March 2010
EDITORIAL
Comfortable on average
We are slowly but surely recovering from the recession – that did not hit us nearly as badly as some major countries – and the wine industry is a star contributor to the country’s economy.
These are the good messages respectively from the recent VinPro Information Day and from the study of the South African Wine Industry’s Macro-economic Impact on the South African Economy.
The total turnover of wine alcohol products – which actually represents 31.7% by value of the total liquor industry (E Holtzkampf) – is up by 79%. This while that of the primary producers grew by 37% to R3.3 billion and the government’s income from excise duties and tax jumped by 71% to R3,5 billion in 2008.
The problem is that the government still does not seem to acknowledge the industry’s significance, let alone its contribution to employment, as well as economic and social stability in the Western Cape.
By the time this article appears, we would have learnt about the latest round of excise duty increases which would – whatever they turned out to be – perpetuate a milking cow approach without ‘listening’ and without giving much back.
Meanwhile, behind the positive messages and statistics, there are also the current realities. Keep in mind, as Prof Nick Vink of the University of Stellenbosch said when presenting the study report to the media, it could be argued ‘statistically’ that if you are lying with your feet in a refrigerator and your head in an oven, you are on average ‘comfortable’.
How comfortable we should be is the question. The study shows that the total turnover of wine alcohol products is up by 79% to R19,2 billion. And Vink explained – with reference to the demise of the papsak industry – that the growth has been “in the right areas”.
But, remember, the study covered the industry up to 2008 and since then we’ve had a decline in domestic wine sales. Figures presented by Elias Holtzkampf of Distell at the VinPro Information Day showed that total natural wine grew by only 0.1% in the year ending June 2008. By end June 2009 it had shrunk by 3.3% and the forecast for this year was a further 5% slump. In fact Medium Price wine and Perlé are the only growing categories on the domestic market – while packed exports are growing by 7%.
However, the Soccer World Cup is an unknown factor which could significantly change all this.
So, we can say that we are comfortable and for the time being put all our eggs in the soccer basket – or we can for once recognise the need for generic wine marketing on the local front.
Cassie
Van jou eie medisyne
Ek kon nie help om my stilweg te verlustig in die kritici wat hulle sterk uitgespreek het oor Frankryk se wynglips (of was dit ’n slim bemarkingsfoefie?) van onlangs nie. Om darem ’n Franse Sauvignon Blanc as Kiwi Cuvée te bemark is ... wel, arrogant?
Ons weet almal die Franse het ’n pynlik hoogmoedige houding ontwikkel oor hul ongeëwenaarde terroir, kultuur en etiketname. Toe ’n spesifieke Loire-produsent dus onlangs deur ’n Australiese geregshof oor die vingers getik is oor dié Kiwi-plesier, het die wêreldkoerante ’n fees gehad.
’n Dosis van hul eie medisyne”, het een geskryf, “’n vernederende slag vir Galliese trots”, het ’n ander gesê. En of dit nou gemaak is deur ’n Nieu-Seelandse wynmaker, is seker nie ter sake nie. Wat wel saak maak, is dat sommige Franse produsente se oë wel oopgegaan het vir die kompetisie van die Nuwe Wêreld-wynlande.
Hier’s ’n les in te leer. Met globale verkope van Nuwe Wêreld-wyne wat van 3% - 30% in 1990 - 2008 gegroei het, is dit sekerlik nie snaaks dat die Ou Wêreld-wynlande kennis hiervan neem nie. Met Suid-Afrikaanse wyne het dit net so goed gegaan. Totale supermarkverkope in die VK het verlede jaar in volume met 24% gegroei en in waarde met 23%. Lees meer hieroor op bladsy 27.
Met vonkelwyn deesdae die wynkategorie wat die vinnigste plaaslik groei (en Frankryk se Champagne wat ’n minder rooskleurige paadjie volg), kan plaaslike produsente, soos Boschendal – wat nou twee ernstige Cap Classique-wyne uitgereik het – sáám met ander produsente van dié borrelwyn glimlag. Edo vertel meer oor die 73 produsente wat sal sorg dat daar genoeg feesvierdrankies is tydens die Fifa Sokker Wêreldbeker.
Die nuwe sertifiseringseël, wat ook ’n wyn se IPW-status aandui, is ook binnekort op die winkelrakke te sien. Hierdie gekombineerde seël het voortgespruit uit ’n behoefte vanuit die bedryf om erkenning te gee aan produsente wat aan IPW (Geïntegreerde Produksie van Wyn) se vereistes voldoen.
Gesondheid dus, op SA se eie medisyne!
Wanda
