Wine Industry Council outlines achievements
and plans 17 October 2007

Dry but important matters (including hopeful news for riesling lovers),
outlined by Kader Asmal

A recent board meeting of the South African Wine Industry Council (the government-recognised body intended as the strategic leader of the wine industry) heard of its achievements in the last year. Chairperson Kader Asmal (right) was upbeat about those achievements and of the body’s role in ‘ensuring regular dialogue with the leaders in the industry on wide ranging topics including competitiveness, trade, GMOs, empowerment and social responsibilities, the operational spending of the industry levies and the tasks of the four industry business units’.

According to a press release, the following were among the successes he listed and forthcoming matters of importance:

• ‘The SA Wine Council’s recent workshop on social responsibility in the wine industry resulted in the industry’s commitment towards making a submission to the Human Rights Commission [on] farm conditions in the wine industry in the near future’, said Asmal.

• The Minister of Science and Technology has agreed to meet a delegation of the Council to discuss the future funding of research and technology development in the wine industry.

• Without going into details (could it include the matter of the stalled moneys promised by Europe in exchange for phasing out ‘port’, ‘sherry’, etc?) Asmal said that: “A meeting to discuss wine trade issues with the South African Chief Negotiator at the European Union has also been finalised. Both these meetings could have far-reaching effects on the wine industry….’

• The Wine Council has agreed to cooperate on a request by the South African Tourism Industry Association on matters related to wine tourism and empowerment. Its chairperson spoke of the Council’s commitment ‘to ensuring the South African wine industry benefits from the huge potential locked in tourism…. Now that we have the acceptance from SATIA, we hope to really allow the industry to benefit from its tourism potential, as well as creating a level of excellence to rival any wine-producing country in the world.’

• The University of Stellenbosch is to establish a Centre for Wine Product Development and Marketing, supported by the Council: ‘Together with the University and industry role-players, the SA Wine Council is driving a process whereby a centre committed to wine product development and marketing will be established for the local wine industry. The framework for the centre’s functions has been approved, and together with all the interest groups we are seeking a way to fund this institution. With its importance and viability being non-negotiable, we are confident that willing funders will step to the fore.’

• The Board has also accepted a proposal to introduce a ‘Wine Industry Fore-sight and Business Intelligence Service’ to assist role-players with improved knowledge on market and price trends.

Also reported on were the banning of the papsak as a wine container, and the drafting and approval of the Wine Industry Transformation Charter by all stakeholders and the Charter being delivered to the Ministers of Agriculture and Land Affairs and Trade and Industry.

Intriguingly (as reported on in advance by the Widow on this website) Kader Asmal seems to be taking seriously – and bravely risking the irrritation of Distell – the oft-repeated demand by local producers of riesling that this name should not be, in South Africa, restricted to synonymity with crouchen blanc, while riesling has to be prefixed with ‘Weisser’ or ‘Rhine’. Apparently the Council ’has referred the use of the name “Riesling” to the Wine and Spirit Board for clarification’. Not the greatest of the tasks on the Council’s agenda but one which perhaps testifies to a renewed element of dynamism and commitment to quality.