International guest speakers, Armin Göring and Robin Shaw will be amongst the esteemed line-up of speakers at this year’s annual South African Wine and Tourism Industry Conference. Taking place at the Vineyard Hotel on 21 & 22 July, the key focus will be information sharing, in particular the learning’s derived from the German wine industry during the 2006 FIFA World cup. Retired Director of the German Wine Institute, Armin Göring, was approached for his contribution to the success of the wine industry at the time of the 2006 FIFA world cup.

Strategies for success will be shared along with key learning’s taken from the experience. He will focus on his experience in dealing with FIFA, the benefits to the German wine industry, wine tourism opportunities and challenges as well as looking at long term benefits to the industry in general. Robin Shaw, Director Tourism & Business Services: Winemakers’ Federation of Australia, will provide an overview of Australia’s wine tourism strategy and share her experiences from this perspective.

A fertile forum for ideas exchange, the programme has one central goal: the improvement of hospitality within South Africa’s wine tourism industry. Local guest speakers include Alan Pick, founder and proprietor of the internationally renowned Butcher Shop & Grill; Bonita Malherbe, former CEO Robertson Wine Valley ; Itumeleng Pooe, Executive Manager at Cape Town Routes Unlimited; Jonathan Cherry, founder of Cherryflava, an innovative marketing production company; Ken Forrester, Ken Forrester Wines and Rob Stokes, Managing Director: Quirk E-marketing, amongst others. Guest speakers were selected by a panel of industry players who arrived at a full two-day schedule of the most topical areas of discussion. Guaranteed to live up to its bi-line, “Share, Innovate, Inspire”, some of the topics include: e-marketing and social networks – how to use the Internet to position your brand and product; The new Liquor Law – implications for the Wine Tourism industry; Wine and food – a perspective from the largest private buyer of red wine in South Africa; Customers – how to get them, treat them and keep them, Responsible Tourism – what does it mean for the Wine Tourism industry. Two interactive panel discussions are to be held. “Wine Festivals: are we killing the goose that lays the golden eggs?” chaired by Itumeleng Pooe, and “Is South Africa meeting the wine tourist’s expectations?” chaired by Pietman Retief, Wine Tourism Consultant and Tour Operator.

This conference is open to all involved in the wine tourism industry, particularly groups such as winery owners and managers, wine route managers, tour operators, destination marketing professionals, marketing and PR professionals, hoteliers, restaurateurs, and hospitality professionals. Appropriate members of the press are welcome to contact the organisers should they be interested in attending conference for the purpose of reporting on the outcomes.

Space is limited! For further information, visit our website www.winetourismconf2009.co.za or contact Zelda Coetzee-Ingram at Imfunzelelo Events on +27 (0)21 762 1442 or Mobile: +27 (0)84 657 5476.

*Who is Armin Göring ?

Son of a wine maker in Bischoffingen Germany, Armin started his career in the wine industry in 1975 when he joined ZBWBreisach, the largest wine cooperative in Europe. Responsible for producer relationships and generic marketing of the wine, Göring further developed his passion for the industry. Within 10 years he was appointed to the Board of Directors and was responsible for their production policy and marketing exports. In 1991, Göring moved to Mainz to become CEO at Rheinhessen cooperative, a role which saw him restructure and merge with another cooperative, Pfalz, within four years. It was shortly thereafter, in 1997, that he was elected to the position of Director for the German Wine Institute. The German Wine Institute is the official national public relations and marketing institution for Wines of Germany. It is financed by the wine growers, producers and industry and its activities are split in half between both the domestic and export markets. One of the key negotiations entered into by Göring during the 2006 FIFA world championship was the German Wine Institute’s official contract to supply all the wines for every official FIFA event, in conjunction with the national Football association.

