Cape Town and the Cape Winelands, which includes the wine routes in Stellenbosch, have officially joined a prestigious network of 10 internationally renowned wine regions. This was according to a Facebook announcement made last month by Wesgro, the tourism, trade, and investment agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape.
Being a member of the Great Wine Capital’s (GWC) Global Network means the Cape Winelands now belongs to an exclusive list of popular wine destinations, including Bordeaux in France, Verona in Italy, and Bilbao in Spain, which are, among others, listed on GWC’s website.
“The president of the Great Wine Capitals Global Network, Jacques Faurens, informed [us that] its members unanimously voted and accepted Cape Town [and] Cape Winelands’ candidature,” said Wesgro in a statement to MatieMedia.
The criteria considered for inclusion in the membership are the region’s wine production, its level of wine tourism facilities, vineyards, as well as its level of business development, said Catherine Leparmentier Dayot, managing director at Great Wine Capitals Global Network.
“The University of Stellenbosch is also a major asset in the area, as GWC does not only [consider] the topics of wine tourism, but also education, marketing, and innovation in the wine industry,” she added.
Moreover, being one of the first and currently most developed wine routes to be established in South Africa and within the Cape Winelands region, the membership is expected to boost tourism for the town of Stellenbosch, read Wesgro’s statement to MatieMedia.
“[I]t places the town on an international platform highlighting its wine industry and wine economy,” read Wesgro’s statement.
The Cape Winelands being a member of the Great Wine Capitals Global Network means that it is regarded as one of the top wine regions in the world. PHOTO: Unsplash/Ashim D’Silva
Benefits
Being a member of the network means that the Cape Winelands is able to promote itself as an exclusive wine destination consisting of premium wine producers. It also helps the region share expertise and know-how with other member countries while also allowing for participation in international tourism workshops, said Leparmentier Dayot.
“[But] what we see in this period of major international crisis, in particular, is that cooperation and collaboration is an enormous asset. [It’s good] to be able to exchange good practices and share experiences and innovative ideas,” added Leparmentier Dayot.
Stellenbosch’s popular wine routes were first established in 1971, making it one of the oldest wine estates not only in the region, but in South Africa. It also remains the most developed of the wine routes, according to Wesgro. PHOTO: Unsplash/Werner Du Plessis
Decision welcomed by industry stakeholders
The decision comes at a time when the South African wine industry can certainly use some good news, said Marisah Nieuwoudt, wine tourism manager at Vinpro, a non-profit company that represents 2 500 South African wine producers and industry stakeholders.
“The announcement has been very well received by our wine routes and industry members,” she added.
The new Great Wine Capital’s membership is expected to increase tourism within the town of Stellenbosch, according to Wesgro. PHOTO: Unsplash/Matthieu Joannon