Durbanville Hills, a South African winery that has made it a point to produce wines using sustainable systems and methods that cause minimum disruption to the environment, announced that it has partnered with the Raleigh, North Carolina-based non-profit organization Wine to Water. This aid group is focused on providing clean water to needy people around the world. Over 1 billion people in the world today lack access to adequate water and sanitation. Wine to Water believes that wine symbolizes good fortune. So why not give the fortunate populations of the world an opportunity to fight for those who can’t fight for themselves? Durbanville Hills was one of the first wineries to recover, treat and reuse ‘waste’ water at its winery. In cooperation with Wine to Water, the winery will launch a Canadian initiative that will see a portion of sales donated directly to the aid organization.

“We believe that Wine to Water is an important and worthy organization that tirelessly works to fight the epidemic of poorly sanitized water,” said Durbanville Hills Winemaker Martin Moore. “Recognizing the value in taking pressure off this precious resource, Durbanville Hills has strived to sustainably manage the production of our wines with special attention given to utilizing water that, without recovery and treatment back to irrigation quality, would otherwise be lost. We now look to raise awareness on a broader scale of water sustainability and the global community’s responsibility to have water, in its cleanest form, available for all.” Canadians, known the world over for being involved and socially conscious, are also wine enthusiasts.

“We are thrilled to welcome the financial contributions of both Canadians and our new partners at the Durbanville Hills winery,” said Doc Hendley, founder of Wine to Water. Since 2004, Hendley has traveled to Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Cambodia, Haiti, and South Africa working with local communities to build clean water wells and sanitation systems. “We know that Durbanville Hills, through their commitment to water and environmental sustainability, will work to increase awareness among Canadians of the important role they can play in providing clean water to those that need it most.”

If you’d like to do your part, pick up a bottle of Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc or Shiraz varietals between August 16th and October 10th, 2010. Of every bottle sold, one dollar will be donated directly to the Wine to Water organization. Or contact Wine to Water directly.