Category Archives: Olifants Rivier
WSET Introduces First Stand-Alone Spirits Courses In South Africa.
The International Wine Education Centre is delighted to announce the first ever stand-alone general spirits courses starting in Stellenbosch in May.
The UK-based Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) teaches internationally-recognised wine and spirit qualifications which are the industry-standard in 60 countries around the world. WSET has been educating people about wine and spirits since 1969 and more than 43,000 people, studying in 16 different languages sat a WSET exam in the last academic year alone.
The WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits underpins the skills needed in all areas of the spirit trade – customer service, hospitality, retail and wholesale.
The course covers the history, production and style of spirits of the world: Cognac, Armagnac and other brandies; Scotch, Bourbon and other whiskeys; white spirits, including vodka, rum, Tequila, gin; and liqueurs and other flavoured spirits. Tasting is part of every session with around 40 local and international spirits tasted over the duration of the course.
The first course in South Africa will take place at Van Ryn’s Distillery in Stellenbosch and will be lectured by spirits aficionado Dave Hughes and artisan distiller Roger Jorgensen. The course will last 6 weeks with a multiple-choice exam at the end.
Who is it aimed at?
• People employed in the spirits industry needing information on the characteristics of the principal spirits and liqueurs of the world, to provide guidance on brand selection and assist with tasting and evaluating of spirits and liqueurs using the Systematic Approach to Tasting.
• People who are not employed in the drinks industry, but who have a serious interest in spirits and wish to broaden their knowledge in a fun, informative yet structured way.
• People studying for wine qualifications and who would like a structured spirits course to support those qualifications.
There are limited places available for this course, so for more information, please go to www.thewinecentre.co.za . For more information about future courses in Stellenbosch, Cape Town and elsewhere, please contact Cathy Marston on info@thewinecentre.co.za
Course details.
Course Code L2SWL0513
Location Van Ryn’s Distillery, Stellenbosch
Date & Time Wednesdays from 22 May – 26th June, 6.30pm- 8.30pm (6 weeks, 2 hours/week)
Exam Wednesday 3rd July, 6.30pm
Cost R4,990 per person
Includes All tuition, all course material, exam, tasting of at least 40 local and international spirits and a lapel pin & certificate for successful candidates.
Namaqua Wines Abuzz With New Operation
“Off The Shelf” Sales Management System Transforms Business
Namaqua Wines is a highly successful company that not only markets and sells its own brand and range of wines but also distributes, in South Africa, the Van Loveren range of wines, certain wines for the US wine giant, Gallo and Nature’s Own cream products. Selling 25% of all boxed wine in South Africa, Namaqua Wines has a significant chunk of the market. A successful and growing wine marketing and distribution operation, the company has 14 branches and sales centres throughout South Africa.
However, Namaqua Wines needed to find a solution to a common problem experienced by medium sized sales operations … how to make its sales force even more focussed, effective and inspired to greater achievements. Namaqua Wines SA Managing Director, Koos van Dyk explains: “Sales reps are usually very good at what they do … selling. But they are invariably not very good at all the attendant admin that goes with the job. We wanted something that would streamline the process and allow them to do what they’re best at.”
Having attempted to design its own system and following investigations into other sales management systems, most of which were too large for their requirements, Namaqua Wines was delighted when the company, Field Office, presented its ‘HoneyBee’ product. At last, they had found their ideal solution.
The Field Office HoneyBee software is an ‘off the shelf’ product that has been designed to improve effective sales management and allow for instant information sharing. It helps sales reps manage their customer information … and it helps sales managers, through its complimentary web application, monitor sales and rep activity. As a Samsung tablet-based solution, Field Office HoneyBee is a highly effective productivity and management tool and one that obviates the need for companies to manage their own hardware, systems or cellular accounts. It’s as simple as ABC to get started – training for the reps takes all of five minutes – and it’s a low risk investment because HoneyBee is attractively priced with subscriptions from as little as R700 per rep per month.
So, how is NW measuring HoneyBee? “Our call rates are up by between 20 and 25%”, says Van Dyk. “It’s too early to tell what impact this will have on sales but we’re confident it can only go one way and that’s up.”
Namaqua Wines tested HoneyBee in Gauteng in December and knew immediately that it was effective and that it was helping to stimulate not only sales but also enthusiasm among their reps in the region. “We decided to move swiftly so, by mid-January, we bought all the necessary tablets and rolled out the software to all our reps nationally. I have no doubt that we will see increased sales performance and customer relationship management from now on. It has completely transformed our business and the way we operate.”
