Hilton Reinforces Commitment to Sustainability and Local Craftsmanship with the Launch of Wild Spirit Wines of Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – Hilton (NYSE: HLT) announced today the launch of its ‘Wild Spirit Wines of Africa’ Beverage Conservation programme. In collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in South Africa and Under the Influence, guests can enjoy the best wines and spirits from prolific South African wine farms and spirit distilleries at eleven participating Hilton hotels across Africa and the Indian Ocean (A&IO).

The initiative was born out of Hilton’s ‘Big Five’ commitment launched in 2018, to drive sustainable travel and tourism in Africa. The ‘Big Five’ programme supports the implementation of Youth Opportunity, Water Stewardship, Anti-Human Trafficking, Local Sourcing and Protecting Wildlife on the continent. The ‘Wild Spirit Wines of Africa’ programme is focused on driving three pivotal elements from the ‘Big Five’ – Local Sourcing, Water Stewardship and Protecting Wildlife.

“South Africa is known for its awe-inspiring wildlife, biodiversity, and magnificent winelands and distilleries that all contribute to the country’s vibrant tourism sector,” said Jan Van Der Putten, vice president operations, A&IO, Hilton. “We are proud of our partnership with the WWF South Africa and Under the Influence, in support of our Travel with Purpose commitment to drive responsible travel globally, while creating a positive environmental and social impact across our communities, operations and supply chain. We look forward to offering our guests the best African wines and spirits in our hotels across the region”.  

The selected wine farms and spirit distilleries champion biodynamic and regenerative farming practices, environmental conservation, and protection of water catchment areas that meet the global best standards in sustainable travel and tourism.

Shelly Fuller, programme manager of Sustainable Fruit & Wine Projects at WWF South Africa, said, “We are proud to see that Hilton has continued to walk-the-talk with the launch of its 'Wild Spirit Wines of Africa' Beverage Conservation initiative. The selected wine estates are members of WWF’s Conservation Champions, which is a voluntary membership-based initiative for environmentally responsible wine farms in the Western Cape, South Africa, and we are excited to showcase these businesses across all Hilton’s participating A&IO hotels.”

The selected champion wine and spirit farms were chosen because of their unique storied history on winemaking, inclusivity, protection of the natural environment and the efficient use of technology to ensure the long-term sustainability of these invaluable lands. Some of the selected farms include –  Bosman Family Vineyards, Vondeling Wines, Klein Constantia Estate, Paul Cluver Estate, and Cederberg Wines.

For every bottle of Bosman wine sold, 2% of sales go to the Bosman Adama Community Projects- a communal fund that improves the social, economic, and environmental conditions of their local community. Through their plant improvement facility, they propagate new, healthy vines while cutting nursery supplies. Klein Constantia has developed extensive soil erosion plans, with a special focus on sustainable viticultural practices powered by solar energy and has recently signed a 5-year conservation stewardship agreement to formally protect their mountain slopes over and above their commitment to being part of the WWF Conservation Champions programme.

Allister Kreft, chief executive officer, Under the Influence, said, “In our quest to deliver exceptional experiences for our clients and partner hotels, securing the best local product is quintessential to our business. As a trusted beverage distribution partner, we are proud to be affiliated with this remarkable initiative because good winemaking depends on a healthy environment, and it benefits everyone when nature is protected. The purpose behind this campaign is one our business shares, which is to champion the people doing the right thing and making this industry sustainable.”

Guests can enjoy the 'Wild Spirit Wines of Africa' list at participating hotels and can speak to a member of the team at any one of the following hotels: Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch, Hilton Garden Inn Gaborone, Hilton Garden Inn Lusaka Society Business Park, Hilton Garden Inn Mbabane, Transcorp Hilton Abuja, Legend Hotel Lagos Airport, Curio Collection by Hilton, Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa, Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa, DoubleTree by Hilton Seychelles Allamanda Resort & Spa, Mango House Seychelles, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Addis Ababa, and Hilton Sandton.