Sydney-based wine startup Little Ripples partners Pernod Ricard Winemakers this World Water Day for an initiative to provide clean drinking water to millions in Africa.
Jesus turned water into wine. But one socially-responsible Australian wine startup is looking to do the exact opposite by turning wine into water.
Well, not exactly. Sydney-based Little Ripples has a mission to help provide clean drinking water to a thirsty world, and to mark World Water Day this year it has partnered premium wine company Pernod Ricard Winemakers and major retailers worldwide for a global initiative that hopes to see some five million people get access to clean drinking water over the next five years.
The idea is simple: every bottle of Little Ripples wine sold gives access to clean water to one person in need for one year. So the more wine you drink, the more clean water Little Ripples gets to provide.
Hence, turning wine into water.
Together with its charity partner, The BridgIT Water Foundation, Little Ripples identifies the communities most in need, facilitates the construction or repair of a water well, and implements a strategy to maintain and manage the well for at least ten years. Since its launch in 2019, purchases of Little Ripples have already enabled the construction of nine water wells that are currently providing the equivalent of 115,000 people with one year of clean drinking water in Africa. But the tie-up with Pernod Ricard Winemakers will accelerate the process, and help expand the clean water initiative into India and Southeast Asia.
Production of Little Ripples’ wine will take place in Barossa Valley, South Australia.
Confirmed participating retailers across the world include Maritime and Mercantile International (MMI), part of Emirates Group, International Diplomatic Supplies (IDS) in Dubai, and Cold Storage/Dairy Farm Group in Singapore. The company is also currently in talks with major retailers in the UK, Hong Kong, New Zealand, USA, and Australia.
With such support, Dustin Leonard, Founder and CEO of Little Ripples is hopeful the ambitious target is attainable. “Water is the most important element of life and clean running water is something we often take for granted in Australia. The fact that so many people around the world lack access to clean water is unthinkable,” Leonard decries.
“We are proud to be supporting Little Ripples on its mission to provide life changing access to clean and safe water to five million people in need,” says Brett McKinnon, Chief Operations Officer at Pernod Ricard Winemakers. “At Pernod Ricard Winemakers, sustainability sits at the heart of what we do, and we know that driving positive change is a truly collaborative effort.”
“We’re on a mission to save millions of lives. We’re grateful to be joining forces with Pernod Ricard Winemakers and many other global brands to turn this vision into a reality and we hope this initiative will inspire others,” Leonard concludes.
So the next time you drop into Cold Storage or CS Fresh, be on a lookout for a bottle or two of Little Ripples. You can also provide a miracle for someone.
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