Keeping wine exports at their best

SOUTH AFRICA accounts for only 1,4% of the world's vineyards, yet ranks as the world's eighth largest producer of wines. Of the country's total annual harvest of 10 million hectolitres in 1999, about 65% were devoted to the making of good wine, 23% to brandy, and 12% to grape concentrate and grape spirit. The wine industry is a dynamic one and keeping up with trends dictates the success of all participants. In South Africa we see our exports moving from bulk carriage to bottled wine. There is also a change in taste preference from white to red wine, and increasingly more emphasis being placed on export quality, with focus on certain noble varietals. The growth of red wine consumption has led the industry to increase its plantings of red wine varietals, which in 2000 constituted 84% of all new plantings. Despite a shortage of red wines, export sales of bottled reds grew for the year to 43,7m litres, an increase of 15%. n Temperature change One of the biggest problems associated with the transport of wine is the effect of temperature fluctuations during transport, especially when the vessel passes through several climatic zones. If temperatures increase too much, the fermentation process is accelerated and this leads to deformation in quality, taste and alcohol percentage. In the case of sparkling wine, high temperatures increase the pressure inside the bottle, causing the corks to pop. Red wines are very sensitive to low temperatures and crystallisation can occur under these circumstances, especially if the product has a high sugar content. Wine should be kept at ambient temperature, between 18¼C - 20¼C, with as little variation as possible. Various modes of carriage can be used, but depend on the type of wine being transported - its sensitivity to temperature change and product value. Under-deck stowage of GP containers also prevents temperature fluctuations. n Re-evaluating transport modes While in the past little was done to protect the cargo, importers' requirements in terms of quality, as well as new markets, are forcing local exporters to re-evaluate their transport methods. FCL shipments are the major trend in SA. Traditionally in SA, wine is shipped in 20ft GP containers, however 40ft GP containers are becoming more popular. n The options for bottled wine are: l Active refrigeration (integral reefer or porthole container) l Non-operated porthole containers (container is insulated) l GP (General purpose) container, using thermo/ insulated blankets. Using insulation methods, such as thermo blankets, limits the rapid night to day variation of temperature - a decrease of 50% in night to day temperature variation is achievable. Thermo-blankets are used extensively in the international market. Although less commonly used by South African exporters, they are increasingly requested by importers who want to preserve the quality of their product. The options for bulk wine exports are: l Tank containers: These containers are used in cases where importers do their own bottling, but this trend is diminishing. Flexitanks are normally shipper-owned containers and vary in size from 24 000 to 26 000 litre tanks. The tanks have double isolation walls to protect the wine from sun radiation and other heat sources. l General Purpose containers (GPs) with flexibags: These recyclable bags are constructed from sophisticated materials such as polyester and nylon. As they have to operate under high strengths and are coated inside for food-graded commodities, they are also ideal for the carriage of wine. They are easily installed into 20ft GPs and then filled up to 24 000 litres by using a hose - a quick and effective process when space at filling station is limited.