Key among NW’s main targets are independent retailers and HoneyBee allows the reps to show the range and pictures simply on the tablet. Van Dyk explains: “Their job is made much easier because all the information they want is available to them, right there on the tablet. For example, they can check the alcohol and sugar levels of a product and the merchandise material that’s available for that product, the pricing … you name it … it’s all there at the touch of a screen. It’s really simplified and enhanced the selling process for our reps and now they’re not hassled with the paperwork that used to clog up their flow.”
“Every morning, I log in to the web app and I can see, at a glance, on graphs and visuals, who’s been where and what’s been going on … I get a snapshot of what’s happening throughout the country. This means we can interact with our sales force far more meaningfully and positively – in real time – and give them the sales support they need, giving management the peace of mind that our customers are happy and that our sales are growing.”
In fact, HoneyBee represents a significant intervention in the way Namaqua Wines does business. “We used to check sales progress via our orders but now we can check call rates. HoneyBee allows us to be far more hands on in the management process because the people who need to see what’s going on can do so and quickly. It’s also an HR management tool – a win-win for everyone interested in the successful development and growth of the company.
Namaqua Wines has, in the past, tried and found wanting, other systems which were not able to be integrated with the company’s other IT systems properly. Working with Field Office, Namaqua plans to fully integrate its order capturing system so that, using HoneyBee, invoices will be created immediately. Meanwhile, the software system is wholly meeting the brief for a simple and highly effective sales management tool.
“People might think I should keep HoneyBee as a secret weapon in our sales armoury”, adds van Dyk, “but I’m so delighted with the system that I have been recommending others in the industry to use it too – I think it would be unfair not to share the fact that a management system that’s as easy as ‘buying the tablets’ can make such a difference to the way you operate. Certainly, for us, it’s already having a really positive impact on our business. The future looks even brighter for us now!”
South Africa’s 2013 Wine Tourism Handbook: Enjoying Wine at the Source
The eighth edition of the popular Wine Tourism Handbook is now available for sale both in bookshops and online. This image-rich, full-colour, comprehensive guide to the farms, restaurants, accommodation venues and activities found in South Africa’s Winelands is one of Wine Tourism South Africa’s (WTSA) most prestigious products. It works in tandem with WTSA’s other exciting social media and online platforms and campaigns to drive interest in the varied wine tourism offerings of the country.
The 2013 edition boasts several key refinements to previous editions but retains its unique core by offering a comprehensive list of farms, complete with opening hours, contact details and easy-to-read maps as well as a number of carefully selected destinations for dining, staying and playing!
This year, the Gourmand Award-winning publication offers independent reviews of Winelands restaurants ranging from delis to five-star establishments as well as route-by-route reviews of boutique wineries (those that make less than 5 000 cases of wine a year) and it showcases the winners of the popular Klink Awards – launched by Wine Tourism South Africa in 2012. More information can be found on the Klink Awards – the first consumer-driven, interactive wine tourism competition in the country – on www.winetourismsouthafrica.co.za. In addition, wine route information has been updated with editorial reflecting the inherent character of each route and photographs capturing the scenic beauty of each region. 
As wine tourism is about the entire experience – wine, food, people, activity and place – detailed listings are offered for the best places to eat, stay and play – whether that is casual cafés or fine dining, rustic cottages or five star hotels, a wine picnic on the river or helicopter flip over the vineyards. The Handbook is an indispensible companion to anyone looking to have a fun, meaningful and in-depth experience when visiting the country’s wine regions.
The publisher, Monika Elias, notes, “Wine tourism is a global phenomenon and it is a growing market, but we are fast getting the impression that here in South Africa, we do it rather well, perhaps better than most. Our handbook is a reflection of this burgeoning market”.
The Wine Tourism Handbook is #notjustwine, it is the complete Winelands experience in one colourful and beautifully-produced guide and at just R99.00 it offers tremendous value for money! The 288-page 2013 Wine Tourism Handbook can be ordered online or downloaded from www.winetourismsouthafrica.co.za and is available in all good bookstores.
For more information about Wine Tourism South Africa, the Wine Tourism Handbook and the Klink Awards, visit www.winetourismsouthafrica.co.za.
The Juliet Cullinan Standard Bank Wine Festival
at
SUMMER PLACE
Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th July 2012
17h30 – 21h00.
The 2012 Juliet Cullinan Standard Bank Wine Festival will move to
Summer Place, a setting of luxury and elegance.