When my wine agent from Wade Bales Wine Society called to flog me some wine, I was not as adventurous as in the past. This was courtesy of a hideous Shiraz I was persuaded to buy a few months back, a wine that should not have gotten past the Wine and Spirit Board, never mind Wine Society’s tasting panel.
In any event, in future I’ll stick to more known brands when buying, and when offered The Oak Valley Blend 2005, I bought 12 bottles.
I have fond memories of this grog. Upon it winning a gong from Wine Magazine in 2007, the rag’s award-winning journalist, Joanne Gibson, got me to cook a couple of lamb chops for an editorial. Needless to say, I skimped on the addition of wine to the sauce, preferring to down the stuff when Joanne and the photographer weren’t looking.
So here I find the same wine with a bit of age on it. It is a Merlot (69%) and Cabernet Franc (27%) dominated blend, with 4% Cabernet Sauvignon.
On the snozzle, the wine is absolutely stunning. A bit of reductiveness, but the stuff oozes cherry and violets. In fact, I’ll just admit to my shortcomings by admitting that I am very surprised there is not a dollop of Shiraz present.
In any event, the palate is not as forthcoming as the nose. Here it is as tight as a Michael Jackson spokesperson, although there is enough lean fruit, pencil shavings and dried prune to point towards a masterpiece in the making.
This is a milestone in cool climate red wine, something we are still going to taste a lot of.
As far as Shiraz goes, I popped a bottle of Boschendal 2007 from the Estate’s 1685 range the other night. Boschendal has moved its focus to Shiraz on the red side, with Sauvignon Blanc the wine of choice in the white spectrum.
Much of the fruit is sourced from the Faure area, which has a reputation for leatheriness and a jammy pong in some reds. The Shiraz grapes used in this Boschendal number, however, give just the right amount unctuousness tapered by a fantastic mineral character.
Bracing clean fruit is shoved to the fore, with the tannins obviously mellowed out by a concoction of old wood. It is clean. It has spice. It has depth. Fruit. And a seductive more-ishness.
Right now, I am chugging on a bottle of Vriesenhof Pinot Noir 2006. And, trust me, the going is good.
I had this wine a couple of months ago, and it had a bit of a vanilla pod on the nose and a roundness bordering on bland.
Man, am I singing a different tune as I watch the Confederations Cup Final.
Jan Boland Coetzee makes the earthy, most traditional Pinot Noirs in the land. And this 2006 model is heading in that direction. Pine needles. Mushroom. French bar-lady armpit. Note, heading. At the moment it is drinking beautifully, a young fruity tart with a hint of wine-gum, herb and a beautiful rapier-like tannin.
As far as the whites go, I downed an Oak Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2008 during Saturday’s test between the Boks and Lions. The wine had a great balance between flinty and bracing Sauvignon Blanc refreshment and fennelly, gooseberry depth.
They really do make good stuff out in that neck of the woods, although I don’t like a classic wine like this closed with a piece of tin. It’s tasting great now, the 2008, but pongy screw-cap induced reductiveness, here we come.
Where Douglas Green? Well, the 2008 Chardonnay is right up there, that’s where.
This wine has the indisputable richness of the Chardonnay grape lifted with a refreshing and bracing accessibility. Call it an example of South African Chablis: no, we don’t have the intense chalky minerality, but boy, do we have the sun! And in this wine, it shines.

GaljoenGat, the marine-influenced wine brand, will not be bottling a 2009 vintage under the GaljoenGat label. Instead, this year’s wine will bear the once-off name of The Beached Whale in memory of the fifty-plus false killer whales that killed themselves at Kommetjie last month by swimming onto the beach.
According to Emile Joubert, director of Clobert CC which owns the GaljoenGat brand, the calamitous false killer whale beaching warranted an own label due to the extent of the event.
“GaljoenGat honours the galjoen, an indigenous South African fish and threatened species,” says Joubert. “However, when nature throws you a curve-ball by beaching a huge pod of whales on your doorstep, a conservation-minded winery like us has to act. The Beached Whale 2009, a red blend of Pinotage, Cinsaut and Pinot Noir, will honour these poor – but dumb – animals who swam into the waiting arms of a few hundred Southern Suberb bunny-huggers.”
Proceeds of the sales of The Beached Whale will go to the unemployed whalers fund, as well as to Mammal GPS, an NGO developing GPS equipment that false killer whales can use to know where they are going.

