The Wine Show

Welcome to the Wine Show -Media Releases

The Wine Show Joburg moves to Sandton for 2013
The best of SA's winelands come to Joburg

Cape Town, February 2013: With over 150 of SA's best wine producers under one roof, The Wine Show Joburg, in association with Dawn Wing is an event not to be missed. Taking place from 3 – 5 May 2013 at the Sandton Convention Centre, visitors will be spoilt for choice with the hundreds of wines on offer and are sure to find plenty of new favourites to fill their shelves.

Since launching eight years ago, The Wine Show has become a highlight on the calendars of both wine lovers and producers. The Show is known for its unique blend of edutainment through free Wine Theatre sessions, a multitude of SA's finest wineries including Meerlust, Simonsig, Grande Provance, Niel Joubert, Solms Delta and Bartinney Private Cellar, colourful stands and delectable food. Winning wines from the 2012 International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) will once again be on show in the Wine Extra and IWSC Gold Lounge. For an additional R40 visitors will be able to sample these exquisite wines, all of which were awarded Gold medal status or higher by an internationally acclaimed panel of judges.

"Our philosophy at The Wine Show is that drinking wine is an experience to be enjoyed by everyone from the complete novice to the connoisseur. This year we're excited to take the Show to a new venue, the Sandton Convention Centre, and look forward welcoming back our loyal supporters as well as many new faces," says John Woodward, Director of The Wine Show.

For those who plan to sample their fair share of wines, the Show offers a complimentary Good Fellas service. The drivers will be on site for the last three hours of each show day and the service will be on a first come first served basis.

Tickets are available through Computicket at R120 per person in advance or R140 at the door. This includes a crystal tasting glass, all tastings, access to the wine theatre and a map to help you navigate the show. Weekend passes cost R220 per person and a 10% discount applies for groups ten or more people. Students and pensioners who visit the Show on Sunday, 5 May will also qualify for a 10% discount. For more information on The Wine Show visit www.wineshow.co.za or call 021 888 8800.

The Wine Show Joburg (Sandton Convention Centre):

• Friday 3 May 2012, 17:00 – 21:00
• Saturday 4 May 2012, 12:00 – 21:00
• Sunday 5 May 2012, 12:00 – 18:00

MARCH 2012

The a taste of Gold at the WineExtra and IWSC Gold Lounge

Visitors to The Wine Show Joburg offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
Cape Town, March 2012:

In May 2012, visitors to The Wine Show Joburg will have the opportunity to experience and compare wines and spirits awarded Gold Medal Status at the 2011 International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC). The WineExtra and IWSC Gold Lounge will showcase the very best of South African wines and spirits with tutored tasting sessions of both local and international winners.

Since its inception in 2006, The Wine Show has gained a reputation as a notable platform for wine estates, boutique wineries and garagistes to engage with consumers on a large scale. Says John Woodward, director of The Wine Show, “The Show has consistently delivered the highest per head visitor spend of any consumer wine show in South Africa, making it a must on the calendar for any wine producer and wine enthusiast.”

Entrance to the WineExtra and IWSC Gold Lounge is subject to an additional R20 which includes all tastings and theatre sessions. Once inside the lounge, visitors will be treated to tasting sessions with the winemakers and members of the South African Sommeliers Association (SASA). With more than 60 wines and spirits achieving Gold medal status or higher, wine lovers will not be disappointed.

Tickets for The Wine Show Joburg 2012 are available from Computicket at R100 per person and an additional R20 is payable at the door for access to the WineExtra and IWSC Gold Lounge.

Weekend passes cost R180 per person and special group rates of R90 per person apply for bookings of ten or more people. For more information visit www.wineshow.co.za or call 021 888 8803.

The Wine Show Joburg (Coca-Cola Dome, Northgate)
Friday, 4 May 2012, 17:00 - 21:00
Saturday, 5 May 2012, 12:00 - 21:00
Sunday, 6 May 2012, 12:00 - 18:00

MEDIA RELEASE

SEPTEMBER 2011

TH WINE SHOW JO'BURG SETS INDUSTRY BENCHMARK

The unique format of The Wine Show Jo'burg has once again bucked industry trends by growing exponentially year on year. This year's show attracted more visitors, more sales and higher expenditure per capita.

