The rustic, countryside ambience of the Prison Break Market, with rolling lawns and bare-brick and exposed steel façade, served as a fitting backdrop for the 2025 edition of the Local Wine Expo.
The venue which is located in the suburban and affluent north of Johannesburg, which could easily be mistaken for the sprawling vineyards in the wine making regions in the south of France, hosted nearly 30 emerging local makers who showcased their exceptional and finest vintages to the media, members of the public, and potential buyers who comprised of restaurateurs, liquor traders, hoteliers, retailers, franchisees and wholesalers.
The enchanting medley of local vintages that were on offer was not your run of the mill, household names that we have become familiar with, but comprised of a rich tapestry of relatively unfamiliar brands that are edgy, quirky and pays homage to their origin, language, or family lineage.
While most of the winemakers who displayed their wares at the Proudly South African Local Wine Expo do not boast a generational winemaking legacy, they all shared one thing in common – an unwavering passion for winemaking and a stoic determination to produce exceptional wines and carve a name for themselves in the fiercely competitive industry.
Take Nondumiso Pikashe, for example, the founder of Sesfikile Wines, who is no stranger to or novice in the business. Ses’fikile, which loosely translates to: we have arrived, belies the 18 years that Pikashe has been in business and selling her blended brand of which she regards as her unique selling point. “The name of my brand is a statement of intent,” she affirms. “Part of the reason why I ventured into this industry was to demystify the perceptions around the industry and break down the exclusionary doors that precluded previously marginalised communities, particularly women, from owning the means of production in this sector.”
Swazi Cele of Dess Wines, attributes the origins of her brand to create a discerning, celebratory alcoholic beverage that will mark the attainment of important milestones. She explains that Dess, which is colloquial for fabulous, can trace its roots to Gushima, a renown events management company in Limpopo, which developed Dess to mark the conclusion of successful events.
Gushima has always pushed the boundaries of what is possible, and continuously challenging ourselves has always been part of our DNA. Dess is a beverage that was created as a lifestyle and exclusive drink to mark important celebrations. In line with building this aspirational brand identity, we have limited our distribution to selected restaurants in Midrand in the north of Johannesburg, Oceans Mall in Durban, and parts of Polokwane.
“Our expectation from the Local Wine Expo is to raise awareness of our brand and create linkages with resellers that will help us to elevate our brand identity and retail it as an exclusive beverage that is synonymous with merriment and festivities,” said Cele.
The outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020 birthed a collection of wines under the Zarion label. Created by a former executive of the local government, Sandile Maseko, at the height of the lockdown, Zarion by SV Wines was born out of an urge to create a family legacy and honour the responsibility to grow and expand her family name. The grapes for Zarion wines are grown in weathered Karoo shales and limestone soils of the Robertson area in the Western Cape. The product portfolio of Zarion includes six varietals, namely sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, chenin blanc, grenache rose, cabernet sauvignon, and the mainstay brew, the delectable chardonnay brut.
Zoetendal Wines may be a relative newcomer to the wine-making industry, having started operations in 1997, but their growth has been meteoric, which saw them purchasing a farm in Elim, an area in the wine-making region of the Western Cape that is notorious for its fierce winds and sea breezes, in 2020. The stressful farming conditions in the area allow Zoetendal to grow grapes for the production of only sauvignon blanc and shiraz.
“We employ 12 people at the farm and an additional 50 seasonal workers during busy periods like harvesting. We are fastidious about the quality of the output we put out there because it’s a direct reflection on our brand reputation, which is something that we are jealously safeguarding. In addition to enhancing brand visibility, our participation in this event also seeks to dispel misconceptions that black farmers produce subpar quality wines. We have great wine makers out there who make exceptional wines who just require an opportunity to showcase their excellence,” said Denzel Swartz, founder of Zoetendal. He said he is already seeing the fruits of taking part in the Local Wine Expo, as he has already met a captive audience of prospective buyers in one room that he has struggled to reach.
This year, the FoodBev Manufacturing SETA was one of the headline sponsors of the Local Wine Expo. Nokuthula Senamolela, Chief Executive Officer of the FoodBev Manufacturing SETA, said the partnership with Proudly South African aligns with government’s agenda of driving transformation and inclusive growth in the sector.
“This sponsorship serves multiple purposes; it shines the spotlight and profiles our local wine makers while showcasing the career and entrepreneurial opportunities that are available in the sector. It also fosters national pride in local wines and ensures that there is skills and knowledge transfer. We are excited to be part of this initiative,” she said.
Her words were echoed by Proudly South African CEO, Eustace Mashimbye, who said the imminent tariffs that will be imposed by the US government on South African products make a compelling case for increased local consumption and the identification of alternative markets.
“The alternative market is us, South Africans. When we themed this year’s Local Wine Expo as: Local wine serves the best sip, we were alluding to the jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities that are created and sustained throughout the wine-making value chain. Through this event, we are not only providing a platform where emerging wine makers can exhibit their products, but we also offer go-to-market opportunities that would otherwise remain elusive for many of these enterprises,” says Mashimbye.
Over the three days of Local Wine Expo, over 3,000 guests attended the event.
Raising a glass alongside local winemakers were FoodBev SETA, Wholesale & Retail SETA (W&RSETA), and the Prison Break Market (San Quentin), the perfect blend of partners helping to refine and enrich the Local Wine Expo experience.
