Sue Birch is the CEO of Wines of South Africa. She was speaking at the inaugural seminar: South Africa Wine-2010 and Beyond where she
presented a scenario which puts India optimistically ahead of South Africa in wine production in the short span of ten years.
'It is 2018 and last month Madonna celebrated her 60th birthday with the first rock concert ever held on the moon. She was flown there courtesy of Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson's space-fleet, now owned by the Chinese,' said Sue in jest at the start reflecting on the increasing Chinese influence in the planet.
China & India- the super producers
'It is 2018 and the Chinese dominate the so-called cheap and cheerful wine market, although they consume 70% of it domestically, mostly mixed with 7-UP. South Africa has been displaced from its position as the 9th biggest producer in the world by China and India, both of whom have more vineyards and produce more wine than we do.'
'South Africa hasn't stood still however. Nearly all the land identified as potentially suitable for wine grapes in a study in 2007, has been developed. So hectares under wine grapes have increased from roughly 100,000 in 2008 to just over 140,000 in 2018.'
'These new vineyards are planted along the Western and Eastern coasts, largely with Mediterranean varieties, more suited to the changing environment. The change in the structure of our vineyards is remarkable.'
Shift to the Reds
In 1988 white varieties, mainly Chenin and Colombard, accounted for 85% of all plantings. Massive re-plantings took place in the 90's and by 2008 white varieties accounted for only 56% of all plantings. Shiraz had gone from 1% to 10%. Today we have 55% of our vineyards as red wine and there has been strong growth in new red varieties.
Foreign Investment the Key
'Much of the new development has come from foreign investors who recognised that South Africa is producing some of the world's finest and most distinctive wines. They have also been attracted by the industry's proactive attitude to sustainable farming, and what the landscape has to offer the world's tourists. These investors have been looking for areas less susceptible to global warming than the traditional wine areas of Europe, and indeed the impact on South Africa has been, as was predicted back in 2007, less dramatic than in other areas,' said Sue.
Sustainability the Strength
'Looking back, we can see South Africa was way ahead of the curve on sustainability. The first milestone was the introduction of IPW, or integrated production of wine some twenty years back in 1998, which was a philosophy voluntarily adopted across the industry.'
Hannuwa philosophy of environment
'Another milestone dates back to 2004 when the South African producers adopted the hannuwa philosophy; hannuwa is an ancient Khoi San (bushman) word for the gathering of good fortune through living in sustainable harmony with the natural environment. The Khoi San or bushman were the original environmentalists, who saw the land as a source of life- a gift to mankind that nourishes, supports and teaches. In that same tradition, at Cape Wine 2006 over 700 growers pledged to farm sustainably, to be a custodian of the land and preserve it for future generations and to protect the unique and valuable biodiversity of the wine lands.'
The Anticipated Food Crisis of 2018
'The food supply crisis the world is facing today in 2018 is a result of environmental degradation and the loss of biodiversity. In the past 10 years a quarter of a million species have been lost. Today there are hardly any fish left, and it will take thousands of years to restore the breeding grounds and coral reefs.'
'Way back in 2003 the foresighted Cape wine growers recognized the huge responsibility of producing wine, a mono-culture, in an area of unique biodiversity. The Cape Floral Kingdom was known to be home to over 9600 plant species, more than in all the countries of the northern hemisphere added together.'
'With the introduction of the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative in 2005 the growers started to put land into conservation status and restore and rehabilitate the natural habitat. So committed were they that by 2008 they had put over 75 000 hectares on their farms into conservation, a footprint the same size as that of the vineyards.'
Global Warming and South Africa
'Today 10 years on in 2018, the conservation footprint is bigger than that of our vineyards, and we can see huge benefits. The removal of thirsty alien plants and trees has improved the water table, buffering the Cape against the effects of global warming. Natural strips of habitat between the vineyards mean less pests, better water retention and attract thousands of tourists as the fynbos in the vineyards burst into bloom each September.'
IPW Certification and Traceability
'In 2010 the Cape Wine industry took the bold step of making IPW i.e. sustainability, a pre-requisite for certification. They linked this to the Wine of Origin Scheme, and this meant that the Wine and Spirit Board, appointed by the Dept. of Agriculture, could guarantee that the wine was sustainably produced, the same way it had always guaranteed the origin, vintage and varietal.
Since then consumers have been able to trace the bottle of wine they had just bought right back to the practices in the vineyard where the grapes were grown, by checking the numbers on the new bus ticket. No other country, despite huge investment, has been able to replicate this and it positioned South Africa as a world leader in being environmentally friendly, a position it still holds today.'
Export Perspective in 2018
Reflecting on the export perspective in the next 10 years, she said,'Greater prosperity has come to all. Back in 1998 SA exported only 116 million litres of wine. 10 years later in 2008 it exported 360 million litres. The figure in 2018 now is 500 million litres.'
High quality wines
Talking of the improving quality of SA wines using its terroir and emphasis on quality rather than quantity, Sue added, 'The key element in this success is that today only 30% of SA wines compete in the mass value market. The rest of our wines carry the premium they deserve. We have opened up the treasure trove of possibilities given us by two oceans, ancient soils, and a wonderful diversity of microclimates to make wines that have a unique sense of place.'
In her concluding remarks which have great relevance for the producers of India, Birch said, 'South Africa is the land where Nelson Mandela showed us anything is possible.'
Subhash Arora
Cape Town
September 23, 2008 |