SAA wine glass half full
Friday, 4 November, 2011
Neil Pendock
Neil Pendock reports on a case of vinous optimism at South African Airways.
That white men can’t dance was disproved by Cape Wine Master Bennie Howard, facilitator of the SA Airways wine selection process, at Spier on Saturday as he tripped the light fantastic after unveiling the airlines’ selection for 2012, with an awesome twist. That white men can’t sell wine may take a little longer to disprove, but the national airline is a key component in Bennie’s plan to save the industry from the doom and gloom front page forecast in the Weekend Argus of the following day that “Cape wine farms fight to survive.” For SAA the glass is most definitely half full while the Argus complains it is half empty.
Not only is the R30 million SAA budgets for Bacchus each year a healthy cash injection for producers, but the marketing possibilities of showcasing SA wines in Beijing, New York and Sao Paulo as suggested by Bennie, far exceed the capacity of embattled WOSA (Wines of SA, the exporters’ mouthpiece) trying valiantly to promote SA wine overseas. But not having much luck, as exports this year crashed 25% or 50 million litres, according to the Argus. Sales to airlines are one bright spot on an otherwise stormy horizon.
Airline wine sales are big business: Tokara sold 31 000 bottles of their zingy Sauvignon Blanc to British Airways in December and 6000 bottles of their toothsome Director’s Reserve red to Lufthansa this year – wine that was showcased by those airlines on hundreds of flights around the world. Can there be a better marketing vehicle?
The fact that Tokara moves as much wine through its tasting room by value as it sells to the rest of the country, is surely a not unrelated statistic. And last year Lars Maack received an unsolicited offer from a passenger on Lufthansa to buy his farm Buitenverwachting after his wine was served in first class. With the Argus revealing that more than 100 Stellenbosch farms are for sale, perhaps Pam Golding should fly more and in-flight magazines like Sawubona should include a property section.
When a producer like Creation does 40% of its turnover through the cellar door in spite of being at the end of one of the worst dirt roads in the Cape, a listing on the airline is more bad news for the road but glad tidings for the bottom line.
The SAA wine selection process is one not totally dominated by the big guns. Heck the trophy for white wine of the year went to a winery I’ve never heard of: Driehoek in the Cederberg, for their Sauvignon Blanc. Small producers like Babylon’s Peak in the Swartland get equal time in Premium Class with big names such as Bellingham who will be relieved to have finally shifted their 2007 vintage Sauvignon Blanc.
Hats off to the judges for ignoring the common wisdom that SA Sauvignon is best drunk in the year of the vintage. The bottle aged Bellingham was no fluke as Domaine des Dieux (another producer new to me) and Uva Mira will both offer 2009 vintage Sauvignon Blanc in the skies next year. Long after Pick ‘n Pay has removed it from their shelves as being past their notional sell-by date.
So little wonder that the annual wine selection process is well supported. This year, 167 producers offered over 1000 different bottles that was judged by an impressively diverse panel. The big winner was Paarl producer Anura, who trousered trophies for most listings and largest volume supplied to the airline.
But it is the small guys like Miles Mossop who are the real heroes. Selling 3500 bottles of his Saskia 2010 white blend for service in Premium Class will keep his bank manager smiling when he deposits the airline’s cheque in February. And you never know who will drink it. Funny man John Cleese, a frequent visitor to SA, is not the only celebrity to order stock after first tasting it on an airline.
Chief Executive Officer's Award – for the most listings. L-R: Theunis Potgieter, SAA GM Commercial;
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