South Africa’s favourite talking, eating, drinking, laughing, singing, sharing wine is celebrating its 30th birthday this year. Fun, affordable, and best shared with friends, this cheeky Portuguese-style white wine has found its way onto tables around the country since its launch in 1983.
Wouter Pienaar, Colin Frith, Brian Glass and Duimpie Bayly, all themselves legends in the wine industry, at the Graça party, held at Die Strandloper in Langebaan.
To celebrate this incredible milestone, we take a walk down memory lane and find out where it all started and discover the secret behind this iconic brand’s 30 years of success.
Advertising – Then and now
Branding and advertising have always been the Graças’ brand strongest assets. The wine was launched in 1983 by Stellenbosch Farmers’ Winery and the quirky character of the wine was well displayed in its advertising, creating a recognisable character of its own.
Graca Wine ad from 1983
Graca rocking the 80s!
Graça ad from 2009
Graça ad from 2009
To mark its 30th, Graça will be sporting three festive birthday sleeves in yellow, green and blue. Each one tells the story of special times South Africans have shared with Graça – from unforgettable events like the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, to home-grown moments like the Lambertsbaai Kreeffees.
Memories and milestones
Graça was launched in 1983 by Stellenbosch Farmers’ Winery (SFW).
A trendsetter from the start, Graça was the first South African white wine to be made in the Portuguese Vinho Verde style. It went on to become one of SFW’s biggest success stories in the ‘80s.
Graça broke the million litre barrier in August 1988 and went on to pass 1.5 million litres in March 1989. It reached the two million litre mark in 1990.
Over the years, the price, which was about R3 when launched, has stayed low. A bottle of Graça is currently retailing for around R30 at bottle.
