First Fair Trade Wines in the USA

12/07/06 MELANIA and TABORGA Chilean wines are produced by a Chilean winery certified as a Fair Trade company and are available in the United States.

MELANIA and TABORGA brands wines are estate-produced by Vina Lomas de Cauquenes, one of only two wineries in Chile certified by FLO Cert GmbH in Germany with the Fair Trade status. They are the first Fair Trade wines available in the United States. This certification has heralded significant support by the international community, mainly in the EU, and has increased retail sales significantly.

MELANIA and TABORGA brands are interested in publicizing the advantages that Fair Trade-certified producers in other industries, namely wine, can offer to the retail sector in the United States. As Fair Trade certifications for all products increase in the United States, MELANIA and TABORGA Chilean wines are striving to be at the forefront of the push to increase certification in the wine industry. The labeling, refreshing and artistic by design, and incredible varietal offering, have helped MELANIA and MELANIA "Coleccion Especial" to compete with some of the most well-known names in the industry. After obtaining a Silver medal in the World Beverage Competition in December for Packaging-Best label design and an 83 rating from Wine Enthusiast magazine, MELANIA wines have been on their way to a record expansion rate since their start in Miami in January and recent addition of six states and three countries to their distribution network. TABORGA, its lower-priced sister line, has become a strong contender in South Florida and is now moving nationally.