In the 12 months preceding October 2009, South Africans have put a cork in their local wine and brandy consumption.
But according to the South African Wine Industry Information & Systems (SAWIS), despite the local slump in domestic wine buying – down by 5.7% (295 million litres) with brandy sales down 8.8% from the same period of the previous year – it has not been an entirely dry season for the local wine industry. Although bulk wine exports were reportedly down a whopping 20%, exports of packaged wine went up by 9.4% during the same period. The sales drying up domestically were due in part to the global recession. Next year’s FIFA World Cup is expected to boost sales on home soil again, but with the coming harvest expected to be down from 2008/2009 due to a late winter, a “challenging” spring, smaller plantings and problems with downy mildew, it will result in the domestic sales of wine and brandy remaining stable in 2010.
