Lafras Huguenet

In a move to unlock further value to its grape growers and the business in general, Orange River Cellars has bought the Farmers Pride Raisins facility outside the town of Keimoes in the Northern Cape. Farmers Pride produces some 4 000 tons of premier quality raisins a year from grapes grown and dried in a region internationally renowned for this sought-after dried fruit product.

Top image: Siwelile Thusi

In a first for the South African wine industry, the Delush wine brand has produced a limited wine edition sporting the face of one of its proudest ambassadors.

Top image: Tshepiso Mabulana

Top image: Ayanda MVP

A significant part of the success of Delush wines, one of South Africa’s fastest growing brands, can be attributed to the marketing campaign centred around the use of influencers to pass on the personality of the brand. This is hot wine marketing at its best and the way forward…..Meet Delush Fearless Tastemaker number two and superstar influencer Ayanda MVP.

Top image: Njabs Zwane 

Watch, listen and talk to them. Delush, South African’s newest coolest and most happening wine brand has teamed up with three Fearless Tastemakers.

For once the whole South African wine industry is looking at Orange River Cellars and the Northern Cape wine region. While the Western Cape wine grape crop is expected to be up to 30% lower than the average due to the crippling drought there, Orange River Cellars appears to be on course for a good, healthy crop.

Top image: Charl du Plessis

The South African agriculture landscape is not new to Charl du Plessis, newly appointed CEO of Orange River Cellars, but he quickly admits that the country’s wine industry has more questions than answers.

Launching a new wine into a South African market saturated with 8 000 brands might be akin to jumping into a pool of sharks wearing a Speedo made from Kalahari biltong. But where there is a will, there is a way, and for Orange River Cellars the word “impossible” does not exist.

Accolades for Orange River Cellars Muscadel wines are hardly news for wine consumers these days, but this year the Northern Cape producer’s long-running success story has truly reached new heights.