A delighted Bruce Jack

Kumala, the biggest-selling South African wine brand, has been ranked the 15th most powerful wine brand in the world and is the only South African wine or spirits brand to be ranked on The Power 100 for 2009. Now in its fourth year, The Power 100 index highlights the key issues and trends in the international spirits and wine industry. It also identifies which brands are increasing their equity using a unique measure defined by measuring brand score and volume data.
The Power 100 researches nearly 10 000 brands in the wine and spirits sectors to derive a list of the 100 most powerful of these brands in the world. Power is defined by a brand’s ability to generate value for its owner. Value is classified as by a series of hard measures (share of market, brand growth, price positioning and market scope) as well as soft measures (brand awareness, relevancy, heritage and perception). A panel of eight leading experts in the drinks industry independently ranked each brand out of 10 on these measures. The scores given by each panel member where then aggregated and averaged to reach a score for each brand. A total score was achieved by multiplying a brand’s weighted volume by its brand score within a defined range. This results in a ranking of the world’s most powerful alcoholic drinks brands.
“We are delighted* that Kumala has climbed the ranks with a six percent increase in overall brand score this year,” says co-winemaker Bruce Jack. “It is a strong endorsement of South African winemaking talent, as well as a consolidation of Constellation Wine’s faith in the local industry.” Constellation Wines are the owners of Kumala.
“Interestingly, only one – Torres of Spain – of the top 15 wine brands is from the traditional Old World wine country,” says Ben Jordaan, Jack’s co-winemaker. “Seven were American (Gallo, Robert Mondavi – owned  by Constellation Brands, Beringer, Sutter Home, Blossom Hill, Kendall Jackson and Inglenook), five Australian (Hardy’s – also owned by Constellation Brands, Yellowtail, Jacobs Creek, Lindemans and Wolf Blass) while Chile has a sole representative.”
Overall, Constellation came in as the seventh biggest brand owner, while South Africa was considered only the 21 most powerful country of origin, making Kumala’s achievement even more remarkable.
Kumala Zenith Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay 2008 and Kumala Zenith Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz 2008 are both available from R25.99 to R29.99 from leading stockists.
*WineGoggle takes no responsibility for the frustration caused by the word “delighte”d. For fuck’s sake, Bruce.

Front from left, Leon Dippenaar, Breedekloof-based viticulturist and De Wet Viljoen, chairman of the Pinotage Association’s organising committee and cellar master at Neethlingshof. Back from left, Ilse van Dijk, winemaker at Deetlefs Estate in Rawsonville and Francois Bezuidenhout, winemaker at Ashton Wine Cellar

