THE LAND of smooth, single malt whisky and dark, creamy, stout is awakening to a sprited tipple of another kind - wine - and South Africa is out to make its mark in the Emerald Isle.
Ireland is attractive to South Africa as table wine consumption has doubled over the past decade, making it the fastest growing market in the European Community.
The Irish may not yet have equalled the national wine consumption of their neighbours who drink an average of about ten litres per capita a year but, even so, they purchased 4,1 million cases of wine compared with a mere 1,5 million cases in 1999.
Su Birch, new chief executive officer of the South African Wine and Spirit Exporter's Association (SAWSEA), says South African wine producers are more than keeping pace with this growth, having increased market share to almost seven percent in 1999 - from three percent in 1995.
South African sales of bottled wine to Ireland for the 12 months to April 1999 were 33% higher than the previous year with several red varietals in particular showing spectacular increases. Pinotage exports were up by 61% and cabernet sauvignon by 53%.
Birch, who recently attended the South African Wine Fair in Dublin and the London Wine Trade Fair, said South African producers have only been exporting to Ireland since 1992 while many Old and New World producers have maintained a presence for much longer.
South Africa is currently the sixth largest exporter of wines to Ireland in terms of volume - behind France, the United States, Australia and Chile.
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