecocert/IMO standards provide a complement to market minimum standards for fair trade products. Social conditions for production and distribution of the products are adapted to the strict procedures for organic certification. In addition, requirements for environmental protection are integrated.

Cultivation

The grapes for Stellar Organics wines are organically grown on various farms belonging to Stellar Multi-Estate. The farms are Fairtrade certified by Ecocert/IMO Fair for Life, as is the winery, and the wines are certified organic by Ecocert Southern Africa.

Grape varieties

• Pinotage
• Merlot
• Shiraz
• Colombard
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Muscat d'Alexandrie
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Chardonnay
• Hanepoot
• Ruby Cabernet