ISSUED
BY
DKC (DE KOCK COMMUNICATIONS)
ON BEHALF OF
WINES OF SOUTH AFRICA (WOSA) ACTING FOR
GREAT WINE CAPITALS GLOBAL NETWORK
There is almost no such thing as a global wine brand
that is not fortified and does not have bubbles, claims high-profile UK wine
authority, consultant and educator Robert Joseph. Apart from the top-selling
champagnes, ports and sherries and a few illustrious collectibles that are more
often to be found on auctions than in shops, it is hard to think of a wine
brand that would sell in duty free shops across the world in the same way as a
spirit like Absolut vodka or Gordon’s Gin, in his view.
Editor-at-large of Meininger's Wine Business
International and author of the influential Wine Travel Guide
to the World, Joseph was addressing Cape wine producers ahead of the
opening of entries for the 2015 Global Great Wine Capitals Best of Wine Tourism
Awards.
Cape Town is a member of the global network of the
world’s leading wine-producing countries that share international best practice
to advance standards in wine tourism across the world. Its participation is
supported by the city of Cape Town and the Cape Winelands District
Municipality.
Joseph said most wine shoppers had a limited interest
in wine and bought it as a commodity. "For the majority of people it
is a grape-based alcohol beverage, bought in much the same way as beer. In this
respect Pinot Grigio and draft beer can be pretty interchangeable”.
Even at the top end, when it is bought as a luxury,
many people are less interested in the grape variety, vintage or winemaker than
in the status the liquid confers – or the pleasure it gives. “How many of the
wealthy Russians buying Lafite and Latour in London restaurants know which
grapes these wines are made from?”
He attributed the lack of internationally recognised
wine brands to the fact that the market was highly fragmented, and densely
proliferated with small-scale producers who lack the marketing budget to build
and sustain brands. "Wine messaging and packaging is inconsistent and
confusing. Wineries fail to understand what consumers want – and do not do
enough to make wine more accessible – and desirable.
"It is crazy to package a R30 wine in the same
75cl glass bottle as one selling for R3 000. Especially as the only reason we
use 75cl glass bottles is because that was the lung capacity of a 17th century
glass blower."
Urging producers to rethink the way they presented
their wines to shoppers, he lauded those taking their cue from the perfume
industry. He also said producers should market their cellars as wine tourism
destinations on their packaging, encouraging the public to visit their cellars.
He argued that worldwide, wine producers did not do
enough to draw visitors to their cellars. They should be highlighting their
websites on their labels. They should also be communicating differently on
their websites. "Don't use your website just to talk about yourself and
your property and your winemaker. Winemakers are not intrinsically interesting
to consumers. How many people have heard of Sir Jonathan Ive, the genius
designer of Apple's most revolutionary products? These devices have
revolutionised all of our lives but you don't need to know his name to buy an
iPad. Think of marketing wine in the same context."
He said producers needed to provide information on
their websites that was useful to consumers, including details of other local
attractions and facilities.
He stressed that tourists visited wineries to be
entertained. "That is what California has got right. They understand that
wine tourism is not merely a matter of offering tastings. That’s not tourism –
it’s try-before-you-buy retailing."
He said that wineries that believe that they don’t
charge for tastings are wrong. “Everybody who walks through your door is paying
you – with his or her time. They could be spending – note the term - that hour
on the beach, or shopping or in a gallery. Charging for tastings means that you
are not doing anyone a favour, and you have to offer value for your customers’
money."
He encouraged producers with cellar door facilities to
cater for designated drivers, children and possibly even pets, and said they
should ensure their cellar door staff were not only well-trained but
incentivised to optimise the experience for visitors. "Give visitors free
wi-fi access so they can talk about you in real time on social media. And give
people an experience they can't get anywhere else by offering vintage or
exclusive tastings. Also, think about inviting them to give you their opinions
about new labels or wine styles you are thinking of introducing."
Selling directly to consumers via wine clubs enabled
producers to establish a relationship with them, to find out their preferences
and sell more profitably than via retailers. "In the US, wine consumers
tend to join several wine clubs simultaneously and will remain with a club for
an average of 24 months and spend $1 200 to $1 700 over that period. This
figure is partly explained by the higher prices commanded by US wineries, but
the average of US$37 per bottle consumers pay when buying direct is
significantly more than when they purchase in a retail store. A fast-growing
10% of all wine in the US is now sold directly to consumers – despite rules
that ban shipping between some states."
He said the recent austerity drive in China to temper
excessive expenditure should not deter producers from recognising the
importance of that country as a potential source of tourists to South Africa.
“The Australians understand the value of Chinese visiting wine drinkers. Just
look at the Chinese-language signs and wine gift packs at Sydney Duty Free”.
China is now the fourth biggest source of foreign
tourists to South Africa, according to Bradley Brouwer, South African Tourism
regional manager for Asia Pacific. In 2012, over 130 000 Chinese travellers
visited the country, a growth of over 50% on 2011. Numbers are expected to rise
significantly after Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Jacob Zuma
jointly declared this year the “Year of South Africa” in China, at the 2013
BRICS summit.
In addition to Cape Town-Cape Winelands, the other
members of the Global Wine Capital network are Mainz-Rheinhessen (Germany),
Bilbao-Rioja (Spain), Bordeaux (France), Florence (Italy), Porto (Portugal),
San Francisco-Napa (United States), Mendoza (Argentina), Christchurch –South
Island (New Zealand) and, the newest member, Valparaiso-Casablanca (Chile).
Joseph was in South Africa on behalf of The Wine Show.
Entries and conditions for the 2015 Great Wine
Capitals Best Of Wine Tourism Awards can be accessed on http://greatwinecapitals.com/best-of?filter_region=3&year_won%5Bvalue%5D%5Byear%5D=2014
Entry is free and the closing date for submissions is July
11, 2014.
