Who’s who and what’s what 31 July 2006

Angela Lloyd welcomes the latest guide to wine industry facts, figures and contacts

South African WIne Industry Directory 2006-2007.
Published by WIneLand. 580 pages.  R174 in South Africa. Available from Horizon Library Services (email: bookmark@bookpro.co.za) for, or via the WineLand website

The latest update of this annual directory landed on my desk with a louder than usual thud. Its dimensions and weight are indicative of an industry that, like alcohol levels, just doesn’t know where to stop.

This is soon going to cause the real problem with the Directory not being able to sustain its physical form. The present softcover requires some exertion on the page to make it stay open, a move that will eventually lead to the break-up of the spine. Spiral binding would solve this and make regular consultations with the information inside an easier task. It’s something the publisher might like to think about for next year’s edition.

But to the content. The increased size does of course point to a greater number of producers entering the market place and included under Wine Producers and Wineries. A quick comparison with the list of new entries due to appear in this year’s Platter Guide shows that not all are included here. As the principal source of comprehensive information on the South African wine industry, it’s a pity there isn’t a greater awareness from the producers’  side to the benefits of being listed in such a widely used reference book. By the same token, it could be the editor needs to be more proactive in searching out such newcomers. This is a minor quibble.

As an adjunct to this producer section,  cross reference contact lists for winemakers, assistant winemakers and viticulturists with their employers have been introduced. While this could save much time and frustration, I fear the musical chairs South African winemakers are disposed to indulge in will see the former two lists already out of date. Viticulturists are less nomadic. 

Should you wish to know where to start looking for finance that your property will doubtless gobble at a rate of knots, the Financing Forum will set you on the right path. Want to enter the hospitality industry, but don’t know who offers training courses? Excellers and the Institute of Culinary Arts have all the details. Or are you a concerned winelover, who wants to know about or be involved with alcohol abuse that is regrettably rife throughout the winelands? You’ll be able to find out more from the Dopstop Association, a non profit organisation that endeavours to create sustainable and healthy rural communities by addressing the legacy of the ‘dop’ (wine instead of wages) system, and Pebbles Project, a group presently functioning on donations alone, provides specialist education support for disadvantaged children, especially those affected by foetal alcohol spectrum disorder. All of these are new listings under the Organisations and Education Bodies, one of the most valuable reference sources (but it’s a pity details of the Graduate School of Business Marketing course have yet to be noted).

Two annoyances relate to the Cultivar section, where more emphasis could usefully be placed on outlining trends in styles against those where this is occurring. For instance, instead of telling us that 'Semillon used for the production of Sauternes wines [do they mean used for some local Noble Late Harvests?] creates a sophisticated image for the cultivar’, it would be more appropriate to note the increasing number of quality dry semillon/sauvignon blanc blends coming out of the Cape’s cooler regions. Observing that Cape Riesling is listed twice, once in more detail than the other, one has to say proofing generally could be carried out more assiduously.

The other annoyance relates to the major discrepancy between wine areas in the Wine of Origin scheme and how those regions are divided ‘for statistical purposes’. The anomaly is discussed in our review of the new Sawis 2006  booklet, which bases its statistics on these ‘regions’ which yoke together some very disparate places. These same Sawis statistics are published at the back of the Directory, while the map according to the Wine of Origin scheme, a more familiar picture of how the Cape’s winelands are divided, is found on pages 78 and 79.  This schizophrenic situation, while obviously not the fault of  this Directory, does no favours to it.

Nonetheless, the book is an increasingly valuable reference to anyone involved with, or even interested in, the South African wine industry.

COMMENT

From Romi Boom, Editor of the Directory for the fifth year – something we should have mentioned above:
The chapter on Wine Producers and Wineries was assiduously compiled, drawing on information available to Sawis, the Wine and Spirit Board, the co-ordinator of the SA National Wine Show Association and the various Wine Route Associations. We would be most appreciative of any suggestions regarding other avenues that might be pursued proactively in order to obtain new listings. Indeed, as you state, ‘it's a pity there isn't a greater awareness from the producers’  side to the benefits of being listed in such a widely used reference book.’

Angela Lloyd responds:
Might I suggest the editor also contacts WOSA (Wines of South Africa) – Cape Wine proved a good source of newcomers, some of whom are not in the Directory. Presumably this event was held prior to deadline. Of the 64 new names on the Platter list for this year alone (there are others from previous years coming on-line only now), only a handful feature in the Directory. Many of these approached the guide rather than the editor approaching them. As Platter is now very well known, it could be that the Directory has yet to reach the same level of recognition. In which case, it might be an idea if various widely-read media, both print and internet sites, were approached to insert a note regarding the Directory's deadline and that new wineries should submit their information before that date.