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The author outlines the recent career of Phyllis Hands, the South African born founder of the Cape Wine Academy. He shows how, since a chance association with a small vineyard in the early days, she has steadily increased her involvement with the South African wine industry. She has now developed the twin roles of a public relations officer for South African wine and a leading educator on the subject.

This is intended to be the first of a series studying the way in which a small number of people have had a compelling effect upon the South African Wine Industry. John Platter's annual production of his South African Wine Guide since 1980, with tasting and other notes on every South African wine known to be available, as well as a host of technical and statistical data, has penetrated the whole industry.

The purpose of this study is to explore South African and Italian consumers' attitude toward online wine purchasing. In detail, through the application of the technology acceptance model (TAM), this research intends to explain the antecedents of consumers actual online purchasing of wine in South Africa and Italy.

Two questionnaire-based surveys were conducted, yielding a sample of 190 consumers in South Africa and 179 in Italy. Data were analyzed through several techniques including t-tests, principal component factor analyses, and binary logistic regressions.

Overall, the findings show that South African and Italian online wine consumers are more similar than the offline wine consumers. However, perceived usefulness has an impact on the use of the online channel to purchase wine in Italy but not in South Africa, whereas perceived complexity has an effect in South Africa but not in Italy.

This study adopts a convenience sampling technique, suggesting that the used samples are not representative of the whole population. Moreover, TAM offers a simple and clear understanding of the actual use of wine e-commerce but overlooks other potential explanatory factors.

Targeting online wine consumers in South Africa and Italy opens up the opportunity for using cross-national highly standardized product and communication strategies. However, different approaches are required to convert offline wine consumers to online wine consumers in South Africa and Italy.

This is the first cross-national study investigating consumers' attitude toward online wine purchasing in South Africa and Italy. Moreover, it offers a comparison of online and offline wine consumers in the two countries. In addition, the research offers a new point of view over consumers of Italy and South Africa, two important countries in terms of wine production and consumption that can be very beneficial for wineries owners and managers.

This study aims to identify the preferences of wine consumers based on age cohorts to identify differences in consumption from a developing country perspective, with a predominantly younger population, to determine wine consumption longevity.

The target population was wine consumers in South Africa. Through convenience sampling, the data were collected in 2020 via a self-administered online questionnaire. In total, 20,997 fully completed the questionnaire. The age categories of the respondents were assigned to a particular age cohort to differentiate the market.

The age cohorts revealed five cohorts, namely, Gen Z: 18–24 years (11%); Young Gen Y: 25–34 years (32%); Mature Gen Y: 35–44 years (25%); Gen X: 45–54 years (17%); and Baby boomers: 55+ years (15%). Segmenting South African wine consumers based on their age cohorts revealed statistically significant differences based on their socio-demographics, wine preferences and consumption behavior. A typology of domestic wine consumers is consequently proposed: basic, budget conscious and image-oriented wine drinking Gen Z’s; experimenting and enjoyment-oriented wine drinking Young Gen Y-ers; aspirational and purposive wine drinking Mature Gen Y-ers; ritual-oriented, avid and conspicuous wine drinking Gen X-ers; and conservative, value-seeking and experienced wine drinking Baby Boomers.

This knowledge has important marketing implications and can create a greater appreciation for South African wines among the different age cohorts. The research shows the value of the generational theory in understanding wine consumers’ consumption and highlights the importance of analyzing different generations rather than solely focusing on one, as this could lead to mismanagement of resources.

This is one of the most comprehensive national surveys aimed at the South African wine consumer. The research fills the current literature gap regarding the characteristics of the different age cohorts and shows how wine consumption and preferences may change over time.

This is an update of the article in Number 3 of Volume 4 of the Journal in 1992. The omnipotence of KWV backed by the Afrikaans — led government shielded wine farmers to the extent that they became complacent both before and during the world sanctions. The change of government, downfall of apartheid, and lifting of sanctions all wrought revolutionary changes including a government enquiry into KWV and the wine industry as a whole. Incidentally, export inexperience of many wineries caused errors of judgement in that field. The most widespread was resultant local shortages in spite of previous reassurances to the contrary. The recent worldwide “fruit‐forward” wine style fashion puzzled South African farmers who reacted in various ways and completely out of unison. Nor were they helped by the realisation of the fact that there was widespread vine disease in the country. Nevertheless, exporting volumes quickly surpassed expectation, and consequently the total area under vines began to increase, with many new names entering the industry. The old price control disappeared and market forces began to take control once again. One example of these is the international shortage of red wine, leading to the previously unheard of importation of low priced red wine. Summing up, it is clear that South Africa, the eighth largest of the world's producers, is firmly back in the international wine and spirit market. This is assisted by increasing tourism to the beautiful Cape.

