Hey there,
Last week I was upset. Properly upset.
One of our winemakers told me sales with Vivan are going well, but it's still not enough. For the work he does, he's earning less than minimum wage. That stuck with me all week.
Then I scrolled past someone raving about a £10 South African wine from a supermarket. Maybe it's organic. Maybe it's lovely. But take off the duty, the VAT, the shipping and the shelf margin, and I can't see how the winemaker is paid fairly. A cheap bottle can be a way into the market for a producer. But it's unfair competition for the winemakers who refuse to play that game.
So we need a better solution. This week's piece is about what that looks like.
Cheers,
Greg x
1. Pour
The wine industry is broken. Here's who gets to fix it
So we wrote down what we do differently. Our winemakers set their own price. We don't buy the wine in advance, so they sell what they need to sell, and the price is set by what they need to make a living.
They are also members of Vivan, a not-for-profit cooperative. One member, one vote. As far as we know, no other online wine shop is built this way. If you've found one, tell us. We'd like to meet them.
BLOG: The wine industry is broken. Here's how we fix it →
2. Grow
Does regenerative farming really change the soil?
One vineyard near Washington D.C., Dodon, reports its soil organic matter rising from 0.3% to 3.2% since planting, based on soil testing. A study cited in the same piece found that regenerative practices stored more soil carbon in vineyards than on annual cropland. The authors are careful, though: there are too few studies yet to judge individual practices. We like honest science.
READ: Vineyards Are Laying the Groundwork for a Regenerative Farm Future, Lisa Held, Civil Eats →
3. Thrive
An English harvest starts earlier than ever
Nyetimber in southern England began picking on 14 September, five days earlier than its previous earliest start in 2018, after the UK's warmest summer on record. Spring frosts hit almost 30% of its vines, but its head winemaker says the weather gives "strong potential for fantastic wine quality". The estate says the harvest could yield 1.5 million bottles of sparkling wine. Good news for anyone who loves a glass of something grown with care.
READ: Earliest ever harvest for English wine maker, ITV News Meridian →
Which of these would you like more of in this newsletter? Hit reply and tell us.
This newsletter is written by Greg, founder of Vivan Cooperative: independent winemakers across Europe, imported direct, with no distributors and no middlemen.
0 commentaire