Consumerism for a cause.

Ever heard of it?

It’s a very real concept that makes shopaholics and retail-therapy-addicts (like me) feel better about ourselves every time we hit add to cart. Pretty self-explanatory, but it’s basically when companies donate a portion of their profits to specific charities, social initiatives, and/or NPOs.

Technically speaking, we consumers make it possible for these companies to continue supporting their chosen cause every time we purchase their products.

For this particular post, we’ll be focusing on three local wineries that are pretty much the definition of ‘consumerism for a cause’. Since they’re selfless enough to invest most of their profits into non-profits, we’d be remiss not to give them a shout-out.

 

The Hidden Sea

The Hidden Sea Wine is a premium wine company with “a heritage tied to the ocean,” (in case it wasn’t clear by the name alone). Their brand is defined by two things: (1) their passion and commitment to cleaning up the earth’s oceans, and (2) their drive to provide bloody delicious wines.

If that’s something you can get behind, keep reading. The company is pretty darn interesting.

So the majestic-looking whale that graces every bottle of The Hidden Sea wine actually comes with a neat backstory – one that started 26 million years ago, when South Australia’s incredible Limestone Coast was once home to a thriving marine ecosystem.

Yep; it was completely submerged. (Until a series of dramatic ice ages decided otherwise.)

When the waters eventually receded, they left behind an area rich with deep limestone deposits and marine fossils – aka the Limestone Coast, we have now. One marine mammal fossil in particular just happened to be the reason behind the rich, fertile, nutrient-packed soil the grapes at the THS vineyard enjoy.

Hence, the happy whale on every award-winning wine bottle.

The Hidden Sea is so committed to creating a harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural world, they actively run collaborative partnerships with organizations that focus on protecting the marine environment. Their current partner is the ReSea Project.

The ReSea Project is an environmentally-driven initiative committed to cleaning up the world’s oceans and rivers. Their primary focus is on plastic – specifically, removing all traces of it from the ocean and recycling it into something less harmful. In 2019 alone, they managed to remove 426 ton of plastic.

Their goal for 2020 is to remove 3,000 ton from the ocean.

By 2030, they hope to remove at least 1 billion plastic bottles.

Sure, the numbers sound crazy. But guess what? Every bottle of The Hidden Sea wine purchased removes the equivalent of 10 plastic bottles from the world’s oceans. You buy ten bottles of THS wine, you’ve basically gone and fished out a hundred plastic bottles.

How cool is that?

Both organizations believe in “making a tangible difference through customer involvement.” They’re also very distinctly water-themed. When you buy a bottle from The Hidden Sea, you’re supporting ReSea’s vision for a cleaner, clearer, and plastic-free waters.

 

 

Goodwill Wine

Goodwill Wine was built on $15,000 in donations and a promise (from founder David Laity) to pay it all forward.
Ten years later, Goodwill Wine has given back over $350,000 to various charities, causes, and not-for-profits. Just by donating 50% of every sale they make, Goodwill Wine has managed to:

· Provide over 180,000 meals for the impoverished
· Save 12 whales (by paying to fuel Sea Shepherd’s Southern Ocean campaigns)
· Fund four (4) International Animal Cruelty Investigations for Animals Australia
· Help re-home 47 orang-utans

… just to name a few things.

By selling high-quality wine at below cellar-door prices, Goodwill Wine has managed to build a loyal base of passionate, returning customers who – as their tagline puts it – drink their way to a better world. Together, Goodwill Wine aims to donate more than one million dollars to charity.

Want to make a difference just by enjoying some fine wine? Then check out Goodwill Wine’s awesome selection. Whatever you buy, 50% of your money goes one of the many, many charities the company supports.

Care for the critters? They work with initiatives like 2nd Chance Cat Rescue, Adoptable Pet Rescue, and Action for Dolphins.

More of a health care advocate? Goodwill Wines supports some incredible NPOs like Down Syndrome Victoria and Operation Smile Australia.

What about arts and culture?

They’re way ahead of you.

Goodwill Wine has already worked with HRAFF (Human Rights Arts & Film Festival), Tall Poppies Foundation Limited, and The Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives.

If all that name dropping wasn’t enough to assure you that every Goodwill Wine bottle you buy goes to a worthy cause, I don’t know what else to tell you.

 

 

Cake Wines

Cake Wines is a contemporary winery based in the Adelaide Hills and Redfern.

Theirs is a growing team of young, earnest winemakers and young wine lovers who share a collective love for food, drink, and creative culture.

They also have a shared investment in making the world a better, more interesting place – where “ideas are everything” and “there’s no time to rest.”

 

That kind of communal thinking paired with their innate appreciation for the world and culture of wine has resulted in some pretty impressive alcoholic creations – all of which meet their standards of quality, creative, expressive, and unforgettable.

For a relatively new company though, Cake Wines has a decent-sized stack of projects tucked beneath their belt. Aside from the fact that they donate 10% of their proceeds to independent radio stations around Australia – as a form of support for ideas, communication, and free speech – Cake Wines has been hosting community events since 2016.

They opened Sydney’s first winery cellar door in Redfern and have kept said doors open for tastings, food + wine events, gigs, talks, exhibitions, film screenings, and other such cultural experiences.

Here’s a brief list of what they’ve done so far:

· Cake Wines Community Feast: a series of lunch and dinners located in some of the country’s best community gardens and produce hubs. Cake Wines collaborated with different chefs to create a bespoke menu to match different Cake wines. Guests also got to talk to representatives of the gardens to hear crop insights and gardening tips.

· The School of Wine: a high-brow/low-brow educational course for people who want to know more about wine. Cake Wines opened the event to anyone and everyone up for a nice glass of wine in great company.

· Vivid Sydney Cellar Door Program: a collaboration of Cake Wines with Vivid Sydney, where diverse musical acts from all over the country got to showcase their art. Classical, jazz, deep techno, EDM … it was a full sensory experience, celebrating the best of record label music with food, lights, and – of course – wine.

 

If you visit the Things We Do portion of their website, you’ll find a lot more of what Cake Wines has managed to accomplish in the past five years. If you are all for supporting local businesses that support local arts, craft, and culture, then grab a Cake Wines bottle. Heck, grab a whole case!

If you must have your glass of red or white, why not buy a bottle of bubbly from someone who actually gives a damn (about the planet)?

The best part of buying from these three? You can totally toast yourself for supporting a good cause. Alcoholic indulgence never tasted so good.