High five time at Lord’s – and the South Africans are batting!

At the generic tasting of Cape wines at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London in October, Wines of South Africa (WOSA) held a seminar on What the future holds. Meryl Weaver was there and reports on some of the issues discussed.

The team that represented South Africa at Lord’s was a formidable one: from youngsters Bruce Jack and Marc Kent to stalwarts Beyers Truter, Michael Fridjhon and Simon Barlow. It was an encounter attended by the British wine trade, journalists, educators, agents, all eager for the contest.

Bruce Jack of Flagstone sketched the social, political and commercial context of the links between South Africa and Britain, the Cape’s largest wine export market and as important in terms of tourism. He went on to suggest that, although young South African winemakers are well travelled and have improved their winegrowing and winemaking skills, they all need to work on their international marketing experience. Further, he suggested that South Africa needs to make wine more efficiently, be more price-focused and add a ‘third dimension’ to marketing by conjuring up a distinct image of the country when people purchase and drink the wine.

This was an issue of shared concern – specifically the fact that Cape wine quality is better than its average £4.99 price point. Debate over prices continued during question time. Michael Fridjhon suggested that going for high-priced icon wines was not a good general strategy for South Africa and that moving the lower price points up in gradual increases, while increasing the volumes of these wines, was particularly important. The lack of credible wines in the £5-9 category would be better addressed when generic branding gains greater momentum and can deliver at these prices.

Simon Barlow showed that higher prices can be attained, citing his own Rustenberg Peter Barlow selling for £25. He spoke of the dynamic changes introduced to Rustenberg, in a strategy including education, replanting vineyards with imported virus-free material, rebuilding the winery and marketing. The importance of clean vine material and the negative role that the lack of it played in the past (‘the greatest retarding factor’) was picked up by Michael Fridjhon. The new Rustenberg vineyards, he pointed out, showed that unclean vine material and not vectors appear to be the major problem. South Africa needs to move to the position of being able to reject inferior fruit from virus-infected vines, to pressure on growers and improve quality.

Pinotage ... and food

Enter the King of pinotage. Beyers Truter wasted no time in extolling the virtues of pinotage as a unique selling point. Pinotage made with good balance (Truter here noted that intense vineyard experimentation had only been underway for the last eight years) has already proved its worth as a varietal wine – and in blends, while the healthy debate about a unique Cape Blend continues. Pinotage also ages well, said Truter, citing the Simonsig 1972, Swartland 1974 and the venerable 1968 Zonnebloem as examples. Asked about the grape’s acetone character, he emphasised the importance of balance and management of pinotage’s inherently high malic acid content. Lynne Sheriff also noted the important research done by the Pinotage Association to improve viti and vinicultural practices.

Marc Kent of Boekenhoutskloof donned his chef’s hat (you did need a hat at Lord’s – the sun appropriately beamed down all week!) to promote gastro-tourism. Statistics reveal that 42% of international tourists visit the winelands. Innovation now shown by chefs with local fare, region-specific wines emerging and the dynamic changes in the local wine environment, create even greater potential for tourism. Kent stressed the need for greater interaction between winemakers and chefs, the importance of wine and food pairing and the role and success of the restaurant/winery. People are now purchasing a ‘lifestyle experience’ rather than just a bottle of wine.

Past, present and future

Michael Fridjhon raised some of issues of shared concern, highlighted some successful distinguishing features of South Africa, and demonstrated how the benefit of historical challenges and experience can be used to help promote the country’s wines in the international world of wine. Positive points included:

Fridjhon’s views on the empowerment and labour issues were encouraging. No longer great millstones, they are now becoming a major point of difference with other new world wine producers. ‘Australia and California will have to address the same issues. The Aboriginal people, for example, have not been incorporated into Australian society.’ And California must confront the source of its labour and price of its wine. South Africa, through some painful lessons, is dealing constructively and consistently with such issues – although the pace of change is slow.

 The credible evidence presented by the South African team, the inherent quality of much of the wine at the Wosa Generic Wine Show at Lord’s and enthusiasm for what South Africa has to offer both the British wine buying public and tourists, seemed overwhelming. We all left the cricket grounds with the South African flag waving, and everyone from winemakers to marketing strategists in seriously upbeat and creative mood.