Photo courtesy of Wine2Water

Winemaking can be a water-intensive business. But while Canada is blessed with plenty of fresh water, many places in the world are not. That’s why Dawn and Doug Reimer, owners of Kelowna’s Mirabel Vineyards, founded Wine2Water this past July. This new initiative directs a little slice of a wine’s proceeds to clean water projects in developing countries

W2W has partnered with Acts of Water, a Canadian charity with 30 years of success bringing clean water to Africa. Participating wineries display the W2W logo on wine bottles or tasting samples for consumers to easily spot at shops, wineries and at events like this past August’s Pinot Noir Festival and Feast of Fields.

Dawn & Dour Reimer of Mirabel Vineyards. Photo courtesy of Wine2Water.

The remittance process to the charity is streamlined and simple. “We make it a no-brainer,” says Acts of Water CEO Jeff Golby. “Wineries can come on board at whatever giving level makes sense for them based on the product,” he says. For instance, if a winery directs 20 cents a bottle to W2W, the charity can raise $2—the magic number to provide clean water for one child for one year—with less than a case of wine sold.

The charity’s administrative work is funded by backers like the Reimers, so 100 per cent of the sales proceeds can go to charitable work. We’ll drink to that.

Vitis Magazine

Vitis is is an indispensable seasonal guide for vintners, sommeliers and weekend imbibers alike that is dedicated to British Columbia’s rapidly evolving wine culture.