According to show director John Woodward, the feedback from visitors and exhibitors has been incredible. "This year's show definitely had more of everything with even a higher spend per visitor, which I consider remarkable in the current economic situation. Many of our exhibitors have reported their best sales of any show and a whopping 90% of all visitors actually bought wine at the show," mentions Woodward.

The exhibitor feedback questionnaires revealed that an incredible 94% of producers stated that they would recommend The Wine Show to other producers, which is a significant result for a wine industry event. "There is no doubt that the industry is facing severe challenges, which definitely affects the sustainability of similar industry events. Our fantastic sales figures of R2,7-million showed a 14% year-on-year increase and have once again proven that the format of our show is conducive to better sales. The more spacious, colourful environment with individualised stands allows exhibitors to interact better with visitors, market their products in a personal, face-to-face manner and therefore achieve higher sales," explains Woodward.

Another interesting fact highlighted by the exhibitors' feedback was that they actually preferred when there are fewer visitors as sales tended to drop off when it is crowded at a stand. "It is definitely a case of footfall is vanity, higher sales are sanity when it comes to successful wine events."

Woodward also ascribes the positive sales figures to the fact that exhibitors are actively encouraged to take orders directly on their stands. "It is very evident that people come to our show with a serious intent to buy wine, not only to taste and we try to facilitate this process as much as possible. I think that The Wine show has now cemented its reputation as the premier event platform for producers of premium wines, who require above average sales at shows. This has been proven not only at our flagship show in Johannesburg, but also during our road show in Port Elizabeth."

The show's e-magazine Wine-Extra has also shown sustained growth and have exceeded the 10 000 mark on its database. During The Wine Show Jo'burg, 1800 visitors opted in to receive the publication, which creates a seamless continuity of communication for wine producers with a target audience that is wishing to purchase premium wines.

MEDIA RELEASE

JULY 2011

WINE EXTRA EDITOR JOINS WINE SHOW TEAM

The organisers of The Wine Show announced that Maryna Strachan, editor of the digi-mag Wine Extra, will be joining the team on a full-time basis. The internet-based magazine was launched in 2009 and has quickly gained an enthusiastic following.

Wine Extra currently has 9,000 subscribers, who receive a monthly e-mail notification linked to the full site(www.wine-extra.co.za). Recipients are sourced from the "opt-in" database of visitors to The Wine Show Jo'burg and The Road Show Nelson Mandela Bay. According to show director John Woodward, this is a unique way of maintaining a relationship with show visitors. "We are able to identify the serious wine lovers and then continue talking to them after the different shows. This creates a real benefit for our wine exhibitors as we have established a permanent platform for communicating with potential consumers. Wine Extra provides these wine producers with a monthly opportunity to reconnect and communicate directly with proven wine enthusiasts. Maryna's appointment recognises the influence and impact that Wine Extra has on consumers keen on growing their wine knowledge and we believe this will allow the publication to go from strength to strength," mentions Woodward.

Wine Extra follows the same fun and laid-back format, which has made the shows the fastest growing consumer wine shows in the country. The vibrant editorial content features plain-speaking wine information, event updates, commentary from top sommeliers and the latest industry news and developments as well as wine reviews by the Taste Team. The Taste Team adds a novel, yet witty mood as they are not professional journalists or wine critics, but rather enthusiastic wine lovers.

Strachan comes to the team with extensive communications experience, specifically as a copy writer in the advertising industry, both in South Africa and London. She originally applied as a taste team member, but then became a columnist for Wine Extra before taking over as part-time editor in October last year. "Wine Extra is my baby and I'm passionate about it. I would like it to become the leader in the wine/entertainment media landscape in this country. Our strapline embodies the philosophy of the publication – for wine lovers, not wine snobs. I want to demystify the snobbery still evident in the local wine industry and make our fabulous wines accessible to more and more South Africans. Being with this project in a full-time capacity will allow me to take Wine Extra to the next level, which will include more content and upholding its current high standards," explains Strachan, who also does a weekly wine review slot on 2OceansVibeRadio with Richard Hardiman.

HUNDREDS DARE TO BARE ALL FOR CHARITY

The annual Wine Laid Bare photographic competition has once again drawn hundreds of entries. This social responsibility campaign was launched by the organisers of The Wine Show Jo'burg in aid of breast cancer awareness in 2009.