A selection of 13 tank and barrel samples from eight wine areas formed the basis of this year’s annual Pinotage vintage tasting held in Stellenbosch last week to evaluate the quality of Pinotage from the 2009 harvest. The diversity of the Pinotage – South Africa’s indigenous red wine grape cultivar – was again emphasised at this event, says Pinotage spokesman and guru Marius Labuschagne.
So, Lappies, what’s the deal?
Well, during the 2008/9 season all major Pinotage areas experienced varying weather conditions relating to temperature and rain. After the tasting of the 13 wines by winemakers, wine experts and wine writers, the consensus was that all the Pinotage wines were of good quality, even though there were varying styles.
What kinds of styles?
These ranged from full-bodied to those with prominent fruit and uniform tastiness.
What did my mate De Wet Viljoen, chairman of the Pinotage Association’s organising committee, have to say?
Ja, he said the annual tasting serves as a barometer for the rest of the year, as well as an indicator of how the wines are going show when bottled. I’ll even quote him for you:
“The wines which were tasted this year showed good structure, the fruit is complex and here and there some are still a little shy. This indicates great potential, I think the wines have good ageing potential and are wines to look out for in about three years from now. Those wines made in a more commercial style, showed wonderfully at this early stage, with soft, rounded tannins and juicy fruit – wines which you can enjoy all evening.” (I guess De Wet is a night-time kind of guy.)
Guy Webber from Stellenzicht also chipped in:
“This year’s Pinotage wines again showed that this cultivar can offer concentrated and flavourful wines under varying climates and that the natural fruitiness of this red wine variety comes to the fore with or without wood treatment. This is something not all red wines can do.”
And don’t forget Abrie Beeslaar, Kanonkop cellarmaster and executive member of the Pinotage Association:
“There are more different styles out of all the areas this year, with nice colour and fruit, even though the alcohols were relatively high due to the sugars which picked up quickly due to early ripening caused by the warm weeks we experienced in February. Due to the lower yields and smaller berries my conclusion is that the majority of wines are going to develop fantastically – there was not one bad wine presented.”
So, you guys tasted and spoke?
Just about. But Breedekloof viticulturist, Leon Dippenaar, did a special presentation on the analyses of the 2009 harvest in the different regions. His assessment from all the climatic data he received, is that this should be a good quality year for Pinotage.
“The good, cold winter allowed the vines to rest properly, while the dry weather during the berry forming phase, which resulted in smaller berries and thus more flavours and rainfall in December, kept the foliage fresh and provided sufficient water and flavour development. This, together with cool weather during the ripening period in January all indicate a very good year, especially with good juice ratios, colour and flavour concentrations,” was how Leon summed it up.
The conclusion was that in spite of the different styles created in the 2008/9 season, the coastal regions especially, would this year present outstanding Pinotages.
Lekker Lappies, and thanks. Laat dit juig!

Emile Joubert

An Italian chef preparing Pina Fiasco.

One of the many clichés you may hear from an Italian is the one about Italian food being much more than pizza and pasta. This is true: so much so than even Jamie Olivier, Anthony Bourdain’s bitch, took time out to prove this during a schmaltzy TV-series and his umpteenth cookbook.
I had the pleasure of experiencing the diversity of Italian cuisine last week during a memorable supper at Zucca, an Italian eatery in Kloof Street’s less Nigerian-infested region. Case in point: aim for an Italian joint if you suffer from Nigerian Phobia, as even Africa’s biggest hoods go pale at the thought of trying to tackle someone wearing a black shirt and gold chain called Fabio, Marco or Lorenzo.
In any event, a number of colourful characters joined a table presided over by Boela Gerber, cellarmaster at Groot Constantia. Those present included hot wine-writing property and www.grape.co.za pin-up girl Jeanri-Tine van Zyl, business journalist, winemaking student, property developer and bull-dog breeder Riaan Smit and the charming Mery Uribe from South Africa’s oldest Estate. Maryke Visagie, the Sharon Stone of the Cape’s wine scene, was also present, as was her hubby Jacques and Groot Constantia MD Jean Naudé.
The wines were splendid, as usual, with a particularly lovely Sauvignon Blanc 2008 and a 2007 Shiraz leading the way.
But let’s stick to the food. And you could hardly not, as there was some loud owner-manager type – more Parow than Parma – shouting that we “shouldn’t eat to much ‘cause there’s a lot still to come!” and “this is the way we eat in Italy, you know – hey!”
After some canapés in the porno-style lounge – all white synthetic leather and Perroni babe posters – we moved upstairs. On the table a salad greeted us in uninspired greenness. There were some leaves, anchovies and some gooey white stuff, which I dearly hoped was cheese.
This was followed by a couple of just-baked and tasty flatbreads with a plate of salami that was freshly purchased from Pick ‘n Pay or Sergio’s Stunning Meat Shop.
At this stage the wine was flowing and our table was showing the Italians that when it came to dolce vita and a bit of hanging out, we Dutchmen can roll with the best. The only table to steal our thunder was one occupied by a couple of small oily guys and a few women who looked as they had been freshly plucked from their gym equipment and hauled through an Edgar’s make-up department. These dames were making all the noise, and at one stage – when he had stopped shouting – asked the owner/manager if he would be so kind as to auction-off our friend Boela.
Well, if you’d seen the skinny Mediterranean rats they were with, you wonder why the Amazons didn’t just get up and steal Boela from us. Fortunately, Boela held his ground – the commitments of a dedicated winemaker in the presence of a few journalists are sometimes quite remarkable.
The pasta course was fresh and good gnocchi doused with tomato, pesto and blue cheese sauce. As there were still two courses to follow, I held back, but what I had was really good.
For the next dish we were offered a choice of kingklip of chicken pizzaiola. Seeing as everyone ordered the fish, I went for the pizzaiola. And boy, did I get to miss out.
The fish dish was something to behold. I mean, if one does really feast with your eyes you would have been a foie gras goose just looking at this.
Each fish eater got half a pineapple. The pineapple had a crusty thermidor look to it. After staring at the dish, Jeanri, who was sitting next to me dug in. I just had to grab a spoon and check out what was going on in the belly of the pineapple.
The pineapple had been hollowed out. In the space, three layers greeted the diner.
First was mashed potato, an obvious complement to the pineapple flavours still residing in the shell. On top of the delicious pineapply mashed potato, a pile of shredded kingklip of the poached-boiled-chunky kind lay in wait. And to top it all off, a béchamel sauce swamped the dish, which had been parked under the grill to give it golden crust.
A cute touch was the leaves of the pineapple still being attached, which made the dish look like a Afro-haired tortoise lying on its back wondering what the white stuff is doing on its stomach. Jeanri dubbed the dish Bravo Anana, although Pina Fiasco could also suffice.
Not that my pizzaiola was devoid of interest. Throwing convention out of the window in Italo Gallileo-style, Zucca’s interpretation of this dish saw it transformed into a pile of roast potatoes garnished with a modest piece of chicken breast that had passed through a saucer of tomato paste.
This all lead to more laughter and merriment among the party, whilst we obviously all hid our secret envy at not being born related to the Land of the Boot and the fishy pineapple.

