Selling SA becomes counter-productive

Who says pressure groups don’t work? Wineoption.org, a UK-based consumer group, conducted a survey over Christmas and one of their conclusions was that supermarket wines should be sorted by style, rather than country of origin. As they reported “78% [of respondents] indicated dissatisfaction with the current method of merchandising by country of origin and variety, and felt that it would be helpful if wines were displayed by categories such as ‘light and refreshing’ and ‘big and full bodied.’ We think this survey is further evidence that the wine trade – and specifically the powerful supermarkets – are not yet listening to their customers. It’s about time they did.”

Well Wineorg’s wish was Tesco’s command and the largest UK supermarket chain “has reshuffled its wine team so that buyers are focusing on product types rather than countries of origin” according to Off License News. Tesco wine category manager Claire Lorains is quoted as saying: “Changing focus away from country and towards product type will enable us to continue our industry-leading work of providing value at every price point.”

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So if consumers and retailers don’t want a country offering, the need for generic SA tastings in London evaporates as does the need for WOSA, Wines of SA, the exporters’ mouthpiece, in its current form. Marketing should be devolved down to wine styles to address the requirements of the marketplace. Cracks were already beginning to show in WOSA’s London Wine Trade Fair offering with the Sauvignon Blanc Interest Group in particular rejecting the proposed “pod model” and just about everyone rejecting the cringeworthy beer & biltong get-together for press and supermarket buyers.

WOSA needs to leave the field and let SBIG, the Chenin Association, the Cap Classique Producers Association and the Swartland Independent get on with the business of marketing their own products. After all, the customer is always right.