Guerilla attack at the Alliance Francais

Monday’s results from Distell said it all. “The spirits portfolio  showed a volume decline, primarily as a result of the depressed performance of South Africa’s brandy category.” Now why is this exactly? Clearly not because the product is second rate: Van Ryn and KWV both won trophies for best brandy in the world this year. Its more likely a failure of marketing. When we exhibited six brandies at the Pendock Wine Gallery @ Taj for the month of July, how many brandy marketers made it? Zero.

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Now whisky is another spirit entirely. Invited by Simon Groll to the launch of Fair: a Fair Trade Vodka made from Bolivian Quinoa and a sister Rum from Belize last night, I was joined by Bernard Gutman (above and below) at the Alliance Francais. B is Cape Town’s #1 whisky wonk and he arrived like a bagman from a mafia movie with a 21 year old bottle of Irish.

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This is guerilla marketing at its best. Colonize a competitor’s launch with your own spirit, smuggled in under their very noses. Heck, pour them a glass as well, why don’tya?

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Could you ever imagine this happing with Brandy, Richard Rushton? Could you even imagine a Fair Trade Brandy? It’s not Brandy that’s lost its mojo, its the marketers. And look at the audience Bernard targeted (below)

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Young, beautiful, spirit aware.

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Perhaps B should be hired to activate the brandy category. He also gives excellent massages, I hear.