Amateur and professional photographers and models pull out all the stops to interpret the theme Wine Laid Bare for the opportunity to have their submissions published in the annual Wine Laid Bare calendar. This year's competition drew hundreds of entries and massive public support through the online voting system via Facebook.

According to show director John Woodward, the site experienced unprecedented traffic. "Within the first three hours of releasing the entries, we received over 1500 visits and the response practically blew our server. Eventually, the competition page received more than 8500 page views and close to 4000 votes. The public reaction has been absolutely incredible and the level of creativity has been awesome. The 2012 calendar promises to be a work of art," mentions Woodward.

A panel of judges consisting of last year's winner Mark Freeborough, Sowetan picture editor Johnny Onverwacht and Darryl Hammond, picture editor of The Sunday Times, will select the top twelve entries to be included in the calendar. The calendar will be unveiled on the opening night of The Wine Show Jo'burg on Friday, 5 August, at the Coca-Cola Dome in Northgate, Johannesburg.

The 2011 edition of The Wine Show Jo'burg in association with Dawn Wing will feature three days of great wines, fabulous foods and loads of fun from Friday, 5 August, to Sunday, 7 August. Tickets are available from Computicket or at the doors for R90 per person. Weekend passes cost R150 per person and special group rates of R80 per person apply for bookings of ten or more people. Show times: Friday from 17h00 – 21h00, Saturday from 12h00 – 21h00 and Sunday 12h00 – 18h00.

MEDIA RELEASE

AUGUST 2011

WINE FUN AT THE WINE SHOW JO'BURG

Wine lovers can look forward to three days of great wines, fabulous foods and loads of fun at The Wine Show Jo'burg in association with Dawn Wing from 5 – 7 August 2011 at the Coca-Cola Dome in Northgate. The organisers of the liveliest wine event in the country are back with a fun-filled line-up and the wine extravaganza weekend promises to delight visitors.

The exhibitors list reads like the A-Z of the South African wine industry with most of our prime wine producing regions being represented. Show visitors will be able to taste, try and buy some of the best wines in the country and explore well-known and new labels. Producers vary from big cellars, co-operative producers to small boutique wineries and independent winemakers.

Visitors will once again be able to get up close and personal with top winemakers during free tutored tasting sessions in the Wine Theatre. Wine experts reveal the secrets of different varietals, cultivars and South African wines are pitched against their international counterparts. The theatre sessions are intimate and interactive and present great opportunities to improve your wine knowledge.

Food and wine remains an inseparable combination and show visitors are in for a treat at the Friends for Dinner Theatre. Executive chef Leon Hatton-Jones from the Park Inn Sandton Hotel will showcase the easy, contemporary cuisine of his RBG restaurant paired with various wines. Theatre guests will most likely be able to taste his signature chicken and prawn curry with ginger preserve. Hatton-Jones has cooked for former presidents Mandela and Zuma and party girl Paris Hilton counts amongst his celebrity diners.

MEDIA RELEASE

12 JUNE 2011

PE DRINKS WINE SHOW DRY

Eastern Cape wine lovers filled the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium's World of Windows to capacity over the weekend to sample and buy hundreds of wines during The Wine Show Road Show Nelson Mandela Bay. Visitors and exhibitors agree that the second edition of this fun, interactive consumer show was a spectacular success.

According to show director John Woodward, the response from the Eastern Cape public exceeded all expectations. "We realised when we launched the Port Elizabeth show last year that wine marketers have been underestimating the huge buying potential in the Eastern Cape, but I think that local wine consumers have definitely placed themselves firmly on the map during the past three days. Not only did we experience record footfall, but wine sales were absolutely phenomenal. Most exhibitors had to really scramble to renew their stock after Saturday's wine buying frenzy. Wine sales went through the roof with some producers recording sales of over R40 000. Once again, premium wines were in high demand," explained Woodward.

Yvette Engelbrecht from Orange River Cellars resorted to visiting her PE-based suppliers and literally buying her own stock off the shelves to be able have her whole range available on Sunday. Gerhard Dreyer from Raka actually delved into his own stock to replenish his stand.

"It was also very encouraging to see that the younger generation of consumers between the ages of 25 – 35 years was very strongly represented and enthusiastically buying wines. This means that there is a huge growth potential as this is a market segment that can be developed significantly. The various tutored tastings, which were conducted by various winemakers, were all filled to capacity and this is a strong indication that visitors were keen to experiment with different wine varietals and learn more about wine in general," concluded Woodward.

