SA collaborates in wine export drive

Competitors they may well be, but New
World wine-producing countries South
Africa, along with Argentina, the US
(California), Chile and New Zealand,
will bond as one next year for Germany’s
annual ProWein, one of world’s most
important international events.
Significantly, this is the first time in
global winemaking terms that fierce
rivals have joined forces to operate as
a team, although Australia, reportedly
more focused on the East, has chosen not
to join.
Despite all ‘partners’ asserting
continued individual export growth, they
believe that together they stand a better
chance of competing against the EU
whose own wine-producing members
are supported by substantial subsidies in
international marketing initiatives.
The ‘quintet’ will share one hall and
operate under an umbrella theme, titled
Down to Earth, jointly offering a series
of seminars, lectures, presentations and
workshops featuring top-level academics
and wine makers.
Argentina’s 2009 exports of
23.8 million cases were up 14% in volume
to US$550 million last year, Chile’s
exports of 65.4 million cases worth
US$1.4 billion (up 10%) and California’s
exports 55 million cases worth more than
US$1 billion (up 8%).
New Zealand exports of 10.9 million
cases (US$574 million) were up 19%
while South Africa’s exports rose 32%, to
45.2 million cases, worth US$778 million.
ProWein, held in Dusseldorf each
March, hosted some 3 200 exhibitors
this year and attracted more than 35 000
delegates from 50 countries, over and
above more than 1 000 journalists.