I don't want South African wine to be known as “great value.”

And I know that might sound strange coming from someone in the South African wine industry.

Because yes - our wines can offer incredible value.

We have old vines. Incredible diversity. Some seriously exciting Chenin Blanc and Syrah. Ancient soils. Cool-climate regions. Indigenous varieties. And producers doing things that simply don't exist anywhere else.

Yet when South African wine is discussed internationally, I still hear one phrase again and again: “Great value.”

And yes. It is. But why does that so often become the headline?

Because if we constantly position South African wine around value, we risk teaching the market to ask:

“How cheap is it?”

Instead of:

“What makes this wine worth discovering?”

And I think that's where we need to shift the conversation.

Talk about:

•⁠ ⁠Place

•⁠ ⁠Heritage

•⁠ ⁠People

•⁠ ⁠Innovation

•⁠ ⁠Old vines

•⁠ ⁠Diversity

•⁠ ⁠Authenticity

Tell the stories. Take people into the vineyards.

Introduce them to the winemakers. Explain the history.

Show them what makes a particular farm, region or vineyard impossible to replicate. Because South Africa doesn't need to convince the world that our wines are inexpensive. We need to convince the world that they are distinctive.

And the exciting part?

We don't have to invent that story. It's already there.

There are producers making extraordinary wines right now.

The challenge is getting more people to discover them. That's something I want to be part of.

Not just selling South African wine. Telling people why they should care about it. 🇿🇦🍷

So I'm curious:

What do you think South African wine should be known for internationally?