The Pinotage Association of South Africa


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Pinotage comes out tops at WineX people’s poll

Pinotage received a resounding thumbs-up by Cape Town and Johannesburg wine lovers in the Best Wines on Show ballot conducted at RMB WineX held recently in both cities. In Cape Town, attended by 6 500 visitors with close to 900 wines on show by 154 exhibitors, the Diemersfontein Pinotage 2008, KWV Café Culture 2009 and Barista Coffee Pinotage received the most votes overall and took the top three places respectively as the best red wines on show.

In Johannesburg more than 16 000 wine lovers and members of the trade attended the show to sip and swirl over 1 000 wines lined up by 200 exhibitors and the Diemersfontein Pinotage 2009 was voted the best red wine.

RMB WineX Cape Town took place from 9 to 11 September at the CTICC. Both exhibitor numbers and show attendance figures reveal a decrease on previous years’ show attendance. However, the Shop@Show retail facility, managed for the first time this year by Picardi-Rebel, was very successful with a turnover of R235 000 in wine sales. Sales were consistent with the average revenue per exhibitor in 2008 and presented a fair spread over white and red wines as well as price range. True to the ballot, the Diemersfontein Pinotage was the overall top seller for the show in both case quantities and revenue.

RMB WineX Johannesburg was held at the Sandton Convention Centre from 27 to 30 October. A seven percent increase in visitor numbers exceeded all expectations in the current economic climate as more than 16 000 wine lovers and members of the trade attended the show.

In what is widely regarded as one of the most credible exercises in measuring wine popularity among consumers, the Talk Radio 702 Best Wine on Show Awards recognise and reward the country's top wines offered for sampling at the show. Ninety-eight percent of winery exhibitors received votes at the show reflecting both a rise in ballot participation as well as an increase in brand awareness and wine appreciation. Vrede en Lust received the most votes for their wide range of wines on show.