E Louw Joubert

A lot at La Motte

There are a couple of firsts worth remembering. Such as the first time you piled into a Soutie Bishops rugby-player with a good stiff-arm tackle. Ah, the crunch of bone. The agonized groan. The cry of the pissed-off parent calling you a “crazy Dutchman”.
Or what about the first time you heard Elvis and discovered that there is indeed a direct link between one’s hearing instrument and your groin? Then there was the first time you saw Marlon Brando acting in On the Waterfront, the scene between him and Rod Steiger in the taxi. “I could’ve been a contender…..”
On the wine side of firsts, I kind of remember the Kanonkop Paul Sauer 1998 as final conviction that wine really did have mystical powers that could envelope all the senses known to man, plus leading you to discover one or two you did not know you had. The KWV’s Perold 1998 had a similar effect, and was about the last time the KWV did anything worth mentioning.
Last week, another one of these experiences was poured in front of me.
We were parked in the beautiful Rupert Art Museum in Stellenbosch, surrounded by a lot of very nice paintings and stupendous sculptures. This the ideal setting to launch La Motte’s latest offering, namely the 2007 Pierneef Shiraz Grenache.
In this wine, winemaker Edmund Terblanche heads south in the Rhône canton, having already made a very lush Shiraz Viognier.
For the Shiraz Grenache angle, attendees were invited to first taste some building blocks with a Southern Rhône influence. Such as a minerally 2008 Cinsaut from the West Coast. A dastardly spicy 2008 Grenache from Darling. Mourvèdre from Durbanville, a Carignan from the Swartland and a very solid yet restrained Wellington Shiraz completed the portfolio.
These were not labelled or bottled wines. Just wines in wood or tank from which Edmund would colour his palette for future releases.
For the new release, 53% Shiraz, 30% Grenache and 17% Mourvèdre was selected. And despite the profound presence of the latter variety, La Motte stuck with the Shiraz Grenache label rather than the pretty non-descript SMG, that sounds like a brand of ball-bearing.
The wine was presented next to a 2005 Gigondas (Domaine Les Pallièrs) and a 2005 Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Château Mont-Redon).
Although the La Motte was the only one of these three wines that was Shiraz dominated, it showed an exquisite Mediterranean poise. Liquorice and herbs and sun and a metallic hint of blood are all integrated in this wine which is the first time I personally have had a South African number with such an array of authentic European flavours. You taste it and you hear those insects screeching in the midday Provence sun, see old guys drinking pastis and hear the sounds of clacking boules on the village square. (Thankfully, Peter Mayle is nowhere in sight.)
It truly opened by eyes to South Africa’s immense potential, just as the Paul Sauer and Perold did those years ago.
I know the two French wines were poured purely to stimulate conversation and to serve as frame of reference, but being South African I was forced to make a comparison. Quite frankly, the La Motte Shiraz Grenache killed the Gigondas and Chateauneuf. Extraordinary, as the local wine was not only younger, but also had a the lowest alcohol level of the lot, this coming in at 13,5%.
Many present expressed an interest in tasting the same wine in five to six years time so as to assess the aging ability. It is a difficult call: can a magnificent wine like this get any better?

