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Great Wine Values: Goats Do Roam Red Blend

A red wine we can feel warm and fuzzy about without breaking the bank.

Shopping for products that are in line with our values or support good causes usually entails tolerating higher prices, whether that be for organic vegetables or fair-trade coffee. In the wine world, most wines retailing at or under $15 tend to be mass-market wines that are factory-farmed at maximum efficiency to keep prices competitive. But every now and then we come across a product that is both affordable and socially conscious, such as this delightful midweight red blend from South Africa. Goats Do Roam is a Rhone blend, made in the image of (and slyly named for) the famed French wines called "Côtes du Rhône" using such grapes as Shiraz, cinsault, Grenache and mourvèdre. Its screw-top bottle and rich flavors of cherries and curry spices make it perfect for backyards and barbecues. But what really makes the wine special is the values embodied by the Fairview Wine Farm. Fairview's founder Charles Back was an early adopter of both environmentally conscious vineyard management and socially conscious labor practices that empower African farm workers. Their decades of leadership in biodiversity and the protection of the Western Cape's native "fynbos" vegetation, not to mention their Fairtrade certification and commitment to supporting their local community, make this a red wine we can feel warm and fuzzy about without breaking the bank.

Goats Do Roam Red Blend, Western Cape, South Africa. $8.99 (regularly $10.99; sale price through July 29). PLCB Item #7826.

Also available at Canal's Bottlestop in Marlton ($6.09); Total Wine & More in Claymont, Del. ($9.29); Kreston Wine & Spirits in Wilmington ($10.99).