Tests For Illegal Flavourants Cover 25% Of Cape's Sauvignon Blanc Producers (1 December 2004) SA Wine & Spirit Board testing for the use of illegal flavourants in 2004 vintage Sauvignon Blanc is complete, according to the organisation’s management committee chairman Dr Jakob Deist, with the outcome of further tests on one inconsistency awaited.

Wine Industry Launches Landmark Biodiversity Initiative (8 July 2004) Western Cape conservation bodies have joined forces with the South African wine industry to form the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative in an attempt to prevent the potential destruction of the province’s plant and animal life by the proliferation of vineyards in ecologically sensitive areas.

Six Women Graduate As Cape Winemasters (20 May 2004) Six women have been awarded certificates as Cape Wine Masters - the highest number of new masters in any year since the inception of the qualification in 1984.

SA Begins Tests For Possible Illegal Flavourant Use (12 February 2004) With the 2004 harvest just beginning, the South African wine industry has started an extensive testing programme covering all the Cape’s wine growing districts to monitor for the possible use of added flavourants in Sauvignon blanc, confirmed SA Wine & Spirit Board management committee chairman Jakob Deist.

SA Shows Fastest Growth In UK Market (27 August 2003) South Africa is far outpacing all competitors in the rate of growth achieved in the UK retail wine market, according to AC Nielsen data published for the 12 months to June 2003. And this robust performance in South Africa's biggest wine market is being echoed in the Netherlands, the country's second largest market.

SA's International Wine Coup (1 July 2003) South Africa has staged its most impressive international coup on the wine front, winning 25% of the trophies awarded by the London-based International Wine and Spirits Competition, making it by far the biggest winner on the show.

Pinotage 2003 Rocks (24 June 2003) If you're one of those 'Pinotage you go girl' fans, 2003 seems to be alive and rocking! A new vintage regional tasting by the Pinotage Association generally showed vibrant fruit, reigned-in tannins and better oak handling (where applicable).

Vineyards On The Moral High Ground (26 May 2003) Cape wine scored a smart high-plus in upmanship on numerous other producer countries here last week by announcing details of WIETA (the SA Wine Industry Ethical Trade Association) to the media and traders at the London International Wine & Spirits Fair, arguably the world's most important and influential dealers' fest of its kind.

Liquor Bill Could Hamper Industry Growth (15 May 2003) South Africa's leading producers of wine and spirits have expressed their deep concern that the National Liquor Bill now serving before parliament may hamper rather than promote economic empowerment within the liquor industry.

The Rand And The Brand (5 May 2003) The strengthening of the Rand means that many South African wine producers are biting the bullet and earning lower returns on exports. Unable to increase prices on the export shelf overnight and risk losing new consumers, many exporters find themselves forced to hold high-volume wine brands below key price-points on competitive export markets.