The show will return to Port Elizabeth in 2012. For more information, visit www.wineshow.co.za.

MEDIA RELEASE

MAY 2011

TOURISM BODY WELCOMES WINE SHOW TO EASTERN CAPE

The Wine Show Road Show Nelson Mandela Bay received a significant boost when it was officially endorsed by Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism. The event is returning to the Eastern Cape after its hugely successful launch in 2010.The three-day wine extravaganza promises to introduce Eastern Cape residents to a world of wine right on their doorstep from Friday, 10 June, to Sunday, 12 June 2011, at the glorious Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

According to Mandlakazi Skefile, Chief Executive of Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism, the event is a fantastic addition to the offerings of the region. "Nelson Mandela Bay provides a tourism escape for adventure, culture and sport enthusiasts as well as a relaxed family-orientated lifestyle, which has made it one of South Africa's most sought-after places to live. We fully endorse this thrilling and popular event as it is a great plus to our city's annual events calendar and helps to create an awareness of our region's diverse event opportunities. It is indeed an honour to support this great event."

Visitors can taste and buy some of the top labels in the country from all the major wine producing areas in a lively, interactive atmosphere. Exhibitors range from big co-operative producers to real wine gems from small boutique wineries and will be located on both levels of the iconic stadium's World of Windows. Winemakers will also present free tutored tasting sessions in the Wine Theatre for visitors, who would like to learn more about specific wines or cultivars. This is a great opportunity to interact with the winemakers in an informal, yet educational environment and up your wine knowledge.

Catering will be provided by Access Management and will include sumptuous sushi, gourmet sandwiches and delicious wraps on the top level and delectable hot snacks and meals at the inner-bowl food court with a perfect view of the pristine pitch. Simonsberg Cheeses will also offer a wide selection of their mouth-watering cheeses to taste and buy.

Confirmed exhibitors include Alluvia Specialist Winery and Private Residence Club, Alto Estate, Arumdale, Boland Cellars, Bonnievale Cellar, Capaia, Catchpole & Co, Crystal Direct, Dawn Wing, Durbanville Hills, Fleur du Cap, Frogitt & Vonkel Private Wine Merchants, Gabriëlskloof, Goudini, Hathersage Wines, Idiom Wines, Major's Hill, Monis, Namaqua Wines, Nietvoorbeij, Nixan Wines, Orange River Cellars, Packwood Estate, Parmalat, Perfectly Cool Wines, Quoin Rock, Rickety Bridge, Robertson Winery, Roodezandt, Simonsvlei International, the company of wine people, The Goose Wines, The House of JC le Roux, The Winery of Good Hope, Theuniskraal, Tukulu, Under Oaks, Vrede en Lust, Welgemeend, Weltevrede Estate, Whalehaven, Yonder Hill and Zonnebloem.

Tickets are available from Computicket for R90 per person. Weekend passes cost R150 per person and special group rates of R80 per person apply for bookings of ten or more people. Show times: Friday from 17h00 – 21h00, Saturday from 12h00 – 21h00 and Sunday 12h00 – 16h00. For more information, please click on www.wineshow.co.za.

MEDIA RELEASE APRIL 2011

THE WINE SHOW SIGNS MEGA DEAL WITH AVUSA GROUP

The organisers of The Wine Show this week announced that they have signed a media sponsorship agreement with Avusa Media. This media partnership will see the publishing giant supporting both The Wine Show Jo’burg and The Wine Show Road Show Nelson Mandela Bay across six of their titles.

According to show director John Woodward, the deal will secure an incredible audience reach for the shows. “When you look at titles such as the Sunday Times Lifestyle, Sowetan, Sunday World, The Times as well as the Eastern Cape editions such as Weekend Post and The Herald, our shows will receive unprecedented depth of exposure to a vast consumer audience countrywide. In terms of the circulation of these publications, we will in effect be reaching over 7,5-million readers across South Africa. This will definitely create a unique platform not only for the shows, but also for our exhibitors and will undoubtedly set a new benchmark for consumer wine shows in this country,” states Woodward.

The flagship event The Wine Show Jo’burg in association with Dawn Wing will take place at the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg from 5 – 7 August 2011. Visitors can once again look forward to exploring, tasting and buying wines from all the top producers in the country in a fun, festive yet educational atmosphere. The three-day wine extravaganza will give wine lovers the chance to browse at leisure, interact with winemakers and attend tutored sessions in the Wine Theatre. The Friends for Dinner theatre sees winemakers teaming up with top chefs for palate-pleasing food and wine pairings.