E Louw Joubert

Norma Ratcliffe - Grand Dame

Ever since Mike Ratcliffe talked me into buying a membership of the Warwick Wine Club two years ago, I seem to have a lot of this farm’s stuff lying around. I’m not going to stake a claim to being a Warwick boffin, but I can spot the Estate’s wine in most line-ups, just as I can tell my dog’s bark from 320 others running around De Waal Park.
Of course, being somewhat intrigued by the wines from Simonsberg, Stellenbosch’s Pauillac, delving into my Warwich stash is always going to be more than just opening another bottle of something.
The Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot do not give as much heady fruit intensity as Kanonkop, Warwick’s one neighbour. Nor to these varieties portray the likeable leanness of Le Bonheur just up the road.
For me the Warwick reds show wine’s ability to bear a seductive power. Tannins are evened out, but the presence is weighty and potent, without any hint of after-burn or over-extraction. Of course, a reason for this is the dominance of Cabernet Franc in the Trilogy Bordeaux blend. Having perfected Cabernet Franc, the farm is able to bring out the best in this variety, namely grace and poise enveloped by an assertive juiciness. For Cabernet Franc can be greener than a Kommetjie whale-hugger.
I was thus not going to let the opportunity pass me by of attending a tasting to celebrate Warwick’s 25 years in the winemaking business, held last week in the Vineyard Hotel. I wanted to see where everything came from. The bash behind the stash.
Norma Ratcliffe, Mike’s mother who placed Warwick on the wine map – amongst other noticeable achievements – led the assembled group of hacks and friends through a tasty line-up.
But this was a tasting Norma style. No weighty diatribes on yields, smart cellar decisions or philosophical statements on wood maturation. Just Norma talking animatedly about some of the Warwick wines she likes and using a few nostalgic titbits to complement her vivaciousness, knowledge and personality. (Isn’t the thought of young Mike among a pile of pumpkins just adorable!)
Norma tells it all, her way. She is, after all, our Grand Dame.
Okay, so first up was a 1984 Warwick Femme Bleu (sic), the first commercial wine made by Norma on Warwick. A Cabernet Sauvignon, this 25 year old model was in perfect condition. The colour was garnet. The nose honey-comb. Lean fruit on the palate, a hint of cedar. No oxidation or stuffiness.
The 1986 Trilogy was similarly brilliant, although the addition of Merlot and Cabernet Franc to the Cabernet Sauvignon allowed for a tad more complexity and depth. Once again, it was crystal clear on the palate and the good acid ensured it was still as tight as an Eric Clapton guitar string.
A lot of the anti-Pinotage gang rip into anybody willing to state that a Pinot Noir character can become evident in Pinotage. Well, Norma put up a 1997 Warwick Three Cape Ladies (Pinotage blend) which almost knocked one over with the whiff or pure Burgundian forest floor, wet haystack and Algerian vineyard worker arm-pit. This was more Pinot Noir here than in a lot of Pinot Noirs themselves.
Of course, the wine was huge in the mouth, making an assertive Pinot Noir entrance and ending with ripe cherries and hints of Fortis syrup.
Heading onto the 1995 Cabernet Franc and the 2001 Cape Winemakers Guild Femme Bleu (sic), it was enormously satisfying to begin recognizing the stylistic traits of my current, newer Warwick wines. Looking at my 2006 Trilogy and Cabernet Franc, it appears the wines are actually fuller and more voluptuous in their youth. After a couple of years, the fruit and tannins separate giving the wines a different structure all together, whilst maintaining pureness and depth.
Norma threw in a 1998 Chardonnay, and what a humdinger. It was big, it was nutty, it was limey, it was a Staffordshire terrier of Chardonnays, just waiting to rip the gonads out of anyone wearing an “Anything But Chardonnay” T-shirt. Some, like wine-trader Mark Norrish, were so inspired they shouted: “This is Burgundy, Norma!”
The evening ended with dinner, and I enjoyed more of the Chardonnay – albeit a younger model that, unlike the 1998, hadn’t been stirred with Norma’s golf club – and Warwick’s wonderfully supple Pinotage.
This was definitely the wine event of the past year for me, for you can haul out the best wines in the house, but the event don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.
Keep swinging, Norma, because you’ve got it.

