14 Oct 2020 11 most influential people in the SA wine industry

Who are the most influential commercial names in the SA wine industry? WineGoggle.co.za came up with this list of very interesting players and personalities….

WineGoggle and “its team of assistants in the fields of retail, journalism, hospitality, wine critics and high-end consumers” put their heads together to create this list, in no specific order of importance.

Johann Rupert : The Rupert Family have been committed to the history, legacy and culture of the country’s wine since the 1940s through patriarch Dr Anton Rupert.

Johann’s substantial business interests include direct wine ventures Anthonij Rupert, Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons and L’Ormarins, as well as through RCI’s (Remgro-Capevin Investments) majority shareholding in corporate liquor giant Distell. Despite the engagement at corporate level, Johann’s genuine attachment to wine can be illustrated through, inter alia, his initiation of the country’s Old Vines Project…..READ MORE

Michael Fridjhon: There have been many pretenders to the throne of South African wine journalism held by Michael for four decades, but these wannabes have come and gone in the way a bottle of Cristal loses its fizz after a few days.

He remains at the top of the pile in terms of encyclopaedic wine knowledge as well as an understanding of wine business, something he also astutely applies through various of his own commercial ventures…..READ MORE

Jean Engelbrecht: A pioneer since the 1990s in convincing the American market to take South African wine seriously as a premium product associated with luxury and provenance.

Hanging out with Wine Spectator publisher Marvin Shanken and a pal of internationally renowned golf superstar Ernie Els, as well as a true connection with the soul of the States’s food and wine scene, made Jean the go-to-guy for matters Cape Wine with Uncle Sam…..READ MORE

Carina Gous: The leading face and voice in the country’s wine marketing end. Carina garnered a formidable reputation for brand-building and marketing strategy through, among others, an eye for aesthetics, understanding consumer needs and executing brand offerings at various price-points.

Upon leaving Distell in 2017 her phone burned with in-coming calls requesting her services and insights before being snapped-up last year by Kleine Zalze. As chairperson of WOSA, Carina’s voice is, fortunately, still available to the greater wine industry…..READ MORE

Danie de Wet: Sure, Danie has slackened the reins for sons Johann and Peter de Wet to officially take-over at De Wetshof, the Robertson Chardonnay house he spent the past forty years building. But, for a number of reasons Danie’s influence over South African wine is going to be around for some time.

Together with the ingrained soul of a wine-farmer, the true understanding of vines, soil and wine, as well as pride in the industry he has played such a formidable part in, Danie has the wisdom of an eagle-owl and the natural intelligence of an Apple computer micro-chip…..READ MORE

Thys Louw: The only sub-40-year-old on the list, Louw’s status as a successful all-rounder in wine makes him one of the future industry leaders.

He understands legacy and provenance being non-negotiable to any sensical wine narrative, hence his keen promoting of the heritage of his own Diemersdal – where he is the sixth generation Louw to farm – as well as the importance of established family-owned Cape wineries.

Louw played and continues to play a leading role in the growth in volume, reputation and quality of Sauvignon Blanc, helping make it South Africa’s number one selling varietal wine…..READ MORE

Rebecca Constable: All wine-buyers are important and influential. In the current lay of the land, however, Rebecca’s position as senior wine-buyer for Woolworths gives her a nudge above the rest.

Woolworths retail-chain has led the way in its making wine a premium proposition, as this places it in-line with the chain’s ethos. Here Rebecca plays a leading role, encouraging customers to approach wine with the same search for quality and deliciousness as it does its food products…..READ MORE

Marc Kent: An all-round power-house spoken of in tones of reverence by any wine industry player worth his or her salt, and is over 35 years old.

There are the world-famous brands Marc built-up – perhaps not single-handedly, but the vision behind them were his: Boekenhoutskloof, Chocolate Block and Porseleinberg, as well as the accessible quality-to-price ratio delivered by Wolftrap and Porcupine Ridge…..READ MORE

Tim Hutchinson: Now executive chairman of DGB, Tim and CEO Ricardo Ferreira run one of South Africa’s largest liquor companies, producing local wines and liquors and distributing some global behemoths such as Bombay Sapphire and Jägermeister.

Tim, though, is at heart a wine person, who has led to DGB becoming a major player on the wine front as a local corporate truly committed to selling and promoting the premium side of South African wine…..READ MORE

Eben Sadie: The lead-guitarist of the rock-star, new wave revolution that hit South Africa 15 years ago, Sadie is a pioneer, a voice and an inspiration to many. His wines grab as much imagination as they do attention.

But it is his approach as a son of the soil, tiller of the land and trimmer of the vine that serves to remind the ever-newer generation of winemakers and viticulturists that terroir and plant lie at the heart of any bottle of wine wishing to express a sense of individuality…..READ MORE

Gavin Dittmar: CEO of local wine distributor Meridian, and a guy as sharp as a Laguoile knife made for slicing through heavy-lead wine bottle caps.

Meridian not only represents various top South African wine brands, but through Gavin’s inspired and energetic leadership, he has helped many to grow to unprecedented levels, not only to the benefit of these brand-owners, but also by generating a buzz of wine excitement among consumers becoming bored with the wine scene, as well as attracting new throats to vino…..READ MORE

Note from WineGoggle Editor: As Emile Joubert, editor of WineGoggle, is the official biographer of Kanonkop Estate, his choice of that estate’s owner Johann Krige was excluded from this list so as to maintain a semblance of impartiality.

Source: www.winegoggle.co.za