|
putting you in touch with the SA wine industry community
|
|
PREVIOUS WINELAND ARTICLES | WINELAND HOME
Millions Listen To Virginia Virginia Thebe of Gauteng believes information is power. In "busy months" about six million people listen to her radio talks on wine. "The more my listeners learn about the product, the bigger their respect for wine," says this woman who is passionate about wine education. She spoke to RIETTE RUST.
She is the only woman in Gauteng who focuses on the promotion of responsible wine consumption by means of radio talks. Her target market is largely black, the youth in particular. In certain months she has up to six million listeners! What is more, she gives talks at educational institutions where students aged 18 and older attend her lectures.
As far as the talks are concerned, Virginia targets educational bodies such as technikons. Her target market also includes those who serve wine in restaurants and pubs, be it part time or full time. The radio stations on which she broadcasts regularly, include Ligwalagwala FM with its 226 000 listeners, Motsweding FM (357 000 listeners); Lesedi FM (692 000 listeners) and Ukhozi FM (1 139 000 listeners). (These figures were established for the time slots in which she operates.)
Radio stations are especially keen to involve her in the festive season, at Christmas and New Year, and around Valentine's Day, when wine is likely to be served, she says.
Sometimes Virginia broadcasts weekly and at other times twice monthly. Then she converses in Zulu, Sotho or Tswana. She also speaks Xhosa, Pedi and English; moreover she understands Afrikaans well. "I grew up in Gauteng, more specifically Soweto, which is why I know so many languages," she says modestly.
About the fact that she was honoured for her contribution to wine education, Virginia says: "I am on cloud nine. Nowadays nobody notices the good work other people do. I am therefore surprised and excited."
Virginia says she has a social responsibility towards her community. She makes her audience and listeners aware that there is alcohol in wine - a fact many of them do not know. "When some men drink beer in the evenings after work, they give their wives wine. The wives often drink it on an empty stomach because they do not realise it contains alcohol," she says.
"I always tell them wine is something beautiful, but something which must be handled responsibly." Virginia teaches her audiences, inter alia, how to drink wine, how to serve it and that wine should go hand in hand with food. "They should know that wine must be consumed in moderation and that one does not drink it on an empty stomach."
Whereas in the past black people were not partial to wine, many of them now accept that it is a civilised drink which they may enjoy with food. Business people and members of the media often serve wine at their functions, she says. Negativity about wine has more or less disappeared. "In the beginning of the nineties, many black people were still uninformed about wine. They did not want to drink it and said wine gives headaches and causes illness such as arthritis. I teach them they will not get a headache if they use the product in moderation and do not mix it with other drinks."
Virginia says the transfer of information is very important. "As soon as my target market knows that wine is a natural product and also how it is made, they understand the product and how to use it, and their negativity disappears." She likes to teach them about various wine styles, such as sparkling wine and red wine; how each is made and with which foods these wines should be served.
"I tell them there are food and wine guidelines, but also repeat that the best wine on the market is the one which you enjoy most." Virginia says it is not her task to encourage people to drink more wine, but to get more people to drink wine.
Initially she herself was negative about wine. She experienced the ravages of alcohol abuse in her own sister's family. Virginia says her sister's children suffered terribly and for many years she helped educate them. "Today they are grown up and fortunately well-adjusted children." During this difficult period Virginia wanted to find out from the Roman Catholic Church how she should approach her sister's alcohol problem, but before she could do this properly, the Wine Foundation approached her and asked her to become involved in wine education. "At first I did not want to do it, but then I realised how valuable their work is." Today Virginia teaches others that wine may even be studied as an academic discipline!
Virginia says she is serious about her work. She sees herself as dedicated, disciplined and professional. And this is evident from her quick reaction to enquiries. She says she realises she is a role model and lives in such a way that others may look up to her. She plans to present a wine workshop in Nelspuit for about 500 of her listeners in the near future. "I hear these folks cannot wait to meet me, they know my voice and now want to see what their role model looks like."
Virginia's daughter, Carol, a catering manager, also attended the function at Laborie and says she is particularly proud of her mom. "My mother does important work to educate the youth so that eventually they will be able to make choices. If they do choose to drink wine, they should realise that moderation is important."
|
|
Visit our sister sites:
 2009/10 Directory Now Available! Facts, figures, contact details and much more...
|
Virginia Thebe, senior education officer of the Wine Foundation in Johannesburg, was recently honoured by the Cape Wine and Spirits Trust at Laborie Estate in Paarl for her role in wine education.
| UP |
COPYRIGHT (C) 2000 WineLand |