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Of Kwaito & Cabernet
JEANINE WARDMAN was among a handful of recognised wine scribes who attended the second Soweto Wine Festival and relates here why it is the single-most exciting article she's written this year.
Awash in a sea of unimaginative media events and releases organised and issued by a largely stagnant wine communications industry, stumbling upon an original and worthy story is pure serendipitous delight! Realising I'm one of four recognised wine scribes there made it all the more fabulous! Of course, the irony is that the festival did not feature on many other gatekeepers' radars - and I'm not only referring to the wine media. Though the rumoured presence of Time and the Financial Times has yet to result in print at the time of writing this article, one can't help but be intrigued by such indifference. So, to those who weren't there - media and producers alike: It was phat, bru! The venue was a non-descript gym hall of the University of Johannesburg in which 104 producers exhibited - up 22 from 2005, of which three were leading brandy producers. Certainly a far cry from the fanfare of Wines of South Africa's international showcases or the sleek sophistication of a WineX. Perhaps this lack of trimmings is the festival's very appeal - in more ways than one. Perhaps that's the very reason it was an absolute jol. Soweto struck me as a place where having a good time is somewhat of an art form. And how inspiring to observe the fun being had with wine glasses in hand! Before long people were gravitating to the kwaito blaring from big black speakers and swaying their hips with a primal rhythm us pale South Africans can only ever but be in awe of. Yes, most festival-goers guzzled as opposed to spitting and yes, dry wines were often met with a smack of twisted lips and "Eish, that's sour! Do you have something sweet?" Losses were had through wine theft and an electricity cut, and food was scarce and a tad insipid. But upon hearing of some producers' - two to be exact - discontent with the event, claiming it was a "booze-up" with no brand-building opportunities, I felt like asking "As opposed to other wine festivals?" And then later, when the full force of their ignorance had sunk in, "What did you expect?!" It has to be said that the comments, in both instances, came from producers who had sent junior marketing (tasting room?) staff to represent them. This was in stark contrast to what has to be the wine industry's celebrity sighting of the year: big kahunas Jean Engelbrecht and Hannes Myburgh behind the Engelbrecht-Els and Meerlust tables respectively. The last word goes to Pieter du Toit from Cederberg whose second festival it was: "An opportunity like this is all about attitude. Folded arms and a tentative grin with a pastel pakkie is just not gonna cut it." For Cederberg the Soweto Wine Festival works because of the effort the marketing team puts in preparing and following up, with the input and help of their Gauteng agent. "Soweto is a market for us, just like Germany and Sweden are. We take the Cederberg proposition to this market - our story and authenticity. Yes, it is a long-term investment but at least five people came up to our stand and said, "You were here last year". Of course activity is needed throughout the year as well, not just at the time of the festival." Support for the festival by the industry's big guns - most notably Distell, KWV and DGB - was heartening, as was the demographic representation of their personnel. Does being black help narrow the cultural divide between wine producers and festival-goers? Absolutely so, Raphael Kumalo from DGB's The Saints range told me; as did Vivian Kleynhans from Mia Cara and chairperson of the South African Black Vintners Alliance (SABVA), whose members were there in full force. "I think the battle is half won when two black people interact across a festival table. Festival-goers felt at ease in telling me they're actually beer drinkers and don't know anything about wine. The Soweto Wine Festival is a platform for SABVA and one we'll definitely be supporting in future. The reception in Soweto has been warm and as far as I'm concerned the target market was there." This year's festival included brandy producers Distell, KWV and Martell - a bone of contention among wine producers, with sentiments split in the middle. Think lithe, contoured bar counters, plush leather couches and glass-and-chrome coffee tables - a contrast to wine producers' aesthetics about as loud and painful as a Mandoza concert under the camphors at Vergelegen would be. If it were my festival, the brandy boys' bash would be a permanent feature, albeit on conditions. KWV's festival presence, for instance, was an integrated whole - wine and brandy displayed and offered next to one another. A disservice to one's palate, sure, but beggars can't be choosers and brandy has toiled in the local market decades more than wine has. Why not use brandy's popularity and its natural affinity with wine in terms of origin to our advantage?
Bad news for producers still checking out the proverbial (and Afrikaans) cat out of the tree named sloer (procrastination), and hoping to jump on the elusive bandwagon that is a local generic campaign, is that Wines of South Africa (Wosa) and its funders, the South African Wine Industry Trust (Sawit), are "still finalising the objectives and funding levels" of said campaign. Su Birch revealed recently, "Wosa's first project would be to buy a stack of market research and make this available to wine producers. This should enable the industry to develop brands that will connect with the consumer. There will be no promotional activity, at least not in year one." And even if and when funds for promotional spend are forthcoming, Birch believes it may be better spent on subtle strategies such as product placement than full-on wine education, though wine and jazz and wine and kwaito festivals could be on the cards. Birch remains optimistic, though. "I'm anxious to see the actual figures," she says, "but have a hunch the local market for premium wine is in fact growing, especially among black South Africans. I think it would be wise not to peg all our expectations on a generic campaign. Generic activity in general has limitations and I believe its biggest contribution in this instance would be research. The answer is brands, brands, brands." Meanwhile, Marilyn Cooper CWM, managing director of the Cape Wine Academy and co-organiser of the festival with three partners, is stoic in her resolve: "We had Sawit as a sponsor in 2005, but this year were left to our own devices. We lost money, but are determined to carry on. The posters alone cost us R120 000 and another major expense for hosting the kind of event in Soweto is security. I do believe the neutrality of the Cape Wine Academy is a positive force in the future of the festival." As for the author, my accommodation for the 2007 Soweto Wine Festival is confirmed; this time, in Soweto as opposed to Sandton. The outing broadened my horizons and I found the Sowetans approachable, uncomplicated and genuinely happy in a way white suburban dwellers simply aren't. Their unpretentiousness was an inspiration as was their eagerness to learn about wine. Perhaps my most profound observation in the context of wine would be this: All they want is a Good Time. *Jeanine Wardman is editor of winenews.co.za, the news environment within the Wine.co.za information portal.
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Top: "The target market was there," says Vivienne Kleynhans of Mia Cara Wines and chairperson of the Black Vintners' Alliance.
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