In June 2024, the inaugural Fine Wine Awards crowned Spier’s Frans K Smit White
2018 with a glowing 96 out of 100 and the trophy for best of the White Blends. It was
one of only two wines to receive such a high score in the prestigious competition,
putting the entire White Blends category in a positive light.
The underlying message to premium producers is clear – for superbly made White
Blends there’s potential to be tapped. This is especially pertinent considering the
White Blends category has been historically underserved, if you’ll pardon the pun.
While the overall market for White Blends shows a decline, the sales statistics from
technology, data, and analytics provider Circana indicate that White Blends in the
+R100 per bottle category are growing. While the latter is currently worth R2 million
per year, this growth could be accelerated via increased consumer interest.
‘Back in 2008, there was enormous interest in the potential of the white Bordeaux-
style wines being produced in South Africa… There would certainly be a market for
these wines overseas, and it is a pity they have not been welcomed to a wider
degree by local wine drinkers,’ states Ginette de Fleuriot, Wine Education and
Training Manager at Vinimark.
Changing perceptions could be key to success. White wine as a whole carries less
prestige in consumers’ minds than red wine, and within white wine, the blends tend
to hold less perceived value than single cultivars. Even bottom-end red blends in the
sub-R80 band sell three times more than bottom-end White Blends.
‘For many years, blends were seen as the bottom of the barrel, leftover wine. We
know now that this is not the case,’ says Spier cellar master Johan Jordaan. ‘White
varieties all have their distinct character. To optimise the taste profile, one of the best
ways is to blend with other varieties. Hence the reason for a Sauvignon
Blanc/Semillon blend for example. To temper the high acidity and linear finish of
Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon is added for depth and complexity in the wine, making it a
far better experience.’
If blends offer more depth and complexity than single varietal whites, it stands to
reason that they should cost a little more than they do now and be perceived more
positively. There are several strategies wine brands can adopt to generate more
interest in the premium end of the category and suggested solutions were put
forward by members of the industry at a Vinimark masterclass hosted by de Fleuriot.
The consensus was that producers need to educate consumers around the value of
their more premium products to alter perception and build prestige.
‘Use your activations with brand ambassadors,’ is the advice of Lynton Kaiser of
Boekenhoutskloof. ‘If you have white blend, then talk about it, educate people about
it. It doesn’t help to not promote it.’
Boekenhoutskloof’s popular The Wolftrap White is a blend of 35% Viognier, 33%
Chenin Blanc, 32% Grenache Blanc. It is rated 92/100 by wine critic Christiaan
Eedes and awarded 4 stars by Platter’s South African Wine Guide. It retails at an
accessible average price of ±R75 per bottle, making it excellent value for money.
Well-known wine writer and podcaster Jono Le Feuvre often cheekily inserts The
Wolftrap White into a serious blind tasting and observes time and time again how the
wine holds its own. Le Feuvre suggests using the term ‘flagship white’ to elevate the
status of the more deserving White Blends, and to display them prominently at wine
shows. He also proposes creating food and wine pairings that will show the
versatility of a blend to best effect.
To create more visibility for White Blends within retail outlets, Vinimark’s Brand
Portfolio Director Helen Kock suggests ‘merchandising the variety-led blends
together with their lead variety. For instance, a Chenin-dominant blend could be
merchandised next to the single varietal Chenin Blancs.’ This holds logic for the
consumer who already knows and buys Chenin Blanc and might want to try
something that tastes very similar, but with that little bit ‘extra’ for novelty.
Another route to market is to reclassify the blends as single varieties (currently, a
wine only needs to contain 85% or more of a single variety to be labelled as such).
For example, the Groote Post Seasalter Sauvignon Blanc is sold as a single cultivar
but is in fact a blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Semillon. It won double gold
at the 2022 Veritas Awards, silver at the 2023 Concours Mondial du Sauvignon and
bronze at the 2023 Investec Trophy Wine Show.
The team behind the Leeuwenkuil Reserve White has also made the decision to
reclassify locally and internationally. Says Kara van Zyl, Marketing Manager for
Leeuwenkuil: ‘Some of our team members believe the Reserve White should be
called Reserve Chenin Blanc. At present it is 85% Old Vine Chenin and we just add
a few little interesting bits for balance and complexity.’
Reclassification can create advantages in the international market. According to
Jordaan, ‘Total Wine, one of the biggest and most successful wine retailers in the
USA, categorises wines by the dominant varietal, unless it is a specific style of blend,
like a white Bordeaux or white Rhône, where there are several varieties. For
example, a Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend will be merchandised along with the
Sauvignon Blanc wines, with mention that it is a blend, with percentages on the back
label. Chardonnay blends will be in the Chardonnay section.’
Putting paid to the misperception that White Blends are somehow lacking, there are
many celebrated examples that carry the category forward. These wines are
deserving of their space and place on shelf, and in wine lovers’ hearts. That the
premium band in this market segment is managing to grow largely without
concentrated support, is a gap on which perceptive brands, equipped with an
excellent White Blend and the right marketing tools and distribution partner in place,
can capitalise to their advantage.
