The flavourants scandal: was Grape defamatory? 15 February 2006

A statement by KWV’s Sterik de Wet

Readers will remember the so-called ‘flavourants scandal’, in which two KWV winemakers were found to have illegally adulterated sauvignon blancs. In May 2005, in the belief that the matter was of great importance to the South African wine industry, Grape published an article discussing aspects of it: notably the roles and responsibilities within KWV of its chief winemaker, Mr Sterik de Wet. (The article is available by clicking here .)

In January 2006 Grape and its editor, Tim James, were served with summonses alleging defamation and suing for damages of R250 000. We filed notice of our intention to defend the suit, believing that the article contained only newsworthy information and fair comment.

A well situated third person, on hearing of the defamation suit, offered to seek a negotiated alternative to court action, and we welcomed this. As a result of discussions with representatives of Mr de Wet, it was agreed that he would write a response to the article, which Grape would publish, with our brief preface relating the outlines of the dispute. Regular readers will know that we are always happy to publish any response to our articles; in this case, however, we offered to waive any right to reply to Mr de Wet’s statement.

In this way, we are happy to give readers the chance to decide for themselves whether or not the article is fair comment, or whether Mr de Wet is entitled to an apology from us.

(Please note, however, that the Grape website will not be publishing any reader comments on the matter.)

Mr de Wet’s statement:

Dear Mr James

Any industry that aims to improve its image and competitiveness can only benefit from a diversity of inputs and directives. Respected commentary from reputable wine writers can offer important perspectives for members of the industry to consider, and act upon. We do believe that the South African wine industry has gained much over the years from such commentaries.

Your article published on 27 May 2005, however, does not in any way offer a perspective that is of any use or benefit to any stakeholder in the industry. There is no constructive commentary – even should one consider an ironic and satirical reading of the story. Instead, the suggestions are degrading, disrespectful and are an insult to any respectable member of the industry.

Referring to the article, I am disappointed in the insinuations that my own integrity is questionable. Although I cannot profess to have perfect control of the entire winemaking process at a large winery, I do believe that I have established a culture of self management and commitment from my winemaking team. We believe in integrity, honesty and accountability. On top of this, we have a unique control system that enables us to trace back and identify any variances.

We try to make the best wines possible and are proud to be associated with the South African wine industry. As an industry and its wine writers, I believe we should stand together to constructively improve our image and market reputation. Your article does not in any way contribute towards these ideals.

I do not condone what was done by the two winemakers who confessed to their manipulation of some wines and I believe that the subsequent action taken against them was justified.

I do not wish to respond to your implied accusations in detail, as the entire matter has been dealt with to my satisfaction. To ensure transparency, a full report on the matter was submitted to the relevant industry leaders.

Your direct accusations against me are defamatory and beg your apology.

Best regards

Sterik de Wet