South Africa: President South African Sommelier Association (SASA) on Trends

With a collective push for quality rather than quantity in South Africa, and a revived appreciation for wines made from old vines, we see a definite need for producers to adopt more natural winemaking techniques, be they organic, bio-dynamic or natural. This doesn't necessarily mean registering with any such certification, but rather adopting the philosophy of wines that come from a specific place. New consumers are increasingly aware and sensitive to this.

In terms of stylistic developments, there is a definite growth in demand and therefore supply of light, crunchy reds that's suitable for all-season, all-day sipping. Along with this we see a plethora of interesting less common varieties that are explored in this way.

Finally, with regards to other beverages, Gin seems on an inexhaustible upward growth curve in South Africa. We have a wealth of natural diversity of botanicals available to us, and smart distillers are capitalising on this. There is also an increase in non-alcoholic beverages that have complexity of flavour and low sweetness.