For all the noise, glitz and excitement of Cape Wine 2025 – the grand showcase of South African wine that brings the global industry to the Mother City every three years – there was plenty of reason to feel uncertain about the general state of wine in the event build-up. Not a week has passed this year without news to unsettle the industry. Young people aren’t drinking alcohol, let alone wine. Producers around the world are making more and more wine for a shrinking audience. Climate change is having a real impact on the global vineyard. Tariffs (led by America) are playing havoc with the economics of the business of wine. The future of the industry? Clearly not one to lift the spirits.
But for all of the negative sentiment swirling about an industry that rivals sport for doing South Africa proud, Cape Wine was just the tonic for the wine soul we needed. Over three mad, wonderful, intense days, South African wine showed off its very best to the international wine trade – and based on the guests I spent time with recording 15 episodes of the Dan Really Likes Wine podcast during Cape Wine, there’s genuine reason to believe in the immediate future of South Africa.
Much of the recent wine gloom has centred on the moving target that is American tariffs. But while the increased cost of South African wine in a market that now produces wine in every single state is a real concern, it doesn’t suddenly end our assault on the United States market. North Carolina importer Andy Woolgar, one of our great South African ambassadors, is one of many adamant that the quality of our wine is still a huge selling point – and that even raised tariffs don’t completely negate the relative value of our wine.
Boston wine titan TJ Douglas (who honeymooned in South Africa, and hasn’t stopped returning since), still has our wine headlining his Urban Grape venue in New England, while Houston’s June Rodil does likewise at her Texas venues. Across the water, Swedish Sommelier Association president Janni Berndt Dahl has replaced many of her American wines by the glass with South African options. Veteran wine writers Lars Daniels from Amsterdam, and André Dominé, a prolific German author based in the south of France, sung the praises of South African wine with enthusiasm and authenticity in equal measure. Closer to home, Judy Ngene made a compelling case for investing more time and energy into the Kenyan market in particular, and Africa in general. But it was China that elicited the most excitement – and not for the reasons you might expect.
A decade ago, Chinese wine was a source of much excitement, both for the potential of the domestic market, and the sudden growth of locally produced wine. Neither space delivered as hoped: 1.3-billion Chinese didn’t suddenly start drinking wine on a weekly basis, and recreating Lafite and Margaux overnight from Chinese terroir was never going to happen. But a more realistic approach to local production has slowly developed an industry that is seeing growth in local interest – and that, rather than a flood of global imports, is the key to growing wine appreciation in the Chinese market, according to French Master of Wine Julien Boullard, and Dan Siebers, one of China’s foremost importers.
Both China wine experts pointed to recent government policy on alcohol that has hit the broader industry (alcohol is now forbidden at official government events), and also explained how food and wine pairing is not an established part of the Chinese dining experience. But both Julien and Dan are adamant that wine appreciation in China is growing, particularly with a younger audience – and there are strong whispers that China is set to level a zero percent tariff on South African wine, which could have a game-changing impact.
But for all the global opportunities that geopolitics may influence (Canadian wine authority Michelle Bouffard spoke of the opening that a ban on American alcohol offers to South Africa), there’s a more important factor for me. From the rise and rise of our chardonnay, to the eye-catching emergence of old vine cinsault, to pinotage finding a real sense of identity, to our regions creating proud identities based on exceptional wine, the most impactful takeaway from Cape Wine was simple: South African wine has never been better.
That doesn’t automatically translate to global success. There is plenty of work to be done, and much competition for space on supermarket shelves and restaurant wine lists around the world. And the true success of Cape Wine will be judged by the impact on global sales over the coming months. But Siobhan Thompson and her Wines Of South Africa team threw the best South African wine party yet, and the industry showed up in force – and the international wine trade was suitably impressed. Is there still work to be done? Certainly. But should we believe that South African wine has sunshine aplenty on its horizon? Absolutely.