The effects of WOSA’s reduced promotional spend in the UK, down from R3.6 to R2.3 million this year, is becoming all too obvious.  The Telegraph has given SA the cold shoulder in its recommendations of whites, rosés and reds for summer with wonderful bottle shots supplied by the splendidly named Heathcliff O’Malley.  So what chances a Telly Tubby gets a business class plane ticket out to Cape Wine 2012 in September?  Quite high, I would have thought, as last year WOSA were offering free copies of their ill-fated braii boek to Telegraph readers while readers of the SA Sunday Times were told to buy their own.  The promotion clearly backfired rather badly.

Chile, Australia, Argentina and New Zealand are all represented but the Old World dominates: France, Spain, Portugal and Italy.  Probably thanks to a weak Euro.  Morocco even features in the shape of a Syrah by Alain Graillot.  SA producers should urgently enquire what happened to their R2.3 million, as to be totally ignored by the Telly Tubbies is a tragedy.