MATIHEW CLARK

Boost for five Distell wine brands in UK

Distell, South Africa's biggest producer of wines

and also the 10th biggest marketer of wines

worldwide, is extending its presence in the UKs

on-trade with the appointment of Matthew Clark

(MC) to represent five of its key brands.

The five Distell brands it is now representing

are Nederburg, Fleur du Cap, Durbanvifie Hifis,

Pongracz and Drostdy-Hof.

MC is a leading distributor in the UK and

represents producers from all over the world. It

has won a range of awards for the high level at

which it services the Britain's restaurants, pubs

and style bars.

Distell's international director, Don Gallow,

confirmed that the distributor was in discussions

with several pub chains regarding listings for the

brands which span a variety of price points.

He added that as a priority MC would

focus on building support for The Manor by

Nederburg. This label has been developed for

MC in the on-trade.

While the five brands had generally continued to

record good volume growth in the UK, despite the

o ABOVE: Don Gallow has spelled out plans to

raise the profile of five Distell wine brands in the UK

on-consumption trade.

persistence of tough trading conditions, Gallow said

raising their on-trade profile would help to establish

stronger loyalties with UK consumers.

"Matthew Clark's thorough expertise and

understanding of the UK on-trade's needs and

its knowledge of consumers and their changing

spending patterns make the company well placed

to maximise exposure for our brands"

Wines of South Africa CEO Su Birch said the

partnership between Distell and Matthew Clark

was great news for South African wine.

"In the on-trade, South Africa has seen a year-

on-year increase in value sales of 23% for 2010" said

Birch. "The new partnership should see South Africa

continuing to gain significant ground in sectors

where there is room for further profitable growth'

In the six months to December 31, 2010,

Distell improved its share of South Africa's total

bottled wine exports.

JOHNNIE WALKER

Emerging markets work for Diageo

Diageo, the world's biggest drinks maker and the

parent company of South Africa's Brandhouse

Beverages, has reported a 2% rise in half-year

profits helped by good trading in emerging markets.

The producer of Smirnoff vodka, Johnnie

Walker, Bell's and J&B whiskies and Guinness

made profits of1.Thn with sales up 4% to £53bn.

Diageo reported that better trading in Africa,

Latin America and Asia had helped to offset

weaker sales in Europe where consumers moved

to cheaper drinks. It forecast enhanced profit

growth this year as key markets recovered.

Chief executive Paul Walsh said: "Despite

the economic weakness in much of Europe,

our first-half performance gives me increased

confidence that we will improve on the organic

operating profit growth we deliver:'

Africa, Latin America, and Asia make up

about a third of group earnings.

It has a large Scotch business in South America

and South Africa and a sizeable beer business in

Africa through brands such as Amstel, Heineken,

Tusker and Guinness. Growth in these markets

continued throughout the global downturn.

2011 VINTAGE

Van Loveren first out of the blocks

Van Loveren Wines in the Robertson Valley was

the first South African winery to release a 2011

vintage wine.

The 2011 Van Loveren Sauvignon Blanc is said

to have a zesty freshness and to be intensely crisp

and aromatic with flavours of apple, freshly cut

grass and figs. The wine is described as an excellent

match for seafood dishes and white meat pastas.

AN HE USER-BUSCH

World's biggest brewer cautious on beer sales

Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB), the world's largest

brewer, has forecast little growth in beer sales

over the next couple of months as the United

States and Brazil, two of its key markets, recover. It

described sales there as "soff

The company, whose brands include Stella

Artois and Budweiser, reported a 39% jump in

profits to $1.2bn for the last three months of 2010.

Cost savings were behind the growth, with beer

sales for the quarter up only 1.4% - and 2.1%

higher for the whole of 2010.

The brewer said that unemployment in the

US was hitting beer sales, although there were

early signs of improvement "If sustained, we

believe this would improve consumer confidence,

positively impacting the beer industry'

In the US, which is still the world's largest

economy and where AB's marketshare is about

50%, it shipped 0.9% less beer. However, it raised

prices and some drinkers took the premiumisation

route to higher-priced beers.

Beer volumes in Brazil, where AB has about

70% of the market, grew by 3.4% in the fourth

quarter, a drop from the 14% in the first nine

months of 2010.

The company is hoping to boost sales with new

products, including Budweiser Lime in China,

Stella Artois Black in the UK and Skol 360 and

Antarctica Sub Zero in Brazil.

Beverage business \ ' Gugulethu wine festival

/

42 APRIL 2011 Hotel&Restaurant

r

Guguletu to get its very own

WINE FESTIVAL ITAAII Ongong affempts to rase interest H wne among South Afhca's largest popJaton group have been gN'en a boost by the decsbn to stage a wne festival H GugJetu that is expected to become as bg an annua event as the Soweto Wne FestvaL

Restaurateurs Mzoli Ngcawuzele and

Lungile Mbalo from Mzoli's Place in

Cape Town have hired the Soweto Wine

Festival organising team to launch the

first Guguletu Wine Festival that will take

place on May27 and 28 on the roof-top of the

Guguletu Square Mall.

Marilyn Cooper, co-founder of the Soweto

Wine Festival and MD of the Cape Wine

Academy, will manage the wine estate

exhibitors. Hot Salsa Media, sponsorship and

PR professionals for the Soweto Wine Festival,

will manage the sponsorship, public relations

and VIPs for the new event.

A Cape Wine Master, Cooper says: "We

are delighted to be in Guguletu. It is the next

o LEFT: Wine spreads happiness every year at the

Soweto Wine Festival. Now the concept is coming to

Cape Town.

o BELOW Lungile Mbalo, a co-founder of the

Gugulelu Wine Festival says: "We have the beaulilul

people, the class, character and the desire to enjoy

wine and its lifeslyle."

Soweto and we know it is an important market

to introduce to the wine estates. It is just as

important for the residents of Guguletu to meet

their neighbours and experience the wonderful

world of wine, which is at their fingertips.

"We are very excited to be in partnership

with professionals such as Mzoli and Lungile

because they are committed to this event as a

regular Cape Town feature. So far we have had a

great response from the wine farms"

Lungile Mbalo, co-founder of the Guguletu

Wine Festival, says: "Getting a professional team

together seemed like the logical decision as we

want to see this festival grow in the same vein as

the Soweto Wine Festival.

"We have learnt that you only ever work with

people that have the same passion as you. It is

time to raise your wine glass in Guguletu. We

have the beautiful people, the class, character

and the desire to enjoy wine and its lifestyle:"

Co-founder Mzoli Ngcawuzele is best known

as owner of Mzoli's Place in Guguletu, and as

the property developer behind the Guguletu

Square Mall.

Among the objectives of the festival are the

enhancement of awareness of wine and wineries

and the promotion of Guguletu as a tourist

destination. It is hoped to provide a favourable

environment in which to position wine brands

within Cape Town's Black middle-class segment.

Says Ngcawuzele: "Now that we have hired

the right people, we are moving in the right

direction. We all have a passion for wine and

professionalism in business. There will be

approximately 50 wine exhibitors, wine lounges,

big brand sponsors and around 2 000 visitors

over the two days.

"This is a glamorous affair for residents, top

businesspeople and celebrities in Guguletu and

Cape Town and will become a hot event annually'

The festival will have a VIP area for invited

guests and captains of industry. •

At your service \ What's new 1_AJ

44 APRIL 2011 Hotel&Restaurant