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text and pictures: Wanda Augustyn
The three day event took the form of 163 stands - all visually reinforcing the same identity - wine workshops, as well as seminars on topical issues such as transformation in the industry, food and wine pairing and hotly debated wine styles like red blends, Pinotage, Shiraz, Chenin Blanc. A comprehensive accompanying programme of functions at wine cellars and tourist venues was arranged. The general feel was unmistakably Africa, emphasised by the brightly coloured beaded name cards worn by all attendees. This African feel was echoed by Paul Cluver, chairman of Wines of South Africa (WOSA), in his opening address, welcoming the international wine people to our "Imbizo of wines". Imbizo meaning a gathering of people to discuss and celebrate. Altogether 175 producers - in fact, everyone who's an important player in today's export game - were there, putting their best foot, and wares, forward for the almost 500 foreign visitors (buyers and media) and 150 local visitors. And, while the proof of the pudding will remain in the eating, in other words the ensuing wine business and publicity for Cape wines once these visitors are back at their normal business, the comments from all sides were largely positive.
Said Grant Smith, vice-president: marketing of Liquor Depot, Canada, "This is really something extraordinary. The most professional and cleanest exhibition that I have attended. And the fact that you get a clean glass at every stand is something that rarely happens at this type of exhibition. The catalogue was also the most comprehensive I've ever seen." The organising over the three days went smoothly. Everything happened on time and this did not pass unnoticed. "The general organisation was much better this year," commented Patrick Halliday, director of Raison Social in the UK, here for his second time. "The quality of attendance and the potential purchaser was much better this year." The first exhibition drew 120 exhibitors and 150 foreign visitors. "In 2000, 80% of delegates' travel costs were paid for by the Government's Department of Trade and Industries, but this year the stature of the exhibition and South Africa's wine industry has prompted delegates to come of their own accord (only 8% was paid for this year)," said Su Birch, CEO of WOSA. "I believe that Cape Wine 2002 created the platform from which wineries could personalise their individual marketing efforts," says Su. And collectively they express the core of the exhibition - unity in diversity ? actually of South Africa as a whole. "The right marketing and promotion prior to the event was vital and producers were involved in the whole process. The initial cost of R10 000 for exhibition space was reduced to R5 000 in order to promote the incentive scheme whereby producers were urged to fly key buyers out on a DTI subsidised scheme. "We involved the producers from the onset and gave them responsibility to add value to the event with their individual events, flying buyers out etc." Two letters were sent out globally, an informative website was developed and registration took place on-line. WOSA's overseas offices also did a lot of groundwork. And this paid off, with buyers including Makro, Safeway, Morrisons, Odd Bins and First Quench attending. Foreign visitors came from 31 countries, including the USA, Canada, the UK, Holland, Germany, Scandinavia, Malaysia, India and Japan. These visitors included representatives from the likes of Disney Inc and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, the largest single buyer of wines in the world that runs a chain of over 600 stores. Prominent international media represented include the New York Times, the UK's Daily Telegraph, Wine Spectator, Decanter, Harpers and Wine & Spirit Gazette. CW2002 kicked off with a seminar entitled "Looking ahead", presented in Nederburg's Red Wine Cellar - where in contrast to the warm, glorious sunny weather outside, delegates were shivering under the temperature-controlled conditions, to the extent that blankets were made available during later seminars. Speakers like Dennis Dykes (Nedcor), Nosey Pieterse (BAWSI), Prof Philip Spies (Vision 2020), Su Birch (WOSA) and Neil Pendock (Sunday Times) lured 60 visitors to the fist seminar, making this together with the seminar on the biodiversity of SA terroir, the best attended seminar at the exhibition. The other seminars were also a resounding success. "Overall the seminars were oversubscribed and we had roughly 340 people attending the nine different seminars," said Su. The wines were received extremely positively with a huge buzz about Sauvignon Blanc. "People in the UK know they can get good quality products from South Africa and they also realise the quality-value ratio," said Patrick Halliday (Raison Social). Claudius Fehr, manager: purchasing, from Vintages Fine Wine & Premium Spirits, one of the biggest buyers of wines in Canada, agreed by saying that overall the wines were impressive. "The wines are much more fruit-driven, but you should be careful not to go overboard with this. The wines may become too fruity, too clean and too simple. The price points are also very attractive." Rory Callahan, wine marketing specialist and agent for WOSA in New York, believes that SA wines made a significant impact on the US delegates. "They have been surprised to discover the quality of wines from so many producers. This will definitely translate into wine orders and growth in wine tourism." Another point of interest raised by Callahan, was the approach of this exhibition on a more personal level. "What sets this trade show apart from the many others worldwide, is the high level of involvement by winemakers and winery owners who have been able to engage with delegates. It's a refreshing change, reflecting a lively sense of passion about winemaking." But with the good also came some bad. A problem experienced by many visitors, especially from cold countries, as well as exhibitors, was the heat. As one buyer from Canada stated, "After two-thirty in the afternoon all the reds were too hot to taste." Unfortunately, WOSA's budget did not allow installing air-conditioning this year (at R15 000 a day). "We are looking at alternative venues for 2004 however, which would offer a more professional environment on different levels of the show," explained Su. Some producers felt that the event should take place later in the year to avoid tank samples being tasted. When asked why CW2002 is taking place this time of year, Su replied, "We need the vineyards and winelands in general to be picturesque while the visitors are here. September is too late for the international buyers (too close to December), so we need it to be between October and April. January to March is harvest time, so we decided upon April for two reasons: It is logistically and financially more viable to link the event to the Nederburg Auction activities and 27 years' of Auction crew experience and stats showed us that this particular week would be good weather-wise." With the London Wine Trade Fair in May, most producers want to be there and some felt that WOSA should support that effort financially, rather than spend lots of money just before the Fair and consequently not attracting that amount of potential buyers and marketers. Su explains again, "The delegates' experience is not the same in London. While hosting them in our winelands, the conversion is much easier and the impact more powerful. A marketing Rand spent here takes you much further than the same Rand spent abroad. Generally, the USA and the Japanese also do not attend the LIWTF and WOSA, the DTI and TISA actually do subsidise the National Pavilion in London." Some smaller producers felt a lack of organised exposure (wine tastings of the small or new producers' wines), but Su says repeated invitations were sent out to producers to supply them with information which would maximise their exposure by means of tours to their estates/ areas, helicopter trips, etc. According to her, WOSA had very little response and they had to go out to the different areas and physically promote the concept. "It boils down to reading the periodicals and newsletters we send out on a regular basis. To address exactly this particular issue, we invited producers to send us new and interesting news to be compiled in a press release to be included with the press packs. We had six responses first time round and a further four, after urging the industry again in a newsletter. This from a possible 300 producers!" After just the second year, WOSA and Cape Wine are well on its way to even bigger successes. "To maintain the momentum of this year we will do on-going marketing and attend international shows. A video was made on-site of the CW2002 activities, regional visits and interviews with key figures and will be released soon. A CD with 150 pictures of the show, covering most activities will also be available," concluded Su. |
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The largest single contingent of international wine buyers and journalists ever to visit the Cape, recently flocked to Nederburg for the bi ennial trade exhibition of local wines, Cape Wine 2002. Hosted by Wines of South Africa, it is one of the driving forces of Brand South Africa.
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