Elke spreads pleasure of SA wine in Denmark
2005-07-07
PAARLITE Elke van Zyl did not have to be asked twice to go to Denmark to work with wine.
Last year, she met Danish discount giant Fakta’s CEO Claus Jensen and wine manager Henrik Lind while working at Simonsvlei winery in Paarl. When they invited her to come and work at their store Fakta as a trainee, she grabbed the chance.
She originally trained as interior designer - but exporting wine is more fun, she says. Elke (29) had close connections to Scandinavia beforehand, being responsible for sales and logistics for that part of the world at Simonsvlei, but she wanted to get even closer to these markets – by being there.
She had her chance, when Jensen and Lind visited the winery – a main supplier of wine to Fakta - at the beginning of the year. Wines from Simonsvlei are traded in all Fakta’s 320 stores around Denmark.
“We discussed the possibilities and they finally offered me a job as trainee in Fakta’s wine department,” says Elke.
Elke finds the Danes to be friendly and professional people who have adopted the concept “work smarter, not harder”.
“I’m doing the same work in Denmark as at home, logistics and marketing, but this time I am getting to see the market Simonsvlei is targeting, from the other end.”
In Fakta’s wine cellar, she has introduced two new brands from Simonsvlei on their way to the Danish market.
“I try to figure out the Danes’ taste in wines and how we can improve sales. I think this opportunity unitl November is great and I want to
take advantage of it.”
More
News
|
