Cape Classics, a growing South African export company specializing in wine exports to the U.S., has won two awards this month, one for excellence in wine imports from a prestigious U.S. magazine, and another for top performance in exports from South Africa's Portnet.
Cape Classics was started in Cape Town ten years ago by brothers André and Gary Shearer, with Andre opening the New York import operation, Cape Classics Inc, in 1992 and Gary running the Stellenbosch-based export business. This month Andre was named Food and Wine Magazine's Best U.S. Wine Importer in the publication's prestigious annual American Wine Awards.
Published by American Express Publications, the magazine is one of America's leading food-orientated periodicals targeted at affluent U.S. consumers. The award is a first for a South African specialist import company in the $3.3 billion (29 billion rand) U.S. wine import industry.
'Although Cape Classics Inc accounts for at least 15% of the U.S.?s South African wine imports market in terms of case volume, the value of imports by our company is proportionately higher given the overall caliber of products we represent,' Shearer explained.
Meanwhile, the South African-based Cape Classics Exports has also been rewarded for its export performance, receiving the Portnet Trophy for Excellence in Exports for a third time. The growth of Cape Classics Exports, which began with assistance from the then-Small Business Development Corporation, demonstrated that
under-capitalized--but determined--businesses can succeed. The company also received the South African President's Award for its export achievements in 1996 and 1997.
The Shearer brothers attribute their success in the fast-paced, technology-driven business world to a combination of tenacity and old-fashioned business principles. Coupled with the caliber of the South African wine estates they serve as well as quick and accurate logistics, the companies' growth derives from their resolve to exceed each goal they and the estates in their portfolio have set. 'Much credit is due to the outstanding estates we work with and to all our supply partners in winning both awards.' Gary Shearer commented.
Cape Classics also received a boost recently with the signing of the world-renowned Meerlust Winery as a new global export and marketing partner. Meerlust's move to Cape Classics Exports from Distell marks a strategic shift towards smaller, more personalized service. Meerlust wines are currently sold in over 30 countries around the world. In addition to Meerlust, other internationally acclaimed estates and brands in the Cape Classics portfolio are: Brampton, Buitenverwachting, Cabrière, Coleraine, Delaire, De Toren, Kanonkop, Kanu, Klein Constantia, Mulderbosch, Rustenberg, Simunye and Thelema.
In their commitment to supporting empowerment through education, the two Cape Classics companies established the Indaba Scholarship in 1997. This grant is awarded annually to previously disenfranchised South Africans wishing to specialize in Viticulture and Oenology, or other aspects of the wine industry. The Scholarship is funded by a percentage of worldwide sales of their Indaba wine brand. One of the largest selling South African import brands in the U.S., Indaba represents about 8-9% of that market, and was selected as the 'house wine' at Disney World's newest resort, the $850 million, 1,290-room Animal Kingdom Lodge.
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