SOUTH AFRICAN WINES ON THE RISE

Consumers are developing quite a taste for wines from South Africa. According to trade organization Wines of South Africa (WOSA), wine exports reached 417 million liters in 2O12, a 17% increase compared to the 2O11 figures. The amount of wine exported is the largest by the country to date and 1O million liters more than the previous record achieved in 2OO8. The growth is primarily due to favorable currency rates and decrease in harvests in other wine producing regions like Europe, South America, Australia, and New Zealand. WOSA CEO Su Birch said among all the exports, bulk accounted for 59% of volumes in 2O12, in-line with the trend across the world, but favored packaged wines growth as they offer higher returns and meets the mainstream markets needs.