NEWS
Brandy is the new chic
Staff reporter
Posted Wed, 13 Dec 2006

South Africa’s favourite tipple is becoming more popular than ever, as brandy sales continue to surge since 2004, reversing several years of stagnation. Much of this growth has been occurring at the high end of the market as South Africans take in increasing numbers to luxury brandies, mostly potstilled in the traditional way that originated in France.

According to the South African Liquor Brandowners’ Association (SALBA), sales volumes of premium brandies rose 7,5% in the 12 months from July 2005 to July 2006, compared with total brandy sales volumes that increased 2,6% over the same period. “But this growth should be viewed against the background of a dramatic increase a year earlier,” says Caroline Snyman, who heads Distell’s spirits division.

South Africa’s total brandy sales grew 15% between July 2004 and 2005 to 46,6 million litres. However, premium brandy sales in that time rocketed to 8 million litres, an increase of 128%. “Such buoyant activity is a clear indication of the vibrant interest in specialist, limited-edition brandies produced here, many of which are earning major awards on important international competitions, where they are outshining the brandies of many respected brandy producers the world over.”

South African style

Inspired by cognacs, local potstilled brandies have a discernibly South African style, in Snyman’s view. “South African brandies are not made to mimic cognacs. We have evolved a national style that comes from the particular grapes we use — mainly Colombar and Chenin Blanc, and to a limited extent, Ugni Blanc, Sultana and Cinsaut — and the conditions under which they are grown. We have reached the point in South African winemaking where we want to express a sense of place and I believe the same is becoming increasingly true of local brandy.”

Speaking on the eve of the opening of the Distell’s newly refurbished flagship Van Ryn’s Distillery near Stellenbosch, Snyman said the increasing sophistication of brandy offerings and the emergence of new boutique players was consistent with an international trend towards connoisseurship, where shoppers wanted to know about the provenance and craftsmanship of the goods they were purchasing. It had also spawned an exciting new growth in brandy tourism.

Increase in tourism

She said the upgrade of the Van Ryn’s Distillery, built in 1905, had been undertaken to meet the growing interest in specialist brandies and in rising traffic to the facility, both domestic and international, with the latter gaining ground since Van Ryn’s availability in Ontario, Canada. “As this is the only brandy distillery in Stellenbosch, located at the gateway to the Western Cape brandy route, people naturally tend to stop here. It is also South Africa’s only distillery with an on-site cooperage, where visitors can witness coopers at work, something of a dying art.

“They want to see the copper potstills, the French oak maturation barrels and understand the background to our brandies. We are seeing a definite increase in visitors, particularly since news of the international accolades has gained wider currency.”

Van Ryn’s has been the recipient of a spate of leading international awards in recent years. The Van Ryn’s Collection Reserve 12 Year Old pure potstilled brandy has twice in succession earned the title of Worldwide Best Brandy at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London. This year alone, the Van Ryn’s earned a total of nine gold medals on the IWSC, the International Spirits Challenge, also in London and the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles combined.