Despite the excitement generated by South Africa’s far-flung wine regions, location is still of paramount importance when it comes to marketing the country’s industry to the masses.
In this regard Groot Constantia is a real sitter. Not only is it the country’s oldest wine estate, but at a 20 minute drive from the Cape Town city centre, it is this venerable winery that is going to get the mileage when a big gig rolls into town.
And it doesn’t get much bigger ?+¦-+???+¦-ú?-¦?+¦-ú?+¦+¦ yet ?+¦-+???+¦-ú?-¦?+¦-ú?+¦+¦ than next week’s draw for the 2010 World Cup when they eyes of the world will focus on South Africa when Cape Town hosts the occasion of deciding who will play whom, where during the soccer tournament.
Here Groot Constantia has scored a coup -,over 600 of the 4 000 strong foreign media contingent attending ,the draw will ,descend on Groot Constantia courtesy of Fifa for an introduction into the Cape’s wine splendour.
With Nederburg Wines being an official sponsor of 2010, some Distell bigwigs will surely be peed off by this opportunity becoming a rival in the wine market.
But taking on Fifa, the world’s soccer body organising and profiting from the World Cup Soccer Tournament, will not be a wise move for Distell. As that quaint Afrikaans saying goes: Jy krap nie aan die leeu se bal nie. (Translation: Pray, do not make any attempt to scratch the testicles of a lion.)
Who else ,in the wine community is going to benefit from the World Cup is a very popular question of late. Local municipalities who are vying to host teams during the tournament have done diddly squat to get the support of the local community behind the tournament.
Here the Stellenbosch municipality ?+¦-+???+¦-ú?-¦?+¦-ú?+¦+¦ which includes Franschhoek and Pniel – ,has been a particular disaster. Despite an initial launch campaign in June 2008 to muster support for 2010 among the wine community, the current mayor canned the whole project.
To date, nothing more has been done to get the greater Stellenbosch wine community behind the tournament and assist its residents and businesses in ensuring locals benefit from this once-in-a-lifetime event.
Hopefully next week’s draw will get those concerned to wake-up, smell the coffee and get off their arses.
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