We are delighted that the following wineries will be joining us this year:
Asara, Avondale, Beau Joubert, Bellingham – The Bernard Series, Bosman Family Vineyards, Bouchard Finlayson, Creation Wines, Darling Cellars, De Trafford, De Wetshof, Glenelly, Groot Constantia, Hamilton Russell, Hartenberg, Haute Cabriere, Iona, Jordan, Kaapzicht, KWV, Kyburg Wine Estate, Le Riche, Lomond, Lourensford, Mount Vernon, Neethlingshof, Neil Ellis, Noble Hill, Ormonde, Plaisir de Merle, Raka, Rijk’s, Rustenberg, Strandveld, Villiera, Vrede en Lust, Waterkloof, Zevenwacht
And showing some international stunners will be:
Great Domaines, Concha Y Torro, Domaine Grier and Wines of the World
Pick n Pay will again delight us with their fabulous range of deli foods.
Bené will be sponsoring the mineral water.
Capture and buy the essence of the Cape vintage in a wine glass.
All wines showcased during the Festival can be purchased through the
Makro Sip & Shop at special show prices
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT WEBTICKETS.CO.ZA
Tickets cost R130 per person if booked online, and R150 at the door.
This includes a wine glass, catalogue, and an evening of unlimited tastings.
Discounted group bookings on request.
Two Thirds Of SA Industry Already On Board For Cape Wine 2012
Cape Wine, hosted by Wines of South Africa (WOSA), is back after four years with a significant commitment from producers keen to showcase the major advances in local winemaking to the international trade fraternity of wine buyers, restaurateurs, sommeliers and media.
The three-day trade exhibition, to be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from September 25 to 27, has already drawn strong support from two-thirds of the country’s winemakers, including the major corporates, independents and artisanal producers who have confirmed their participation.
According to WOSA CEO Su Birch delegates will be coming from across Europe, the UK, North America, as well as Africa, Latin America, Hong Kong, China and Japan. “We are thrilled at the better than ever response from Asia and Africa, in particular.”
Birch, who has been CEO of WOSA since 2000, was recently honoured by UK wine market research company, Wine Intelligence as one of the world’s top ten personalities in wine, for her “instrumental role” in developing South Africa’s wine-producing reputation.
She said the 2012 business exhibition would be reviewing the massive advances in wine-growing, winemaking, and wine marketing made by South Africa since the opening of the country to world trade 20 years ago and would be featuring top names amongst established and new-generation vintners.
“In addition to an array of tastings, seminars and workshops, the programme will cover changes in wine styles, producers’ response to climate change and the management of scarce natural resources, as well as the protection of old vines as part of the industry’s heritage.”
She believed the already high level of interest in Cape Wine 2012 from both exhibitors and visitors, at this early stage, almost six months ahead of the opening, was due to a combination of several factors. “Despite its relatively short history as a participant in international wine markets, South Africa has distinguished itself both in terms of quality and pioneering programmes to promote eco-sustainability. This has earned global recognition for the country on both fronts, from the market and environmentalists, particularly in recent years.
“We are also very fortunate that we have built is a solid reputation for Cape Wine as a leading trade exhibition. Our past events have been described by some prominent delegates as the most successful of their kind anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere, from both a presentation and logistics point of view.
“We took a break from our bi-ennial cycle with South Africa’s hosting of soccer’s FIFA World Cup in 2010 so local winemakers are excited to showcase their portfolios after an interval of four years in which many have made significant strides.
“Another feature to generate widespread interest in the show is the strong accent on environmental sustainability, in keeping with the country’s very progressive approach to eco-friendly winemaking. We are believed to be the first wine exhibition worldwide to offer recyclable stands to the majority of exhibitors. The locally manufactured high-strength, repulpable composite fibre boards we are using are free of virgin-tree fibres and are fully collapsible for re-use by exhibitors at other events.”
Birch said the green theme was being translated into many facets of the show. Delegates were being accommodated within walking distance of the exhibition and would offset their flights by buying indigenous trees for planting the Winelands.
The evening before the show, September 24, would be devoted to a “green tie” party held at the V&A Waterfront, where wines would be matched with an array of local dishes.
WOSA’s Wine Link facility would give delegates advance access to a fully searchable database to plan their visits and even organise customised lists of wines for tasting from specific regions, styles and price points, she said.
To co-incide with Cape Wine 2012, a partnership of South African tourism bodies, working in concert with the wine industry, will host Vindaba, a trade exhibition of the country’s impressive range of wine tourism offerings. Presented during the same period and also at the CTICC, the initiative involves SA Tourism as well as the various Wine Routes, Cape Town Tourism, Cape Town Routes Unlimited and the Department of Finance, Tourism and Economic Development of the Western Cape.
For more information, visit www.capewine2012.co.za or www.vindaba.co.za.
