
#SAWineLockDown
The measures put in place by the South African government before entering the 21-day national lockdown has greatly impacted the wine industry with a ban of sales. Life as we all know it has changed dramatically.
But how will the wine industry survive this? How does one go about marketing something that’s prohibited from being purchased? These questions led four women in wine, namely Janet Rowsell, Elvina Snell Fortuin, Roxanne La Vita and Leanne Beattie, to come up with an interesting idea.
The dynamic foursome took it upon themselves to create an online initiative that was developed by wine lovers for wine lovers, shining a light on each varietal encouraging wine consumers and influencers to share their favourite varietals from various producers on each given day.
How does it work? Day 1 featured Sauvignon Blanc with those sharing their star favourites with the applicable #SAWineLockDown in order to keep the conversation going. Little to no stock of wine at home? No problem. It is encouraged to share past wine experiences, local or international, for all levels of consumers, beginner to advanced.
All opinions and experiences are welcomed in this open community. “Sharing your wine is one thing but getting everyone to share in a collaborated effort was actually quite easy.” Laughs Elvina from Through My Wine Glass, “The wine industry is such a close knit family, we quickly shared our idea with all our connections on Whatsapp and the idea just exploded!
What are the 21 Lockdown topics?
“Coming up with the topics was fun!” Says Leanne from The Wine Girl Cape Town, “We all just threw our ideas into a pot and allocated a day to each idea. We wanted some days to be easy and some days to be tough so wine lovers can see the gaps in their wine collection at home. I know I already have!”
- Friday, 27 March: Sauvignon Blanc
- Saturday 28 March: Chardonnay
- Sunday 29 March: Chenin Blanc
- Monday 30 March: Pinot Noir
- Tuesday 31 March: White Blends
- Wednesday 1 April: Wine Tasting 101
- Thursday 2 April: Dessert Wines
- Friday 3 April: Pinotage
- Saturday 4 April: Cabernet Sauvignon
- Sunday 5 April: Unusual Reds
- Monday 6 April: Red Blends we love
- Tuesday 7 April: Hidden Gems
- Wednesday 8 April: Food & Wine Pairing
- Thursday 9 April: Awarded Wines
- Friday 10 April: Bubbly
- Saturday 11 April: Thoughts on canned wine and alcohol free wine
- Sunday 12 April: Best Value Wines under R120
- Monday 13 April: Special Wines over R120
- Tuesday 14 April: Favourite Food & Wine Pairings
- Wednesday 15 April: Favourite Wine Farms
- Thursday 16 April: Fun Facts about Wine
“We also included educational topics,” added Janet Rowsell, “with the aim for the wine industry to share their knowledge with all South Africans. So you see, you won’t only come out of this lockdown with more wine brands to look out for, but definitely richer with more wine knowledge too!”

Leanne Beattie of The Wine Girl Cape Town, WSET level 4 student Janet Rowsell, Roxanne La Vita of The Witty Wine Woman and Elvina Snell-Fortuin of Through My Wine Glass got together to conceptualise the #SaWineLockdown initiative.
How can you get involved?
Joining in on the fun is easy. Simply find a wine in your house that supports the topic of the day. Post about it on social media using the hashtag #SaWineLockdown. You can also use the hashtag to see what others have shared. Imagine someone enjoying the same wine as you? It will be like you are enjoying it together – even though you are far away from each other. Then you can make a new friend! Technology connects us all in new ways through this fantastic initiative.
How will this help the wine industry you ask?
“Well once the 21 days are over, we would imagine that your wine supply will be low…and now you will have a shopping list of 21 wines or more as recommended by others near and far! So, if you have a 2009 vintage bottle of wine sitting around the house, now’s the time to enjoy it! Restock that same wine with a 2020 vintage and support the winery when they need it most.” Says Through My Wine Glass.
Give into FOMO and join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.