Today’s Shanken News Daily from the publisher of Wine Spectator (below, with an SA wine estate owner) raves about SA wine exports to the USA. The story would be even more convincing if Marv updated his stats. “South African wine may still be a relatively small category in the U.S. market—with bottled shipments up 11% to 954,000 cases last year—but its expansion has accelerated lately, and key players are bullish on growth opportunities, especially at the premium end.” 954,000 12 bottle cases is 8.5 million litres while SAWIS give the bottled figure as 9.4 million. So someone is a million litres short.

In total volumes, its even more convincing at over 25 million litres. But Marv prefers to deal in bottle cases, in which case the US is not the sixth largest market for SA wine as he avers, but fifth. But what is more encouraging is the prediction of double digit growth.

“Where South Africa is showing the most growth is not under $10, but in the $10-$15 and $15-$20 tiers,” says Johann Meissenheimer, managing director of Indigo Wine Group, whose South African portfolio includes the Robertson, Rustenberg and Groot Constantia labels. “It’s safe to expect 10%-15% growth for the category the next five to 10 years.”

The Mulderbosch operation of Chas Banks comes in for praise, too. “Another South African brand on the move is Mulderbosch Vineyards, which has seen significant investment since being acquired by Terroir Capital in 2011 and aims to triple its U.S. sales volume to 150,000 cases within five years. Mulderbosch has focused on its Chenin Blanc ($13-$14), Sauvignon Blanc ($17), Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon ($10), and Faithful Hound Bordeaux blend ($25) in the U.S.