written by John Kroeger, all-around Littleton Co-op employee
Food for Thought is a new online space by the Littleton Food Co-op for Co-op staff, members, and partners to publish musings & reflections on what they care about.
Have you ever heard of La Riojana? La Riojana is Argentina’s largest wine cooperative, with a family of 500 dedicated growers. It’s also the third largest wine exporter (by volume) in Argentina. La Riojana has an annual production of close to 450 million litres a year.
The history of La Riojana goes back to the 1940s. Ancestors from Italy were wine growers. When they first came to La Rioja in North Argentina, they decided to come together to make wine.
Starting out as a small bodega (store), they bought grapes to turn to wine. Over time, the families finally started planting their own grapes. From then on La Riojana grew and grew.
La Riojana is a co-op that not only produces wine, but also produces organic and Fairtrade-certified olive oil. The olives are hand picked and cold-pressed to preserve their natural flavors and nutrients. It’s a high quality product!
I think the best part of La Riojana is that they give back to their community. They help provide clean running water, construction of schools, and health centres to improve quality of life for the surrounding areas.
Littleton Co-op is very happy to have La Riojana onboard and support this wonderful coop in Argentina!
“At La Riojana Cooperative, every wine tells a story of community, sustainability, and fair work.
From our high-altitude vineyards, we craft Fairtrade wines that share with the world the authentic taste of La Rioja, and the dedication of the people who make it possible.” (La Riojana)
The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the view of Littleton Food Co-op.
