Xia Yuanjie

szrbgracexia@126.com

A MATCHMAKING meeting between Shenzhen and South Africa for the red wine industry was held online and offline yesterday afternoon.

Ten South African quality wineries under the Wines of South Africa (WOSA) and 15 Shenzhen red wine importers under the Shenzhen Liquor Association attended the event.

The event was jointly convened by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shenzhen Municipal Committee (CCPIT Shenzhen), Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and South Africa’s Standard Bank.

Benjamin Jordan, a senior export manager, said at the meeting that as South Africa’s second-largest exported agricultural product, wine earned close to US$480 million in 2020. South Africa is one of the world’s six major vineyards, with some 300 years of winemaking history.

Marcus Ford, Asia regional head of WOSA, said that the attending wine estates have been awarded gold medals of Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Award, the first prize of International Wine & Spirit Competition, and prizes in other international wine contests. Many vineyards own a complete production chain with day-farmed agricultural technology, Ford said.

Additionally, red wine importers from Shenzhen participated in the on-site wine-tasting event yesterday, and learned about South Africa’s advanced grape-planting technology and winemaking techniques.