This year’s show promises to be bigger and better than ever and with four months to go till the event, almost 70% of the available stands has already been sold or reserved. In addition to the large number of return exhibitors, the organisers have also been overwhelmed with bookings from first-time exhibitors such as Paul Cluver, Backsberg and Signal Hill.

According to Enver Groenewald, general manager for advertising revenue and strategic communications at Avusa, great synergies exist between the shows and their publications. “The growing market for wine in South Africa is reflected amongst Avusa’s readers and it therefore makes good business sense for Avusa’s titles to be involved in what is fast becoming one of the most popular and well-supported annual events of its kind,” mentions Groenewald.

Tickets are available from Computicket for R90 per person. Weekend passes cost R150 per person and special group rates of R80 per person apply for bookings of ten or more people. Show times: Friday from 17h00 – 21h00, Saturday from 12h00 – 21h00 and Sunday 12h00 – 18h00. For more information, please click on www.wineshow.co.za.

WINE SHOW RETURNS TO EASTERN CAPE

The Wine Show Road Show Nelson Mandela Bay is returning to the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth from Friday, 10 June 2011 until Sunday, 12 June 2011. After the huge response the inaugural event received in 2010, this year's edition promises to wow wine lovers with the same informal and fun introduction to some of the best wines in the country.

According to show organiser John Woodward, the overwhelmingly positive feedback from visitors and exhibitors showed that the lively, interactive format of the show continues to appeal to audiences around the country. "We had over 2000 Eastern Cape visitors last year and the exhibitors achieved sales in excess of R300 000, which was almost 70% higher than sales reported by the largest wine show in Cape Town last year. These are really impressive figures for a new show and proved to us that the Eastern Cape market was starved for attention from wine marketers. The show statistics revealed that Eastern Cape audiences were not only keen to buy wines, but also eager to experiment with and taste new wines," mentions Woodward.

Space will be at a premium as the number of stands will be limited and close to 80% of the available exhibition space has already been booked. The three-day wine extravaganza will feature an exhilarating line-up of wine producers ranging from boutique wineries, garagistes to some of the biggest producers in the country. Show visitors can get more in-depth information on various wines and cultivars during free tutored tasting sessions presented by winemakers in the Wine Theatre throughout the weekend.

Visitors will be able to enjoy the wines at leisure and utilise the Dawn Wing Sip & Ship to ensure that the wines are delivered to their doors. Food courts will be located on both levels of the impressive stadium's World of Windows.

According to Buli Ngomane, marketing and communications manager for Access Management, they are looking forward to hosting the event again. "The response to the first wine show was absolutely phenomenal and we're really happy to have the event back at the stadium and in Nelson Mandela Bay. We are confident that it will be even bigger and better this year," mentions Ngomane.

Confirmed exhibitors include Arumdale, Boland Cellars, Bonnievale Cellar, Capaia, Crystal Direct, Dawn Wing, Durbanville Hills, Eminent Fine Wines, Fleur du Cap, Frogitt & Vonkel Private Wine Merchants, Knorhoek, Major's Hill, Monis, Nietvoorbeij, Nixan Wines, Opstal Estate, Orange River Cellars, Quoin Rock, Rickety Bridge, Robertson Winery, Rooiberg Winery, Schalk Burger & Sons, The Company of Wine People, The Goose Wines, The House of JC le Roux, The Winery of Good Hope, Under Oaks, Vrede en Lust, Weltevrede Estate, Whalehaven/Idiom, Yonder Hill and Zonnebloem.

Tickets are available from Computicket for R90 per person. Weekend passes cost R150 per person and special group rates of R80 per person apply for bookings of ten or more people. Show times: Friday from 17h00 – 21h00, Saturday from 12h00 – 21h00 and Sunday 12h00 – 16h00. For more information, please click on www.wineshow.co.za.

For media enquiries, please contact Ronelda Visser on 083 2733984.

MEDIA RELEASE

MARCH 2011

THE WINE SHOW PREPARES FOR A BUMPER YEAR

Organisers of South Africa’s foremost consumer wine show have announced that they have signed a three-year sponsorship agreement with leading courier and logistics company Dawn Wing. The Wine Show Jo’burg in association with Dawn Wing will take place at the Coca-Cola Dome in Northgate from 5-7 August 2011.

