At CapeWine 2022 2022, the exhibition floor was peppered with UK buyers and importers, looking for exciting wines and celebrating the return of the trade fair.
But this time last year, many mentions of South African wine were in connection with Sauvignon Blanc – and using the country to plug the gaps left by New Zealand’s troublesome harvest. A move that some believe will not do South Africa many favours in the long run.
“In my opinion, part of the mistake that is being made right now is that too many producers and too many retailers are looking to South Africa for cheaper Sauvignon Blanc – cheaper than New Zealand and maybe even cheaper than Chile,” says Robin Copestick, managing director at Freixenet Copestick (FXC), which recently added South Africa’s Spier Wine Farm to its portfolio.
He says the price point at which many of these Sauvignon Blancs are being sold represents a short-term gain “and is definitely not sustainable”.
“It’s not really where the producers I have spoken to want to be trading anyway, but the ones who are doing it are just taking a short-term opportunity. And that’s fine, but let’s do something more long term and more strategic,” he says.
And the solution?
“I think producers and [trade organisation] Wines of South Africa should try and hero Chenin Blanc a lot more,” says Copestick.
He believes that championing Chenin Blanc will help consumers to understand South Africa’s quality and point of difference. He mentions hosting producer-lead Chenin tastings at events such as Pub in the Park, where “people can get to experience the different styles and quality levels of Chenin Blanc”.
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