Well, friends, our Lenten festival of self-denial is finally coming to a close. Time to get back to some healthy self-indulgence.
Healthy? How so, you may ask.
How about, by knocking back a few glasses, scarfing down some good chow and dancing to great music, you could improve the lives and lots of African farmers by changing the face of African viticulture?
For over 350 years, viticulture and winemaking has thrived in South Africa. For much too long, that was possible through forced labor. But even with the societal changes of the last century, winemaking is still a white man's game. Less than one percent of wine producing companies and viticultural lands are owned by black Africans.
In 2008, Stephen Satterfield and P.J. Bullock founded the International Society of Africans in Wine (ISAW) to help change that.
From their "About Us" page:
The ISAW Foundation is a US-based 501c3 charity. ISAW partners with black-owned and socially progressive vineyards in Africa to support the socioeconomic development of African farmers and their communities. The focus is to bring awareness and assistance to transformative social projects within the South African wine industry. The ISAW Foundation is an advocate for using wine to improve the lives of historically disenfranchised Africans.
So how can you help? And where does all the eating and drinking and dancing come in?
The ISAW is putting on a Drink Well, Do Good tour of 15 North American cities, featuring fine wines, great food, fabulous art and music, all to benefit the organization and its goal of opening more opportunities for heretofore shut-out Africans in the wine-producing industry. Starting this week in New Orleans, the tour will showcase premiere African wine, art, food and music. From here, the tour will continue through Austin, L.A., San Francisco, Eugene, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Chicago, New York, Detroit, D.C., Atlanta, Boston and St. Paul.
While GF and I are pretty squeaky right now, we will be attending the New Orleans stop to aid this fine organization and help foster greater equality in the booming African wine industry.
Okay, I'll admit, the booze and music helped seal the deal. I'm a sucker for kora bands.
UPDATE: Note to self: do not publish diaries when stories entitled "Please Spank Me" appear on front page.