Natural wine was not a factor in South Africa until after 1935. However, the hybrid Pinotage was produced in the 1920's and the now quasi government KWV representing wine farmers, was far reachingly empowered to fix the price of distilling wine. South Africa is traditionally a national brandy and beer drinking nation, and that largely stands today. The monopolistic KWV backed by the Afrikaaner government since 1948 has continuously increased its hold as a stabilising force. In reply the producing wholesalers have merged from many into four very large firms of which SFW is by far the biggest. Even the two largest of those were controlled by one firm until joined by KWV, their long term adversary, which took a thirty percent interest SFW's vision of natural wine being more healthy than spirits has been its theme from the time of its founder W.C. Winshaw in 1935. This is demonstrated in many ways. The new South African government, no longer Afrikaaner led, has set up a competition's board enquiry which is almost certainly destined to change completely, the face of the whole SA wine and spirits industry. The purpose of this paper is to set on record the old regime, and Stellenbosch Fanner's part therein as a matter of record and learning.

This study aims to describe South African consumers’ wine risk perception on varietal level with recommendations for Chenin blanc.

An exploratory mixed methods approach was followed where qualitative data were used to develop the questionnaire. Quantitative data were collected from 2,051 respondents using an online survey. ANOVA and Fischer least significance difference tests were used to indicate statistical significance.

Significant perceived risks (PRs) associated with Chenin blanc across age and ethnic groups were functional, time and financial risks. Risk-reducing strategies (RRS) in the white wine category were favourite brands and a trusted store, while Sauvignon blanc was also described as an RRS. Recommended Chenin blanc RRS include tastings and events with food.

Measurement of PR remains challenging. This research approach can be reproduced and/or adapted to investigate other struggling varietals and/or regions-of-origin. The convenience sample limits generalisability.

Segments were identified to develop new markets for Chenin blanc. RRS emphasise the importance of real sensory experience rather than media exposure to build knowledge and familiarity.

This study is a pioneering endeavour in terms of using an exploratory mixed methods research approach to investigate and describe risk perception of a specific wine varietal. Recommendations, with implications for strategic marketing decisions, are made for South African Chenin blanc.

This is the third in a series highlighting the influence an individual can have on the South African Wine Industry. De Wet decided that the Plant Control Board's bureaucracy should be breached because he felt it was doing more harm than good to the wine industry. As a fifth generation Afrikaner he grew up steeped in wine farming and away from town life. His total dedication was strongly reinforced by his experience and graduation at Geisenheim Research Institute during the South African Sanction Years. Following this experienced Mid‐European viticulturists guided him philosophically and practically in leadership of the industry and into the noble white grape cultivars. Mistakes were made but determination and veracity brought world recognition and success to Danie de Wet and, through him, to the whole SA wine industry.

The purpose of this paper is to: determine the relative importance that Generation Y consumers indicate for 13 wine attributes in their selection of wine; determine if these wine attributes are significantly distinct in importance in the mind of the consumer; and compare the wine attribute importance findings with the US findings of Chrysochou et al. (2012).

Quantitative data were gathered from a convenience student sample (n=429) to which the Best-Worst Scaling method was applied for 13 pre-determined wine attributes in a Balanced Incomplete Block Design. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, t-tests and mixed model repeated measure ANOVA.

Respondents were able to differentiate between the importance of wine attributes. Taste was the most important wine attribute followed by someone recommended it. Alcohol level below 13 per cent was least important. Firm controlled information such as information on back label was of little importance. South African Generation Y consumers seem to select wine similarly to those in the USA.

Findings contribute to generation-based research in wine marketing and increase the understanding of the wine selection behaviour of Generation Y consumers in South Africa. More effective marketing strategies to Generation Y consumers can result to grow wine consumption in this significant segment.

This article develops an econometric valuation methodology that is applied to identifying value in South African red wines. It is found that quality, as simultaneously measured by Wine magazine and Platter star ratings, is the dominant factor in explaining the cross‐section of prices. However, together with a varietal dummy these factors are only able to explain about 40% of the variation in wine prices. This implies that there is considerable value that may be gleaned through informed bargain seeking using this tool. Indeed, at certain levels of value there is more than a 50% differential in price.