Co-op Builds on Fairtrade Leadership with Quality-Focused Wine Refresh

01 October 2026

Co-op announces first major refresh in recent years of its biggest selling Fairtrade wines, arriving in stores from this autumn.

The convenience retailer is marking the latest chapter in more than 20 years of its Fairtrade wine leadership with the roll out of new and improved labels on some of Co-op’s most popular lines, designed to better showcase the impact Fairtrade has on producer communities, and follows an extensive quality review across the range.

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14 wine lines have been redesigned, with many appearing in line with vintage changes, launching with Co-op’s Fairtrade South African Chenin and Fairtrade South African Shiraz from October.

Co-op was the first retailer to launch an own-brand fairly traded wine in 2001 and remains the UK’s largest seller for Fairtrade wine. Co-op sourced 15.3 million litres of wine on Fairtrade terms in 2025, equivalent to 20.4 million bottles, helping to generate more than £680,000 in Fairtrade Premium for wine producers to be used for social projects including educational programmes and sustainability initiatives.

Yseult Caroff-Richeux, Head of Commercial for Wines & Spirits, said: “Our Co-op Fairtrade wines are some of our biggest selling lines, and our shoppers share our passion for ethical sourcing. This refresh is designed to make this popular range even stronger – with months of careful review helping to deliver even better quality in the glass, as well as a fresh new look that brings the story behind each bottle to life, celebrating the real impact the Fairtrade Premium has on the wine-producing communities.”

Becky Milon, Head of Responsible Business - Retail, at Fairtrade Foundation, said: “Co-op's commitment to Fairtrade wine continues to showcase what is possible when retailers invest for the long term in both quality and producer livelihoods. Every Fairtrade bottle purchased supports wine growers in South Africa, Argentina, and Chile to invest in their communities and farms, from education and community services to sustainability initiatives. We're proud of our partnership with Co-op as it continues to support a fairer and more resilient wine sector.”

Other changes to the range this autumn include the expansion of Co-op’s premium own-label range, with two new lines – Irresistible Mosel Riesling and Irresistible Claret. Both are firsts for the retailer’s own-brand range.

The new wines tap into the premiumisation trend, with insight showing that a third of shoppers would now rather buy a better-quality drink to enjoy at home. Co-op expects this demand to continue into the Christmas period.

Caroff-Richeux continues: “This festive season, we expect shoppers to continue embracing a 'drink less, but better' mindset. While moderation remains an important trend, shoppers are also looking to trade up for special occasions, creating opportunities for premium wines such as our new Irresistible duo.”

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Notes to editors

About Co-op’s Fairtrade wine range

  • Co-op launched the UK's first own-brand fairly traded wine, Co-op Chilean Carmenère, in 2001
  • In 2004, that Carmenère became the world's first Fairtrade-certified wine.
  • In 2015, Co-op became the largest seller of Fairtrade wine in the world.
  • Co-op describes itself as the world's biggest seller of Fairtrade wine and the UK's leading grocery retailer for Fairtrade wine.
  • Co-op Fairtrade wine represented 79% of all Fairtrade wine volumes sold in the UK market in 2025.
  • Co-op's Fairtrade wine market share has increased by 23 percentage points since 2016.
  • Co-op sold 56 own-brand or exclusive Fairtrade wine SKUs in 2025, representing 41% of all Fairtrade wine SKUs sold in the UK market.
  • Through sales of Co-op own-brand and exclusive Fairtrade wines in 2025, wine producers earned approximately £680,392 in Fairtrade Premium.
  • Co-op sold 15.3 million litres of wine on Fairtrade terms in 2025, equivalent to 20.4 million bottles.