According to show director John Woodward, this partnership has resulted from Dawn Wing’s involvement with the 2010 show as preferred logistics supplier. “The company handled all the delivery requirements of the show and its exhibitors, which included the consolidation of over seventy pallets of wine stock as well as visitor deliveries through their customised Fine Wine Express division. This year’s show promises to be the most exciting ever and we’re confident that their support will assist us in streamlining logistics even further,” mentions Woodward.

Dawn Wing launched their wine-specific service Fine Wine Express two years ago after identifying the wine market segment as an exciting business opportunity. According to Chief Executive Officer Eddie Vosloo, it felt very appropriate for their company to partner with The Wine Show Jo’burg. “This is a strategic partnership, which we believe adds a lot of value to promote a Proudly South African product. Dawn Wing is also a proudly South African business and sees business development between supplier and customer as an integral part of our strategy. Dawn Wing Fine Wine Express has been developed based on specific requirements from the wine industry and the show gives us the opportunity to interact on an informal basis with a varied cross-spectrum customer and supplier base.”

Apart from show logistics, Dawn Wing will also be operating a Wine Drop facility where show visitors can store their purchases at a central point for the duration of the show. This allows visitors to continue browsing through the exhibition stands and buying wine without having to carry heavy boxes of wines around. Visitors can then use the Dawn Wing Sip ‘n Ship service, which will deliver the wines to customers’ doorsteps within 2-3 days depending on the destination.

The Wine Show Jo’burg continues to set new benchmarks within the wine industry and the fun interactive format of the show is still attracting new exhibitors in its fifth year. The organisers have already signed close to thirty first-time exhibitors for this year’s three day wine extravaganza ranging from small boutique wineries to world-renowned wine estates. More than half the available exhibition space has already been booked and over 100 exhibitors have confirmed their attendance.

For more information, visit www.wineshow.co.za.

MEDIA RELEASE

JANUARY 2011

EASTERN CAPE DELIVERS A KNOCK OUT FOR WINE SHOW

The organisers of The Wine Show Jo'burg have proven that the success format of this lively wine event can be duplicated when they spectacularly launched the first The Wine Show Road Show in Nelson Mandela Bay in December. The organisers have been overwhelmed with the positive reaction of both visitors and exhibitors.

According to show director John Woodward, the figures have undoubtedly validated their decision to take the show concept on the road. "We knew that the Eastern Cape has traditionally been ignored by wine marketers and that was one of the reasons we decided to stage the show in Port Elizabeth. We were however absolutely blown away by the response from visitors to the show with over 2000 visitors arriving to taste and buy wines from 35 exhibitors and sales exceeding R300 000 over the three-day period of the show. This is close to 70% higher than sales recently reported by the largest wine show in Cape Town."

Feedback from show visitors polled after the show revealed that Eastern Cape residents are not only keen to buy wine, but also eager to learn more about wine. This fact was definitely emphasised by the attendance of the sessions in the wine theatre, which were filled to capacity on a daily basis. An astounding 85% of visitors reported buying wine at the show even though 41% of the visitors were first-time wine show attendees.

"Experience has shown that the success of a show is determined by the experiences of both the visitors and the exhibitors. When visitors are this enthusiastic, it normally predicts that you'll have a lot of repeat visitors and positive word-of-mouth marketing for the next event. But having satisfied exhibitors is absolutely crucial and I feel that we have definitely achieved that," mentions Woodward.

The response from exhibitors was exhilarating with 92% stating that the show exceeded all their expectations. The participating wineries reported that they were surprised by the calibre of visitors as well as their thirst for wine knowledge and willingness to spend on the spot. 85% of the exhibitors have already confirmed their participation in the 2011 event with many local wine distributors requesting additional space. Visitors voted Vrede & Lust as their favourite stand at the show and the show's internet-based magazine Wine Extra gained 500 new subscribers.

According to Woodward, this means that space will be at a premium. "When we took the show to Nelson Mandela Bay, we decided to keep it relatively exclusive and to limit the number of stands. Exhibitors have now realised that this is a golden opportunity to raise brand awareness in a previously ignored, but obviously powerful market and are jumping at the chance to return."
For more information, visit www.wineshow.co.za.