E Louw Joubert

Retired ad-man Adrian Morgan gives a take on dealing with pesky media advertising representatives and offers sage advice.
Those working in the advertising and PR industries will no doubt have their own opinion of the AR. The AR is an Advertising Representative, a person making gentle to hysterical requests for you to place an advertisement in the media vehicle they represent.
Needless to say, the AR’s telephone call is about as welcome as one of those pesky life insurance agents doing a cold calling number offering financial support to the world you have left behind, should you feel like considering this scenario.
The AR’s are divided into two types: Male and female. The first is thick-voiced and stupid. The second is hysterical and more stupid.
Both do not have an idea of what they are doing – this I say from the position of someone who hadled key wine trade accounts for years. And the reason I say it, is because the AR does not seem to have an idea of who he or she is trying to sell a bit of advertising space to, or – more importantly – why the recipient of the sales pitch should advertise.
For those who have not experienced the delights of being an AR target, I shall attempt to recreate a typical telephone call.
Phone rings.
ME: “Hello.”
AR (Male): “Howzit. Can I speak to Adrian Morgan please.”
ME: “It is he speaking.”
AR: “Cool! Listen, Bud, this is Rodney from Cape Jugs for Mugs Tourism Guide, and I’ve got a great deal for you. You’re into wine, right?”
ME: “Yes.”
AR: “Perfect! I’ll give you two pages at R13 500, full colour, and commission included. How’s that for a deal? Are you in?”
ME: “Has your guide been briefed to feature a wine-related element?”
AR: “Hey, Rod, I’m just the Ad Rep, okay?”
ME: “So why should I advertise in a publication that may not be related to wine at all?”
AR: “Look, Adrian, don’t give me a hard time…I don’t know anything about the wine industry.”
ME: “You don’t know anything about the wine industry?”
AR: “No.”
ME: “But you are trying to get me to advertise wine in your publication?”
AR: “Yah! Are you in?”
ME: “Rodney….”
AR: “Just call me Rod, Adrian.”
ME: “You are the weakest link. Fuck off.”
Of course, engaging in this kind of theatre can be great fun on a quiet Wednesday morning. But the mind boggles at the lack of strategic thinking among AR’s.
Then you get the cocky type, usually a female.
ME: “Adrian Morgan.”
AR: “Hi. I saw your client’s advertisement in Brine Magazine.”
ME: “Yes. Nice wasn’t it?”
AR: “Why aren’t you advertising with us then, huh?”
ME: “Because my client makes 200 cases of wine at R340 a bottle and his product would feel slightly out of place in a weekly gossip magazine that has never written one word on wine, except the stuff Steve Hofmeyr drank from the call-girl’s navel.”
AR: “Well, I think you’re making a big mistake. A big mistake. Don’t come crying to me when your client goes bankrupt.”
Things could be so much simpler if AR’s did a bit of strategic planning. The following set of pointers could suffice:
• Always call an agency after lunch. It is a well-known fact that a bit of social lubrication makes one more amenable to spending money, especially if the money is not his own and is being drawn out of him by a husky-voiced (female) blonde who is not his wife.
• Stroke the agency’s ego by complimenting it on the high standard of creative work. Giving the impression that the AR’s publication requires the visible presence of the agency’s creative genius – with hard, cold cash just being an aside – can go a long way.
• When attempting to procure a wine-related advertisement, attempt to know the basics so that you can engage in fruitful conversation with the potential client. A screw-cap is not a catchy new contraceptive and bush-vines have nothing to do with the Kruger Park.
• Never sound cheap. Offering an advertisement at a special once-off discounted rate smacks of desperation. Always maintain the hard-to-get pose.
• When being queried by a client as to your publication’s circulation figures, always disclose readership figures. Doesn’t 45 000 sound better than 9 000?
• Promise editorial coverage as a bonus, in other words, if you advertise, we’ll give you “free editorial”. This tactic is employed by various publications already, so if you can’t beat them, join them.

