Raheem Akingbolu
Former Secretary General, Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, National President, Nigerian-American Chambers of Commerce (NACC), Bitan Famutimi and several other wine loving dignitaries attended the fourth edition of the Wines of South Africa (WOSA) Grand Tasting event held in Lagos recently.
The one-day event, organised in collaboration with the South African High Commission in Nigeria to commemorate Nelson Mandela Day, was also designed to showcase quality wines from wine producers from different regions in the Cape Wineland. Distributors and prospective distributors traded, tasted and as well attended the special wine course
According to a statement issued by the organisers, the WOSA is a not-for-profit marketing body representing all South African wine exporters. Its mandate is to promote value growth for the South African wine industry abroad, exhibiting regularly at major wine shows as well as working closely with the tourism authorities to advance Cape wine tourism. Aside trade, WOSA is very interested in educating Nigerian consumers and wine business operators. As a result, the body introduced a special wine education course last year in furtherance of that vision.
This year’s wine course was facilitated by Wine Advisor, Allister Kreft, from renowned education company, Beverage Intelligence. The course was opened to 40 participants in trade businesses, hotel, food, beverage managers, retailers, portfolio managers, including other wine and food service providers. Participants were issued a diploma certificate and conferred with an honorary Ambassadorship for Wines of South Africa.
Wines of South Africa Grand Tasting is targeted at people in the trade such as importers, distributors and portfolio managers working in the food and beverage/hospitality industry and wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs. The B2B Marketplace, hosted meetings and entertained inquiries between producers and trade business owners or their representatives. The event was also designed to create an experiential platform for wine enthusiasts and consumers in the Nigeria market.
This year, WOSA paraded wines from the leading family owned Wine Estates in South Africa such as Accolade Wines, Estate, Origin Wine, Blake Family Wines, Cape Classics, Noble Hills Estate, Rooiberg Winery among others.
The annual event is said to have been established as a platform that delivers an up-market audience in a very prestigious environment. “The grand tasting event aims to create awareness for the South African wine category in the Nigerian market; being the 12th largest importer of packaged wine from South Africa and the second biggest among African countries,” the statement further added.
