South Africans will be flying the flag high at the London Olympic Games in 2012. Renowned brand Fairtrade is proud to represent South African wines as the official wines of the games this year. This is a golden marketing opportunity for Fairtrade and South African wines.
In an Olympic first, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) tasked buyers at UK wine merchant Bibendum with securing almost 650,000 litres of 2012 vintage wine for a range to be sold at all Games venues this summer.
The three chosen wines, packaged in recyclable PET bottles, hail from South Africa and up-and-coming Brazil. South Africa’s largest certified Fairtrade wine estate, Stellenrust, has supplied a Chenin Blanc and a rosé made from Pinotage, Shiraz and Merlot.
Of the various categories of Fairtrade products in the UK, wine is one of the fastest-growing, with sales up by 12% in volume last year, to 6.5m litres.
James Bennett, account manager at the Fairtrade Foundation told Decanter.com, “It shows that Fairtrade wine has come a very long way in terms of quality and in terms of people wanting it.”
Meanwhile, Brazil’s Miolo-owned Seival Estate is supplying a Shiraz and Tempranillo blend, containing a small amount of Gamay Nouveau. While not Fairtrade, its selection is a nod to the next Olympics, Rio 2016, and to Brazil’s emergence on the world wine scene.
Around 9m tickets have been sold for Olympic and Paralympic events, at which a bottle of Olympic wine will cost about R62 (£4.8).
Let’s explore the world of South African wine together. We will keep you informed and up to date with the latest news and events happening in the South African wine industry. We will entertain you through blogs and opinion pieces, advise you about the latest and greatest wines, inform you about the places you can’t afford to miss visiting and the restaurants and recipes you have to try. We bring to life the connection between what’s in the glass, what’s on the plate and the magic that happens in the winelands.
© Copyright 2012 All Rights Reserved - RamsayMedia, Digital Publishing division.
Stefan RademanJuly 26, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Was someone actually paid to design those labels?