Audrey D’Angelo
South Africa was now “among the most exciting wine countries in the world”, internationally respected wine writer Robert Joseph said at a function last week to honour Franschhoek wine estate La Motte, this year’s winner of the annual Great Wine Capitals of the World wine tourism award.
He told top wine producers that there had been “enormous progress” in wine making and in wine tourism since he first came to South Africa in the late 1980s. He was “dazzled by the complete revolution in wine and wine tourism that has been taking place in this country in the last 25 years”.
Wine tourism, which generates income of more than R5 billion a year and is a major creator of jobs, was identified as important in the government’s New Growth Path policy.
The other Great Wine Capitals of the World, against which the Western Cape competes, include Mainz-Rheinhessen in Germany, Bilbao-Rioja in Spain, Bordeaux in France, Florence in Italy, Mendoza in Argentina, Porto in Portugal, San Francisco and the Napa Valley in the US, and Christchurch in New Zealand.
Joseph said that despite the growth of wine tourism internationally, there was a need to develop the sector more aggressively. “There is a common misperception that wine tourism is only about tasting and buying wine. It is [also] about entertainment and building profitable relationships. Wine tourism needs to attract more visitors, get them to spend money, get them to become regular visitors and encourage them to become ambassadors.”
He said that in an era in which drink-driving legislation was becoming more stringent, more should be done to make designated drivers feel at home on wine estates. Children also needed to be entertained.
Buying wine should also be made simpler and easier for visitors from other countries.
“Instead of shipping from your winery, arrange for distributors in the home countries of your visitors to deliver to them directly.
“This model is being used by some producers in Europe and is working successfully.”
Cape Town Tourism provided a list of 22 wine estates open on Sundays during winter and 71 others, some of which provide accommodation as well as restaurants of varying sizes.
But Jacques Jordaan, the marketing manager of Simonsig Wine Estates, said the sector was growing rapidly with new estates constantly being added. He believed there were already more than 300, many of which had restaurant facilities.