Keeping SA wine on the export menu

There is nothing illusionist about Razvan Macici’s magicmaking, as he transforms quality grapes into fine wines that continue to win recognition around the globe. Macici is the cellarmaster of the historic Nederburg Estate at Paarl, tasked with creating what many will say are liquid gems in their own right. Founded in 1792 but only in the wine bottling business for the past 72 years, the giant that is Nederburg has, in the estimation of renowned wine critic John Platter, “raised Cape wine consciousness like no other.” Part of the Distell Group, Nederburg does not, as a matter of policy, disclose volumes produced or sold. But international marketing manager, Rudolph du Toit, says it produces wine across the price spectrum (unlike some wineries that tend to focus on the premium market). South Africa remains the single biggest market but Europe, particularly Germany and the UK, are also important. Macici, 41, born and trained in wine-making in Romania (he holds a Masters in viticulture and oenology), says of South African wines that they continue to perform extremely well in key export markets and in world terms from a quality perspective. For the 12 months to April, this year, the country exported just over 403.3 million litres of wine, to reflect a year-on-year growth of 17%. Sales to the UK, where South Africa commands a 5% share of the overall market, were up 27%, to Sweden 26% and to Germany 12%. Macici, modest about Nederburg’s many kudos for excellence, says: “We don’t make wine for awards but for the pleasure of their enjoyment. What matters most is whether people are choosing, drinking and delighting in our wines.” It’s pretty much a multicultural enterprise at Nederburg, with keen painter and cook Macici heading up the creative side of the operation. South African Elunda Basson makes the red wines and Zimbabwean Tariro Masayiti – trained in winemaking in South Africa – the whites. “Winemaking,” says the father of two, “is an act enriched through repetition. Each time you make a wine you are finessing your craft, bringing it the weight of experience and intuition. The character of the grape is paramount.” Nederburg’s cellarmaster since 2001, Macici is enormously conscious of his responsibility to uphold the name of Nederburg and its rich history and tradition. As to whether wine is making an impact on a traditionally beer drinking South Africa, Macici says not only is a wider diversity of adults becoming exposed to the pleasures of wine – there is also a greater accent on responsible consumption as producers move to introduce their wines to new drinkers. Evidence of this is the wine shows and likeminded activities in Soweto, Polokwane and other areas, where consumption tends more to beer and spirits.