US-based hotels and resort group, Hilton, has launched the ‘Wild Spirit Wines of Africa’ Beverage Conservation programme.
It is presented in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in South Africa, and beverage distribution company, Under the Influence. Guests can enjoy conservation-friendly beverages from numerous South African wine farms and spirit distilleries at eleven participating Hilton hotels across Africa and the Indian Ocean (A&IO).
The initiative was born out of Hilton’s ‘Big Five’ commitment launched in 2018, to drive sustainable travel and tourism in Africa. The ‘Big Five’ programme supports the implementation of Youth Opportunity, Water Stewardship, Anti-Human Trafficking, Local Sourcing and Protecting Wildlife on the continent.
The ‘Wild Spirit Wines of Africa’ programme focuses on driving three pivotal elements from the ‘Big Five’ – Local Sourcing, Water Stewardship and Protecting Wildlife.
“South Africa is known for its awe-inspiring wildlife, biodiversity, and magnificent winelands and distilleries that all contribute to the country’s vibrant tourism sector,” said Jan Van Der Putten, Vice President Operations, A&IO, Hilton.
“We are proud of our partnership with the WWF South Africa and Under the Influence in support of our commitment to drive responsible travel globally while creating a positive environmental and social impact across our communities, operations and supply chain.”
Shelly Fuller, Programme Manager of Sustainable Fruit & Wine Projects at WWF South Africa said: “We are proud to see that Hilton has continued to walk-the-talk with the launch of its 'Wild Spirit Wines of Africa' Beverage Conservation initiative. The selected wine estates are members of WWF’s Conservation Champions, which is a voluntary membership-based initiative for environmentally responsible wine farms in the Western Cape, and we are excited to showcase these businesses across all Hilton’s participating A&IO hotels.”
Why were these businesses chosen?
The selected wine farms and spirit distilleries champion biodynamic and regenerative farming practices, environmental conservation, and protection of water catchment areas that meet the global best standards in sustainable travel and tourism.
Fuller highlighted that these farms and distilleries were also chosen because of their unique history of winemaking, inclusivity, protection of the natural environment and the efficient use of technology to ensure the long-term sustainability of these invaluable lands. The farms include, among others, Bosman Family Vineyards, Vondeling Wines, Klein Constantia Estate, Paul Cluver Estate, and Cederberg Wines.
The wine farms also have their own community projects. For example, for every bottle of Bosman wine sold, 2% of sales go to the Bosman Adama Community Projects, a communal fund that improves the social, economic, and environmental conditions of their local community.
Through Klein Constantia’s plant improvement facility, the farm propagates new, healthy vines while cutting nursery supplies. It has developed extensive soil erosion plans, with a special focus on sustainable viticultural practices powered by solar energy, and has recently signed a five-year conservation stewardship agreement to formally protect its mountain slopes over and above its commitment to being part of the WWF Conservation Champions programme.
Allister Kreft, CEO of Under the Influence, said: “In our quest to deliver exceptional experiences for our clients and partner hotels, securing the best local product is quintessential to our business. As a trusted beverage distribution partner, we are proud to be affiliated to this remarkable initiative because good winemaking depends on a healthy environment, and it benefits everyone when nature is protected.”