In a first for the African continent as well as for the South African wine industry, a special wine named after the
national soccer team has been launched to the general public of soccer and wine lovers, as well as the all-important
emerging market of wine consumers.
Bafana Bafana Wines consists of five different wines bottled under the Bafana Bafana brand, making this range
the only wine officially licensed by the South African Football Association (Safa).
The five wines – white, red, rosé, sparkling white and sparkling rosé are produced by Oranjerivier Wine Cellars,
located in Upington in the Northern Cape.  Bafana Bafana Wines is a joint venture between Oranjerivier Wine
Cellars and Afriwines, who negotiated the official licensing rights with Slam, SAFA Legal & Management, SAFA’s
Master Licensee.
According to Koos Visser, marketing manager for Oranjerivier Wine Cellars, the decision to become involved in the
Bafana Bafana project was to develop a product for the emerging wine market.
“The time for introducing the new generation of wine consumers is now, as for the next year South Africa is going
to be a nation exposed to soccer to the point of it becoming a national obsession,” says Visser. “By having the
opportunity to produce a wine bottled under the official Bafana Bafana trademark is a once in a lifetime opportunity
to tap into a market where the name Bafana Bafana has such an extensive profile. We are confident that through this
range the wine industry will do something it has not been able to do – namely to penetrate the emerging market where
wine has an extremely low level of awareness.”
Visser also says that the wines themselves have been made especially to suit the unique tastes of this market. “They are
lovely, uncomplicated wines – fresh, fruity wines displaying true grape characteristics. None of the harsh tannins that many consumers find offensive and sends them to the fridge looking for a beer.”
According to Visser the wines are also made to a lower alcohol content so as to further promote Bafana Bafana wines’ commitment to responsible alcohol use.
“We are marketing wine as part of a healthy lifestyle and want to accentuate the natural properties of wine through
promoting responsible alcohol use.”
Trevor Theledi, partner in Afriwines, says that the Bafana Bafana Wines will change the way the South African public
looks at wine. “This is a breath of fresh air the industry needs, as wine consumption is dropping annually,” he says.
“Currently wine has a very low level of awareness among black consumers. By aligning wine with soccer and specifically
with Bafana Bafana the product has already developed a relationship with the consumer before the bottle has been opened!”
Visser says that the marketing of Bafana Bafana Wines will also change the way wine is being marketed locally.
“As an officially licensed product, Bafana Bafana Wines will be supported nationally by high-profile product activation
events instead of using traditional communication methods,” he says.
“These events, to be held in fashionable venues in black areas throughout South Africa, will introduce the wines to a
broad-based target market that has to date never before been targeted by any local wine brand. Extensive product
information and education will be complemented with extensive media coverage and below-the-line campaigns in
publications that are not targeted by the traditional elements of the wine industry.
“Quite frankly, Bafana Bafana Wines is writing the book on developing a new, dynamic and lucrative sector of the
local wine market. Stockists can be assured of extensive, focused, visible and high-profile market support,” concludes Visser.
Bafana Bafana Wines go on sale this week and are priced from R25 to R35.