Wines of South Africa (WOSA) is planning a series of international braai festivals, a World Cup for sommeliers, and a range of other novel initiatives to highlight abroad South Africa's hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Details of the soccer-themed programme were unveiled to producers at a spring seminar in Stellenbosch, at the same time as a long-term positioning strategy was launched for South African wine.

The braai festivals, to be held in key export destinations such as the UK, Holland, Germany, Scandinavia and countries in Latin America and the Far East, will be scheduled to co-incide with important matches of next year's tournament. The events will feature high-profile South African chefs, as well as winemakers at venues where matches are being televised.

Linked to the braai festival concept is the publication and international distribution of a book of special braai recipes created by local winemakers to match their wines. The compendium of recipes will appear with styled photographs, and marketers all over the world will have access to the recipes and images to use in their South African wine campaigns.

A World Cup for sommeliers, to be held in a number of countries selling South African wine, is intended to increase awareness of local wines among on-consumption buyers. The winning contestant from each participating country, judged on the basis of their ability to identify a series of local wines and pair them successfully with foods, will be flown to South Africa late in 2010 for the finals.

  WOSA has also developed a special logo for 2010 that includes a soccer ball, approved by FIFA. It will be available to producers to feature in their marketing material and on wine bottles in those countries where legislation permits. In Sweden, for example, local legislation forbids a link between alcohol and sport in any advertising or merchandising. 

The organisation's CEO, Su Birch, said an animated wine and soccer video was being produced for release at next year's ProWein trade exhibition in Germany in March, and which would be made available internationally.

WOSA was also collaborating with national and Cape tourism bodies and would be offering to host lifestyle journalists attending the 2010 World Cup for part of their stay, she said.

Birch confirmed that the project linked to the sale of Fundi wines to create 2 010 new wine waiters ahead of the games was well under way, with over 50% of the candidates already trained. Drawn from the hospitality industry as well as the ranks of the unemployed, they had undergone special courses in Cape Town, the Cape Winelands, Johannesburg, Durban and Port Elizabeth.

She added that the WOSA website had been significantly extended and revamped to give international marketers and media access to copyright-free images of South Africa. It was also running articles in a range of languages to cater to those countries with a high level of involvement in soccer. More interactive, it now included blogs and tweeting facilities.

At the seminar, Birch introduced producers to the brand blueprint or DNA developed by WOSA as a tool for expressing the vocabulary of quality needed by the South African wine industry to enhance its image: "If we as producers understand what makes South African wines special, we can understand what makes specific brands special.  We need to articulate what makes our wines interesting and distinctive, showing that they are made in the world's most beautiful and diverse winelands in an ethically and environmentally responsible way." 

She identified the four cornerstones of Brand South Africa's DNA as leadership in production integrity from the soil to the glass; the winelands as an extraordinary natural environment; the proud heritage of 350 years of winemaking; and the warmth and hospitality of all South Africans.

"Our diversity of soils, climate and geography gives us a treasure trove of winemaking possibilities. We need to make brand South Africa memorable. Each of our export markets will respond to particular features of our uniqueness. By working closely with our markets, we can identify those that will resonate best with each audience, not only during the period leading up to the tournament but long after everyone has gone and the games have been forgotten".

Used with permission from WOSA. Visit http://www.wosa.co.za/ for more information.