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Beers, Wines and Spirits

ou know when Chinese fishing distributor for KWV, a huge wine, doesn’t have a product, we can offer
vessels are in town, according fortified wine and brandy producer in them alternatives and in particular with

to one South African wines and South Africa.
wine – they are prepared, from time to
spirits wholesaler, because sales of red In the last few years, it has also time, to try something different.

wine are up “considerably”.
become the agent for Heineken “Also, we have found that when a

It’s a well-known fact that the Far International which came as a result of list of the top 100 wines in South Africa
East’s taste for wine has increased a relationship between Heineken and is published, we suddenly find a

dramatically in the past few years, with MSC, whereby a deal was concluded to request for some of the wines that
the import market growing put Heineken on its cruise vessels as a come out of that.”

exponentially between the early 2000s draft beer.
Modern technology, such as the
and last year, but though this is now “They asked us to facilitate that for internet, has allowed people to look

tailing off, it seems the demand for a them in South Africa and so we’ve grown past what they would normally buy and
Merlot or Shiraz is not, particularly quite a lot of their business here.”
they can look further afield too.

where seafarers are concerned.
However, it is KWV products that KWV started out as a co-operative
“The Chinese fishing vessels always make up much of the business and with in 1918 and produces red and white

take lots of red wine and cigarettes,” many of the cruise ships carrying
wines, fortified wines and brandies,

said Jurie Serfontein, Regional local passengers, demand is brisk
with its wines made from
Manager for Tabak Duty Free, based
for local products.
grapes across the Western

in Durban.
“The cruise liners, in the Cape and made in the KWV
“We find, generally, that red wines
context of South Africa, are for cellar in Paarl, in the heart of

locals so the ship suppliers find are certainly more popular than white the Cape winelands.
the local products sell better wines, although that being said, white Its brandies are very

than those from somewhere wines still do sell well especially popular among Tabak’s
else. We refer to them as a sauvignon blancs.”
customers especially the five-

‘booze cruise’ because the guys It could also have something to do year-old one, and in July this
go on for a weekend and take a with a glass of red being seen as more year, its 12-year Barrel Select

trip to the Portuguese Islands macho than a white or rosé.
brandy was named

and have a good time drinking “It took me a long time to get over Worldwide Best Brandy,
local products. It’s a bit seeing huge men with a glass of sauvignon winning the 2014

different from the other
blanc in their hand!” said Mr Serfontein.
Worldwide Brandy Award
type of cruises that go
“In Cape Town, which has premier at this year’s

round the world, which
wines, there is a big rugby community International Wine&
have international
and numerous rugby players have got Spirit Competition

products.”
wine farms.”
(IWSC) award
Tabak Duty Free, which has been in However, that’s ceremony in London.

business for over 10 years in Cape not to say consumers Wine brands
Town, opened a further office in will not try include the number

Durban three years ago and something new, and one range,

concentrates mainly on supplying ship Mr Serfontein has Cathedral Cellar,
chandlers, though it does a small seen tastes changing and the Classic

amount of business supplying to border in the beers, wine range, which is
shops, some diplomatic stores in and spirits market.
popular with

Pretoria and a couple of smaller South “What we’ve Tabak’s customers:
African airport shops.
found is that vessels “It’s a good quality,

Supplies go to all types of vessels – will often request good value for
commercial and cruise, with the cruise something that they money wine.”

season “getting longer and busier” and know. For example, Mr Serfontein
now running from November to April they will maybe said there had been

each year.
order KWV Shiraz, many changes

Castle Beer, KWV As well as being the official within the South
Brandy and Johnnie distributor for American British African wine

Walker Scotch – Tobacco in South Africa and Diageo industry, and indeed
they know what (known as Brandhouse in South Africa), globally, in recent

they want. But, say which boasts such well-known brands times, particularly
for example, one of as Johnnie Walker whisky, Smirnoff with the wine-

our customers
vodka and Guinness, it is also
making itself.

2014 Issue 62
The SHIP Supplier 31