When COVID measures were imposed on countries around the world, and both the business world and the personal world were being shaken, the international wine world seized the opportunity and quickly developed the format of online tastings. Online trade profited, especially in the premium segment, while the restaurant trade responded with delivery services. It was all hands on deck to limit the economic damage.
This made the reaction of the South African government to ban the consumption and transportation of alcohol all the more incomprehensible to marketing agents and importers in Germany, says WoSA market manager for Germany, Petra Mayer. Even worse: no monetary assistance was offered to ensure the economic structures and businesses remained intact.
As in other markets, long-standing business partners in Germany recognised the need for producers and winegrowers to support their partners in South Africa. Determined to make a difference, Petra put out a call to importers: “What can we do?” The idea was not to simply send donations to those in need, but to identify projects that would support the economic and future-oriented structures of the wine sector, which often depend on private businesses and funding. “We were well aware that in this emergency situation, projects that were otherwise dependent on monetary support from private funds or wine producers would suffer the most,” she says.
Rising to the challenge
Importers were keen to support their South African suppliers and three answered her call. Capreo, Linke Weinhandlung and Pellegrini GmbH were soon joined by Vollherbst Etikettendruck and wine logistics provider Hillebrand Gori. Locally, Brenden Schwartz of Bravo Design in Cape Town was also excited to come on board. “Everyone’s willingness to jump in, despite never having collaborated before, was quite amazing. It still is.”
The team quickly decided on a concept: to produce a joint wine and transfer the profits in full to South Africa. Everyone was willing to support the project on a voluntary basis. In joint discussions — via Zoom, of course — moderated by Petra, the idea was born to unite the themes of old vines and young winegrowers with South Africa’s wine culture, combining future and tradition. “The idea was to convey not just a wine, but a message,” Petra says. “It would be emotional and personal, authentic and positive, and an ambassador for quality, resilience and the uniqueness of this wonderful wine country.”
Connecting with heritage
Petra got in touch with a former WoSA colleague and project manager of the Old Vine Project, André Morgenthal, who was willing to act as a middleman. “It’s thanks to his commitment, networks and expertise that we were able to enter into a cooperation with the Cape Winemakers Guild, under the leadership of Andrea Mullineux,” Petra says. “It has become our passion to help support the Protégé programme financially and ideally. We wanted to ensure the programme continued to receive funding and that these young talents did not suffer financial loss. At the same time, we wanted to get them excited about the idea and the special nature of old vines, thus closing the circle between tradition and the future.”
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