SA wines take the States by storm
2006-03-23
THE local wine industry is taking the competitive United States market by storm using innovative marketing strategies and hands-on promotion.
In a venture spearheaded by Fairview wine estate, a group of 16 American retailers, restaurateurs and sommeliers visited the Cape Winelands on a whirlwind tour this week to sample the best of the Cape.
The buyers were selected by the American importers Vineyard Brands, a company with an annual turn-over of US$75-million and 100 distributors countrywide.
The group spent a week visiting five of Vineyard Brands’ principal exporters, including Fairview, Rust en Vrede, Hamilton Russell, Neil Ellis and Ernie Els. According to David Bove, Vineyard Brands sales representative for Boston (Massachusetts), South African wines are currently hot in the American market.
“Our corporate philosophy is based on entrepreneurial selling and Fairview wines fit this profile perfectly. Obviously it helps when you have a passionate wine lover and South African such as Robin Back, cousin of Fairview owner Charles Back and marketing manager in the States, on hand.
“He is a superb ambassador for their product and South Africa in general which makes it much easier for us to promote wines from this country,” says Bove.
“South African wines are being recognised in the States for their superb quality and value for money. Good reviews in leading wine publications such as “The Wine Spectator” and “ Decanter”, add to positive awareness.
“Winemakers like Charles Back are expanding the wine horizons of American consumers through innovative marketing and excellent quality and I believe that wines from South Africa are poised for exploding onto the American market,” says Bove.
This confidence is backed by export figures that would cause a smile on any local winemaker’s face.
Since their initial agreement with Fairview in 2003, the demand has grown from 30 000 to 80 000 cases per year and Vineyard Brands are confident that the demand will double within the next twelve months.
Californian representative Marc Batlin maintains that the prominence of South Africa as a wine category is definitely on the rise in terms of consumer awareness.
“Currently you’ll find that wine shelves feature a category for South African wines, which was practically unheard of a couple of years ago.
“In the case of Fairview’s Goats do Roam range, you have a product that employs quirky and cheeky brand positioning to put them at the cusp of a developing market trend.
“By using their iconic goats on this range, they got running with a theme that captured consumers before the animal trend really took off.
“Americans are probably the quintessential consumers, so they’re always willing to try something new, but only quality will make them come back,” explains Batlin.
With wine consumption becoming a lifestyle trend and sign of accomplishment in the American market, South African wines are carving a nice niche in an extremely competitive market.
The Goats do Roam range is currently the top selling South African wines in the States with annual sales of over 1-million bottles.
Fairview has been co-hosting these introductory tours to South Africa for the past three years and turning American wine buyers into ambassadors for the country.
“During a trip like this, we not only expose the buyers to our wines, but also to the rich heritage of the country and its unsurpassed natural beauty.
“By introducing them to the country and getting them up close and personal with our wines, winemakers and vineyard, we equip them with first-hand knowledge about the product they’re selling. This gives us a distinctive edge,” said Robin Back.
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